Classroom Novels Rant

I spend my life on the outside looking in.  I am not, nor will I ever be, the normal girl/woman/teacher.  I do things differently, and I always have.  Sometimes that works for me...sometimes it doesn't.  In my classroom, it works well, but I find myself alone on an island most of the time.  I march to the beat of my own drum.  I do things my own way.  I watch other teachers and say to myself - really? But I am going to stop here before I say too much and proceed to the reason for this post, and I am going to try 

DESPERATELY 

not to step on toes.  Good luck with that.

If we put 50 middle-school ELA teachers in a room, I believe at least 40-45 would admit they actually LIKE to read.  I want to type the number 49, but I have honestly come across too many teachers who hate teaching/kids/work/reading/books, yet they have a job as a teacher.  

Mind-boggling

but here we are.  Anyhooo.......40 of the 50 like to read.  We all go on a magical field trip to a book store - the world's GREATEST book store - to get a new book to read.  All 40 of us walk in the door with wonder and love in our eyes at the rows and rows and shelves and shelves and bins and bins and baskets and baskets of nothing but BOOKS!!!!    All of our senses are affected...we see the beautiful books, we smell the beautiful books, we hear the rustle of the pages of the beautiful books, we touch the covers of the beautiful books, and we "taste" the beautiful books (newest buzz word on instagrampinterestfacebook about how to choose a book) - Google it.  

We are told it is time to return to the magic bus with our book.  We are ready to choose a magical book from this magical bookstore so that we can be transported to a magical world that only magical reading can take us to.  But then........we are all handed the same exact book.  

All

40

of

us

are

going

to 

have

to 

take

the

same

book

and

read

it

at

the

same

time

...

Would you just think for a minute about that?  How happy would we be?  How content would we be?  How anxious would we be to dive in?  COME ON!!!  Admit it!!!  This would NOT work!!

Now think about your classroom.  

Many teachers have 100 copies of the same book.  Many teachers have spent countless hours creating a "unit" to use with "teaching" that book.  New rant - how do you "teach" a book?  What does that even MEAN??  We teach students how to READ a book - not TEACH a book!!!  I feel your hatred for this post already.  I know I am stepping on your toes.  

Back to it....Teachers have THICK binders full of teaching ideas for THAT book.  They have activities-scaffold-ed questions- vocabulary lists-culminating activities-videos-Bloom's balls directions - blackout poetry activities - one-pager directions- quizzes-tests-writing prompts - list of standards - posters - permissiontoshowthemovieattheend form.  They already have their outfit planned for their Instagram picture in which they will swear that 

ALL 100 OF THEIR STUDENTS FOUND THIS BOOK TO

 BE....

wait for the word...

here it comes....

Amazing

I call bullshit.  40 of us would not like the same book.  100 students will not like the same book.  Are you teaching it because every single student - ALL 100 OF THEM - begged you to read it with them at the SAME TIME!?!?!!?  Or are you reading it because you have spent a huge amount of time gathering together amazing activities and bought an amazing t-shirt to wear on the first day of reading this amazing book and found amazing things on Pinterest to use in decorating your room and purchased amazing things on TpT from people who already read this amazing book to their 100 amazing students? 

Don't get so upset with me until you think about it.  Do ALL your students want to read that book???  or do YOU just want to force them to read it because you have lesson plans to 

teach

the book.  

Is this reading journey about YOU 

or THEM?  

Try this...

Teach them how to read - how to question things when they read- what to think about as they read - what to ask themselves as they read - what to jot down notes about - what to have handy as the read (dictionary, post-its, etc.) - 

TEACH

them strategies.  Have a process of accountability for reading (graded book talks).  Make time in your classroom for those cute pinterestgoogletpt activites AFTER they finish a book.  

A book

That they chose

Not YOU...

THEM

It's all about choice.  Give them choices.  Focus on making the choices available for them.  Coach them.  Teach them.  Organize them.  Give them strategies.  Give them control (to a certain extent).  Give them options.  Make them accountable for their own learning.  

WE teachers do not want to be forced to read the same book.  Why would these kids?!?!!  

We also would never enjoy sitting down to write to a teacher-written prompt, but that topic is for another rant-blog.