A few months ago a friend told me about someone she knows who is a running coach. The coach hates to run. I immediately thought, "How unfortunate. If I were looking for a running coach, that's not the one I would choose." I want the coach who can not only teach me about technique but who can and will inspire me. Great form is essential, but function, purpose, and the knowledge of why running makes me a better me is what makes the form worth working on. How can the coach inspire if she doesn't enjoy the act herself? I'm sure Donalyn Miller would wholeheartedly agree.
As a teacher of reading, I find myself more and more reminding myself to read with my own teaching in mind. When I appreciate and acknowledge what reading does for my life, I can more easily transfer that knowledge into my classroom practice with my own little readers. Without a real love for reading, I'm left to teach reading sorely based on the opinions from some outside source. My reading life creates purpose and intentionality if I pay attention to it. What do real readers do? Those are the authentic practices that must become the heart and soul of my reading curriculum, teaching my students the how of reading but more importantly, inspiring them to become readers themselves. Students who catch that vision will know that reading is something worth doing for a lifetime. It's hard for them to be inspired by someone who doesn't personally live that reality themselves.
I was inspired by her in that respect as well. I read like crazy as a kid and teen and then just didn't have the time/inclination for it as a working adult. After reading her book, I gave it a shot again and now reading is something I do every day. My students hear me talking to others about books I have read. I read when they do silent reading. I do think it helps me to instill the passion in them, now that I have it back myself! :)
ReplyDeleteNot Just Child's Play
Miss Trayers, your story is a great one, and it's worth sharing with your students too!
DeleteGreat quote! We have to have a passion for reading to instill that passion in them! Or at least it would be easier if we do. :)
ReplyDeleteLori
Conversations in Literacy
Lori, you're very right. Our passion more easily transfers into their passion.
DeleteWhen parents ask their kids about me, the kids always say, "she loves to read." This lets them know what I value and good teachers know that they have massive power to affect how children think and act. If I say I hate math, so will they. It's that simple. My students all become excellent readers because I can't imagine a world where they aren't.
ReplyDeleteKimberley, I love that my kids know I'm a reader too. It makes me think I'm doing something right when that's what they know about me.
DeleteWhat's even sadder is when teachers don't even have the passion for teaching!! I see that sometimes.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion before you can "sell" something to someone else, you yourself have to buy into it. Which includes reading!!
I love to read. Always have. Always will.
Shannon
http://www.irunreadteach.wordpress.com
Shannon, yep so true. If we buy into it, we'll do a better job of selling it.
DeleteI do love to read, spent the first part of my summer doing just that. I need to get in more reading during the school year though. I like to read before bed and during the school year, I'm so tired I'm lucky to make it a page!
ReplyDeleteCrystal
Crystal, I feel the same way about my reading during the school year. It starts to lack, and I need to fix that!
DeleteI always assumed that all teachers loved to read and remembering being shocked when I was talking to a colleague who admitted she doesn't really enjoy it and never makes time! Huh!?? Mind you, the same argument could be made for writing and I have to admit I don't feel as passionate about that in my own life , although I love teaching it.
ReplyDeleteBarb, I've had the same experience. It does shock me when I hear that teachers aren't readers.
DeleteI have also been surprised by how few of the teachers I work with carve out time to read. I'll give up a lot before I give up my reading time. I got a little chuckle remembering back to my first two years of teaching when I was the cheerleader coach....Though I practice being cheerful, I'm not much of a cheerleader coach!
ReplyDeleteJenny, I would be a terrible cheerleading coach! Reading is much more my style. :)
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