Dear teachers,
Please bring books that kids love into your classroom, into your curriculum.
My son entered your room a reader... not voracious, but had a favorite author and liked to talk about what he was reading, share some ideas with us (and his sister had read many of the same books in her two year "Novel" loop in 7th and 8th grade). And now... now he's reading so very little, and it pains him (and me).
Great Expectations for 14 weeks. Four different essays. Endless graphic organizers. Thick packets.
Fourteen weeks of Dickens dragging on, and my son caring less and less, and starting to think that he's not a reader after all.
But I'm not pleading only for my son.
I'm pleading for students of color... 50% of our high school.
They moved from Dickens to Steinbeck to Shakespeare (I'm actually grateful it's Romeo and Juliet, because we found an amazing graphic version). Nary a poem or short story or speech in-between.
No women... yet.
No authors of color... yet.
No Hate You Give, no All American Boys. No David Levithan.
No American Street, no Turtles All the Way Down or up or sideways.
No 57 Bus.
I remember a quote one of my mentors attributed to Studs Terkel: that we need to see ourselves in the books we read. And I'm thinking, I'm wondering: do kids see themselves in Pip? Or do they need to see more kids of color? Do they see themselves in Romeo? In Juliet? I admit it, I haven't asked them. But I'm worried kids aren't become readers. They read, but their hearts aren't touched. They aren't excited to find 10 minutes to read, to share "can you believe it?" moments. I see my son plodding. Focused on tasks, not meaning. And my heart is breaking.
Please bring books that kids love into your classroom, into your curriculum.
My son entered your room a reader... not voracious, but had a favorite author and liked to talk about what he was reading, share some ideas with us (and his sister had read many of the same books in her two year "Novel" loop in 7th and 8th grade). And now... now he's reading so very little, and it pains him (and me).
Great Expectations for 14 weeks. Four different essays. Endless graphic organizers. Thick packets.
Fourteen weeks of Dickens dragging on, and my son caring less and less, and starting to think that he's not a reader after all.
But I'm not pleading only for my son.
I'm pleading for students of color... 50% of our high school.
They moved from Dickens to Steinbeck to Shakespeare (I'm actually grateful it's Romeo and Juliet, because we found an amazing graphic version). Nary a poem or short story or speech in-between.
No women... yet.
No authors of color... yet.
No Hate You Give, no All American Boys. No David Levithan.
No American Street, no Turtles All the Way Down or up or sideways.
No 57 Bus.
I remember a quote one of my mentors attributed to Studs Terkel: that we need to see ourselves in the books we read. And I'm thinking, I'm wondering: do kids see themselves in Pip? Or do they need to see more kids of color? Do they see themselves in Romeo? In Juliet? I admit it, I haven't asked them. But I'm worried kids aren't become readers. They read, but their hearts aren't touched. They aren't excited to find 10 minutes to read, to share "can you believe it?" moments. I see my son plodding. Focused on tasks, not meaning. And my heart is breaking.
Ugh... high school English almost killed my love of reading, and I was a voracious reader. Now that I teach high school English (ELL), I'm adamant that schools become places that nurture readers, and I agree wholeheartedly with you. Incidentally, Great Expectations was the one book in high school I never even finished. My heart is breaking for those plodding too.
ReplyDeleteThis post pains me. Fourteen weeks on Great Expectations sounds like Readicide to me, and it sounds like this teacher desperately needs a copy of Kelly Gallagher's book. I am sorry for your son, sorry for all the kids whose needs are not being met.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. Maybe we need a book flood of Kelly's book to groups of teachers.
DeleteI hope some of the teachers read your blog...and add some stories they love. Our own reading lives as teachers are so powerful!
ReplyDelete