Sitting in a sixth grade classroom gazing at the chapter books on the shelves, I had a mental list of the top 10 books I would love to pull off the shelf, curl up in a cozy corner and read! I wanted to choose my own book. OH, to live through the character of the story and for just a short time be in their thoughts and imagine what their experiences would be like. How I wanted to read the book of my choice and share it with others. It never happened. Instead, since I was a high reader who needed little help in completing tasks and knew some Spanish, I was given the seat next to the new student from Mexico who spoke no English in order to read the directions to her. It was my job to "Show Maria." Since I spent so much time "tutoring," I lost out on any free choice time. My entire 6th grade year was spent helping her. The loss of my sixth grade year was sad for me. My third grade teacher introduced me to chapter books and I was in love. She let me choose which to read and would even ask me about the characters. She instilled in me a love for literature. I became a book explorer. I wanted to read, so I could experience adventures! Little did I know when I left third grade, I would leave behind the adventures. Instead, my reading was limited to books my teachers chose. The reading experience I had in sixth grade was limited to meeting with my fellow high readers at the table where we would read round-robin style (gasp!) and answer questions. It was a teaching style I had been introduced to in 4th grade which echoed through high school.
Why didn't I read my own books at home? Well, my parents worked long hours and we didn't have a lot of money to buy books. They couldn't take me to the library very often.The book I was allowed to check out from the school library was often chosen for me. I was stuck. Today, I understand the importance of giving my students a choice. I want them to choose their own book, their own math tools, their own order of tasks. Choice is important to me as I know it is to them. They are curious about their own world. They want to learn about what is relevant to them. They connect their life experiences with their learning. It is my job to allow them to explore what is meaningful to them. I am to teach them how to read, not what to read. It is my job to teach them how to research, what types of questions to ask, and to use a variety of strategies. I want to teach them how, not what.
Why didn't I read my own books at home? Well, my parents worked long hours and we didn't have a lot of money to buy books. They couldn't take me to the library very often.The book I was allowed to check out from the school library was often chosen for me. I was stuck. Today, I understand the importance of giving my students a choice. I want them to choose their own book, their own math tools, their own order of tasks. Choice is important to me as I know it is to them. They are curious about their own world. They want to learn about what is relevant to them. They connect their life experiences with their learning. It is my job to allow them to explore what is meaningful to them. I am to teach them how to read, not what to read. It is my job to teach them how to research, what types of questions to ask, and to use a variety of strategies. I want to teach them how, not what.