A Reading Teacher's Readings...

So, I read a lot still. Maybe more than I have in a long time. I get to read books appropriate for my kids because I want to be able to talk to them, and I read books on teaching to get inspiration and ideas as well as research to support my radical opinions such as "we should let the kids read a lot in reading class, and we should let them pick it so they learn to love reading" etc.

In all of the readings I do I am collecting quotes I really like:

Here are some people wiser than I am saying things that inspire me:

“Time for independent writing—and reading—isn’t the icing on the cake, the reward we proffer senior honors students who’ve survived the curriculum. Writing and reading are the cake. When we make time, giving students one of a writer’s basic necessities, we begin to make writers….If we want our adolescent students to grow to appreciate literature, another first step is allowing them to exert ownership and choose the literature they will read.” Nancie Atwell


“Until you give children extensive amounts of time to read, allow them to exercise effective choice in choosing their books, and change your approach to classroom grouping, you will find few lifelong readers and writers” Donald Graves


“If you can convince your children that you love them, then there’s nothing you can’t teach them.” Avi


"We believe that it is our job to help kids grow into healthy and thoughtful participants in society. We believe school curriculum should be designed to do just that- to help kids imagine a life beyond what is immediate and see themselves as activists in building that life"

"Imagination can be more than this[creating fantastical worlds with no connection to reality]. Instead of developing an imagination as an end, we [teachers can] use them as a means to something better and larger than ourselves. Using one's imagination with rigor and power can be the difference between life and death!" Donna Santman.


So, now I am off to write and design and try to desperately figure out how I am going to team up with these incredible minds and do just that. And do it as respectfully as a hot headed, stubborn, arrogant, first year teacher with a stick-it-to-the-man-or-stick-it-where-the-sun-don't-shine attitude can possibly do.

Thanks to those of you that are reading this. I know your prayers are helping!

Also, I discovered a used children's book store!!!! And am soon going to have doubled the size of my class library. I got the Black Cauldron series, the Narnia series, Matt Christopher sports books, hank the cow dog, some Avi, and some scary books. AWESOME!!!!! I am going to go back next week for their "every kids books is 35 cents if you are a teacher sale" and I am gonna try and spend 70 bucks! yep 200 more books! Neato!

If you have recommendations for kids books- please send them to me. (the recommendations, not the books... but those would be welcome too!) Most of my kids have only heard of Goosebumps and Junie B Jones.


Imagining a world where he is a good enough teacher that sleep exists for him,
Mr. B


"Using one's imagination with rigor and power can be the difference between life and death!""