Comments on: Legacy 2: Reading Despite Teaching (or, How the Hulk Led Me to Hamlet)

By: Issue 147

Issue 147 — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 01:47:47 +0000

[...] In short, I didn’t read books because I didn’t like what they were associated with: reports. Read more … Hi-tech messages for teachers by Stephen Drill Students are being encouraged to quiz teachers by [...]

By: Your page is now on StumbleUpon!

Your page is now on StumbleUpon! — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:39:10 +0000

[...] Your page is on StumbleUpon [...]

By: Kate Tabor

Kate Tabor — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 04:15:54 +0000

Oh, and… that’s alerting me (not altering me)

We did some really interesting work this year in American Literature around the rise of the American superhero (analyzing, reading, creating) and Michael Chabon’s Kavalier and Clay (and his Escapist character). It was a great way to end May.

Kate Tabors last blog post..Reading, today

By: Kate Tabor

Kate Tabor — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 04:05:08 +0000

Hi Clay -

I completely agree with you about the power of book choice for students. As a seventh grade teacher I turned over 10% of my class time to free reading. Every other Monday was a reading day, alternated with a free writing Monday. I read lots of wonderful books that my students recommended to me. I read during that time, too. [A real gift on a Monday - read whatever you want!]

I was not sure if the students got as much out of it as I did until this year. Last year I moved to the upper school to teach juniors and seniors, and it was at the beginning of this year that a former student of mine from the seventh grade, Zac, told me that free reading had changed his mind about books. Up until then he hated reading, but we spent hours looking for titles that might tickle his reading fancy. We found it: Master and Commander by O’Brien. Zac spent this summer at Oxford studying Shakespeare.

He tells me that his literature class is always his favorite class now, and when he had mono at the beginning of the year and he was too tired to do anything (he’s a soccer player of some talent) what he chose to do was read. He’s the student that altered me to the South Park episode that riffed on the Grapes of Wrath.

I didn’t “teach” him anything in this except that there is a book for everyone.

Kate Tabors last blog post..Reading, today

By: Paul C

Paul C — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 01:24:04 +0000

‘but if I want to make them lifelong readers who read like we adults do—we read books and discuss them with others—I’ll allow authentic book chats in class.’

Your conclusion reminds me of the power of the literature circle. Groups of five students agree to read the same novel over a period of time and they take on different roles: discussion director, wordsmith, character profiler, conflict dissector, etc.

I’ve seen some dynamic discussions; they’re simply not following a lame outline provided by the teacher.

Paul Cs last blog post..Widgets:Convenient Blog Enhancements

By: diane

diane — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:26:56 +0000

Random thoughts:
-I was allowed to roam the stacks at the Troy Public Library, where I read an exotic mix of novels and short stories
-Jo March in Little Women was the first of many literary characters who fed my secret desire to become an author
-We all read Superman comics, but what I remember best are the Great Illustrated Classics that I devoured in my grandfather’s little grocery store
-Your Killraven reminds me of my son’s boyhood favorite, He-Man

dianes last blog post..Hard Questions for Tough Times

By: Of Jocks and Fags - A Bullying Memoir | Beyond School

Of Jocks and Fags - A Bullying Memoir | Beyond School — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:36:50 +0000

[...] *Earlier Years: Legacy 1: Baptist Childhood Legacy 2: Comic Books [...]