Finding a love of reading

Hello, colleagues! I recently digitally subscribed to the New York Times (they were running a promotion for $1 a week). I've been reading the news quite a bit in the last four or so years, so it only made sense to pay for a digital subscription for not only news, but opinion articles, recipes, and even a mini daily crossword.

I was reading last week when I came across an opinion article called "Why Are We Still Teaching Reading the Wrong Way?" As a teacher, I knew I had to read it. The article talks about how teaching phonics is the best way to teach students how to read, and because it's so intensive, most teachers ignore the best approach. Of course, there was a response article today in which readers wrote about how they learned to read with some responses supporting the original opinion article, and other responses refuting it.

Reading the original and response articles made me think about my own love of reading. I enjoy reading as much as almost anything. I don't remember learning to read, but my mother says that I picked up reading before I went to school. I know that she was a stay-at-home mom that read with me. I know we didn't have cable until first or second grade, so I the tv I watched was mostly PBS educational kid shows (Sesame Street, Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, Reading Rainbow). Other than watching tv and playing outside, I remember reading... a lot! I grew up in a small town of 600 people with not a lot to do. My godmother (really my grandmother) was the librarian of our small town library that was two blocks from my house. I spent all of my free time there reading. I was reading well above my age since I eventually ran out of books to read that were "appropriate" for my age (e.g. reading John Grisham at age 12).  I fell in love with books at an early age, so I still love reading.

That is not, however, the case for most of our students. Why is that the case? I believe that part of it is due to students not knowing how to read, some of it is students not being able to read what they want, partly due to students being busy all of the time, and of course due to students being distracted by other things in their lives (e.g. social media, their cell phone, etc.).

So how can we get kids to enjoy reading again?

• Create a bedtime routine where you read every night. This is one of the biggest changes I made in my life within the last few years. I made the conscious decision to go to bed an hour before I wanted to fall asleep so that I could devote 30-45 minutes of time to reading. By reading this much each night, I read approximately one book a week. That is why, on my Goodreads reading challenge, I've challenged myself to read 52 books in a year. I've already read 48 books this year. 
• Let kids read what they want to read. I read what I want. I enjoy reading trashy beach novels and suspenseful thrillers. I don't always enjoy reading about history... I need a break from what I teach! My husband doesn't enjoy reading very much, but when his monthly Wired magazine arrives, he reads it cover to cover... sometimes more than once. I feel that should be the same for students. They should be able to read magazines, or story books, or a John Grisham novel that is well beyond their age. 
• Be a good example and read yourself in front of them. Part of the reason why I read so much as a child is because my parents read quite a bit when I was young. My dad would often sit in "his chair" and read at night. My mom would lay on the couch and read during the day. When my parents read, the TV was off. There was nothing else for me to do but read alongside them. 
• Limit technology. It was different when I was a child than what it is like for my students today, but as I said in the previous paragraph, the TV was off when my parents were reading. Now, if I read, I will turn off the TV and will silence my cell phone. Before bedtime, I will read and then post on Instagram right before falling asleep. It's become a habit over the past year. 
• Swap music for an audiobook. Install Audible on your child's phone so they can "read" while on the bus, or, if you drive them to school, turn on an audiobook instead of the radio. I'm not the biggest fan of audiobooks because I get distracted, but my husband loves podcasts and audiobooks much more than reading.
• Help bring books to life. I've always tried to read the book before watching the movie because a) I love spoilers and knowing what happens and b) I want to see how it comes alive. My sister and I recently saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway. I hadn't read the screenplay yet, so I read it on the plane. I was so disappointed when I read it and was worried that seeing the play live wouldn't live up to my expectations. Boy was I WRONG. It was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. Now I want to reread the screenplay AND go see the show again! 
• Stash books all over. Growing up, we had a huge bookshelf in the hallway that had a lot of books on it. Now, on my Kindle, I try to find free books to download (currently have 21 classics and 33 random books). It's all about having options and variety. That keeps me interested in my current novel because I want to finish it and start a new one!
• Conquer the log. This probably looks a little different for students, but I love logging my books on Goodreads. Because Goodreads is "Facebook for readers," I can see what my friends are reading. This has helped me find so many interesting books that I never would have found otherwise. Goodreads also recommends books based on what I've read, so the more I read, the better the recommendations!

I hope, through this list, that your students (or you, or your kids) will start to enjoy reading more. I want everyone to have the same love for reading that I do! 

Thanks for READING. I'll see you next week :) 

- Rachel

@historicalipad
My Teacherspayteachers website

What's the point of social media?

Good morning y'all!

I have a lot of thoughts swirling in my mind this morning, stemming from a 7:30 am wake-up call with a technology question from my mom's best friend, to news out of Silicon Valley about Facebook, and a great post from a friend and colleague, @aadamsELA. All three of these things have one common connection: social media. I'd love to quote Beyoncé when she says, "Who runs the world? Girls!" because, really, social media runs the world.

I am not immune to this - I love social media as much as the next person. It can be a time sucker if you let it. But it all comes down to how you use social media in your life. That's the focus that I want for this post. What's the point of social media? To me, social media comes down to the desire to make and share who you are and what you do.

Facebook: I deleted my Facebook two years ago, and I haven't looked back. People that know me might say, "Wait a minute..." Yes, I have access to my husband's Facebook. Yes, I have a Facebook page for my photography. But the account that I started in college, in 2004, no longer exists. I do not spend my time mindlessly scrolling through everyone's lives. I do miss catching up on my friends and family's lives, but it wasn't worth it for all of the ridiculousness. I am SO glad that I didn't have Facebook during the election.

Twitter: I have my professional Twitter that I use for all school-related things. I am 100% appropriate and non-political. I've curated a great PLN and have made some fantastic connections. I also have a personal Twitter that I use all things NON-school related. I am 100% inappropriate and overshare my political views. Only friends follow me - it's basically become my Facebook feed had I still had one. It is not a watch to catch up with me but instead is a way to be annoyed by my "know-it-all" behavior.

Snapchat: This is arguably my favorite social media app because I enjoy taking pictures of my day and being stupid. I love that the pictures disappear after 24 hours! You don't need, forever, to see a video of my cats chasing a spider, or me making espresso in the morning, or of someone's car with a Hawkeye sticker in a parking lot. I have some family members and close friends on Snapchat and even have a sisters chat going. This is what I use instead to keep in touch with others while also letting people know that I'm alive and okay in Colorado.

Instagram: This is 100% professional. I only post my photography, and if I do a live story, it's while I'm out shooting. I follow other photographers so that I can learn from the best. I probably use Instagram "wrong," but it works for what I need it to be - a platform for curating and sharing photography. I would also liken it to Redbubble which I use to share and sell my photography. I did recently start an Instagram for my broadcasting class. I am using it to share behind the scenes images of what my kids are doing. I would like my students to take it over, but they haven't gotten excited enough about it... yet...

Goodreads: This is also one of my favorite social media platforms, but not many people I know are on it. That's because most people don't have (or don't take) time to read! If you don't know what Goodreads is, it's an application where people post what they're currently reading, can read (and post) reviews of books, and can be recommended books. They also have a reading challenge (last year I read 54 books) where you can challenge yourself to read a certain amount of books. What's cool is that I see what people are reading, look at the plot, and decide if I want to read it too. I've found a number of books that I would not have found (and read) otherwise. I also like that I've been on Goodreads since 2011 so I can reminisce about what I've read in that time frame.

Spotify: This is probably the most used app on my phone. I listen to music while I get ready in the morning, on the way to work, at work, on the way home, and before I go to bed. We got a Google Home in September, so we also listen to music while we lesson plan or work around the house. I like seeing what people are listening to and enjoy sharing my playlists with others.

So with that, I encourage you to think about your social media accounts and how you use them daily. Is there a purpose? If you believe so then keep it up! If you don't, ask yourself why you don't delete your account. Thanks for reading. I'll see you next week :)

- Rachel

@historicalipad

My Teacherspayteachers website