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Guys Reading ... in bits and pieces?
My children’s lit class just ended and I feel sad. I met so many wonderful people, some of whom will go on to become fantastic teachers, librarians, writers, parents, and doers of work yet imagined. I’m proud and I will miss them. Of course joy is ahead, too. Tomorrow I pick up my ugly black smocky-thing and flat hat, and on Saturday will join the cheering graduates at UMass stadium. I’ll be the weepy one, but I guess my students, who saw me choke up at Charlottes Web, Bridge to Terabithia and Secret Garden, won’t be surprised.
Meanwhile I’ll slip in one more class post. It was great ending with projects. One future teacher, Spencer Fetrow, recently coached lacrosse, and took the opportunity to talk to some of his team members about reading, or perhaps more precisely why they think English classes suck. Most didn’t like old books, what we might call classics, which brings us to the oft-repeated need to match readers with intriguing content. Many did not like the vague language of feelings used in English classes. Need feeling and reading be the same thing? Some wanted something to be measured within the class, having some way for their accomplishments to be validated. Some didn’t feel good at English class, so didn’t like it.
Spencer mentioned that someone wasn’t so great at lacrosse, but he still liked playing the game. This guy replied well yeah he wasn’t great but he was good at a few particular moves. Spencer thought he’d try to look for ways to break down progress within reading, to help students find shorter goals, rather than reading and understanding a whole novel, that they could feel good about.
It’s worth a shot. Maybe some day I’ll hear how things work out.
Meanwhile I’ll slip in one more class post. It was great ending with projects. One future teacher, Spencer Fetrow, recently coached lacrosse, and took the opportunity to talk to some of his team members about reading, or perhaps more precisely why they think English classes suck. Most didn’t like old books, what we might call classics, which brings us to the oft-repeated need to match readers with intriguing content. Many did not like the vague language of feelings used in English classes. Need feeling and reading be the same thing? Some wanted something to be measured within the class, having some way for their accomplishments to be validated. Some didn’t feel good at English class, so didn’t like it.
Spencer mentioned that someone wasn’t so great at lacrosse, but he still liked playing the game. This guy replied well yeah he wasn’t great but he was good at a few particular moves. Spencer thought he’d try to look for ways to break down progress within reading, to help students find shorter goals, rather than reading and understanding a whole novel, that they could feel good about.
It’s worth a shot. Maybe some day I’ll hear how things work out.
