Coaching and Learning
Installment #15:
Five things I never knew . . . until I became a teacher:
I visited my friend’s classroom and she had this posted. Brilliant right? Nothing like a clear measure of needed, desired, or expected volume in the classroom.
—Frederick Douglass
So, in late January, I decided to get prepared and stock up on literature to make Black History Month as inclusive as possible.
I made deliberate choices for my own development too–I read new books, I read about new and unknown history, I read literature by new authors. It’s been a great experience and I’m thrilled that I stuck to my goal.
March is Women’s History Month. I am on the same path and journey to expand, broaden, and ensure a successful Women’s History Month.
This month, on my own time, I will read stories by women only. Each woman though, will have to have a different background–meaning, if I read a book by a woman from Japan, next book needs to be a woman from another place in the world. This way, I continue to expand my perspective, my lens, and my readership.
For my students, I will do my best to do the same. As an American, in the United States, I will probably have more titles and stories about notable American women; however, in this case, each American woman will need to hail from a different part of the States, illustrate a different time period or component of history, and/or represent a different community (i.e. Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Black, Asian, Native, etc.). Again, the purpose is celebrating the vastness of women’s contributions.
At times, this can be a daunting goal, but once it’s started it comes naturally–and it’s enjoyable. So, I’m off to the library 📚 and my Amazon account 😉, wish me luck!
I am avid reader. I have usually been a fiction reader, this past year I have been more of a nonfiction reader.
When I became a teacher, nearly 15 years ago, I had a few memories of books I enjoyed as a child, but not a huge collection of works–or works that were neatly paired with every standard.
Through teaching I have discovered an incredible appreciation and admiration for children’s books–picture books and young adult alike. It is through this journey that I have created an ongoing commitment to finding great books marked for children.
I scour Amazon Prime reading, I have an account with BookBub, I’m in touch with other teachers, I go to the library, I regularly go to the bookstore and look at what’s new. I’m always trying to find another great read.
I believe that reading books marketed toward children, towards young adults, keeps me young, keeps me connected to kids, and keeps me from languishing in the literature that was given to me as a child–yes, I did have access to great literature, but I did not have access to every genre of great literature. Yes, I did have access to great literature, but great literature is still being made, it didn’t stop when I was a child.
I enjoy reading, I enjoy reading more as a teacher. Teaching has opened a new realm of possibility to relive book memories, and create new ones; it has allowed me to venture beyond what I had been reading–and it gives added purpose to my reading (always looking for that next great classroom hit!). Children’s books are not just for kids. Young adult is not just for young adults. Great books are simply that: great books.
C is for Camacho 