I'm just a hippie from the lovely mountains of Asheville who loves elephants and is dedicating her life to serving those with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Welcome to my world :)
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Falling in Love with Reading
So you've heard my sob story about hating reading in Elementary school. Now let me share with you the lovely strory of how I came to love reading and became an English major...
How I used to feel about reading...
How I now feel about reading!
Once upon a time, there was a lovely 6th grade English teacher named Mrs. Lightner. She read a beautiful book called The Giver to a class of hormonally insane 11-year-olds. One student, who happened to loathe reading, fell in love with the book. A chapter book had never been read to her, and due to her struggles with reading, this made chapter books rather unappealing. Mrs. Lightner then introduced the book-hating girl to the sequel of The Giver , and opened her eyes to an entire series she could love. "And," the kind teacher added, "it doesn't matter how long you take to read the books. Take as much time as you need." What a concept, the young girl thought. Time to read?! This is remarkable! She read every book Lois Lowry had written and adored each and every one. She then discovered, again thanks to Mrs. Lightner, another series beginning with Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix, and all the sudden there was an entire genre for the girl to explore: dystopian societies. As if by magic, her eyes were opened to a world of books she actually enjoyed reading, and the world was made a better place.
In case you hadn't guessed, the little girl was me. I never knew how amazing reading could be until Mrs. Lightner helped me find the right book and gave me some time and patience. What a world of difference she made! I now love reading, and while I'm still slower than a sloth eating sloppy joes (which is a pretty long process, in case you aren't aware), I love reading! What a difference a great teacher can make on a student's life...
What a great story about reading! I think that reading doesn't have to be rushed. Too often it seems like there is such a pressure to get students to finish what they're reading so they can move on to the next thing. Whenever I think about REAL readers, they can take as much time as they need to finish a book so long as they understand it.
Thanks for sharing your story. You're right, a good teacher can open up the world in new ways. We should all strive to open the eyes of our students to discover what is hidden to many but has been revealed to those who have been nurtured by a wise teacher and encouraged to read.
your story was amazing. It is so wonderful that you had a teacher that could change your views about books and reading. Stories like this one definitely make me want to teach so I can change the lives of my students like your teacher did for you.
What a great story about reading! I think that reading doesn't have to be rushed. Too often it seems like there is such a pressure to get students to finish what they're reading so they can move on to the next thing. Whenever I think about REAL readers, they can take as much time as they need to finish a book so long as they understand it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your story. You're right, a good teacher can open up the world in new ways. We should all strive to open the eyes of our students to discover what is hidden to many but has been revealed to those who have been nurtured by a wise teacher and encouraged to read.
ReplyDeleteyour story was amazing. It is so wonderful that you had a teacher that could change your views about books and reading. Stories like this one definitely make me want to teach so I can change the lives of my students like your teacher did for you.
ReplyDelete