Chapter 1

As I began reading the first chapter of You Gotta BE the Book, I found a particular line most agreeable and a statement that I could most relate to as a past and current student. "...studies by Durkin in elementary schools and Hillcocks in high school settings demonstrate that most reading and literature instruction involves seatwork and recitation that focus on cracking codes instead of creating meanings" (Wilhelm, 14). Growing up and attending public schools I was trained to read certain ways and respond certain ways when it came to reading. A lot of times my teachers would have the class read, write summaries, or answer questions based on what you read. As I have gone through college as an English major, and have seen so many other English majors that had much more experience with literature than I did, I began to wonder. Why was I trained to regurgitate material I have read in the classroom instead of having meaningful conversations about the text to make meaning? I then understood why so many people I went to school with have grown up hating to read.
Because of my experiences with this type of learning (if you can really call it learning) I feel it is my duty as an English teacher to encourage reading and motivate my students to understand how fun and interesting reading can be. I think I can accomplish this by allowing choice in my classroom. I remember that being a huge dilemma for many of my peers and even for me a lot of times throughout school. It is nice to have a common text in the classroom, however, giving students a choice on what to read motivates them to engage in reading because it is something they have interest in. It will also, in turn, result in students' willingness to discuss and think analytically about what they have read.
Based on my experiences with reading growing up, I want to have a significant influence on my students' attitudes and perceptions of reading and expand their boundaries of reading. I want students to pick up something to read other than a magazine, newspaper, or e-mailing and really want them to focus on literature or other important genres that seem to be neglected by many young adolescents.