I want to move to Texas so that my kids can have Donalyn Miller as a 6th grade teacher (ok, so two of my kids would have to repeat 6th grade, but it might be worth it...). If you don't know who she is...why not?? She is a 6th grade teacher, author of The Book Whisperer and from where I'm sitting, a FABULOUS teacher.
Check out her latest post about what her students read this year, it BLOWS MY MIND that the average number of books read in her class this year was 57 - WOW.
So ever since I read her book I have asked myself the question, as a librarian, how can I spark that kind of interest in books with the students??
I started doing book talks on the announcements... that helped a little. I try and "hand sell" a book (which I think is one of Donalyn's most successful methods in getting her kids to read) but with 950 students, this is SO hard for me to do with every student. I have a reading program, but I KNOW it does not generate the excitement that I would like to see, and I still haven't figured out what would generate that READING excitement that obviously Donalyn generates in her classroom.
These are the things I think about all summer long, hoping that the light bulb will go off - I'm still waiting....
3 comments:
Your 2.0 course has made a great hit with your teacher-students. Thanks so much for designing a course that has our fellow staff members falling in love with blogging. Yes, you are a total GEEK but I mean that in a great way.
This is the book that the librarians chose to read as a book club starting this September! From your post, I may just read it early!
Amy - it is SUCH a good book. Our literacy committee did it as a book study this year, I wish I could have the WHOLE school read it! When you read it you will be saying "YES" "OH THAT IS SO GREAT" "HOW COOL" thoughout the whole book - Donalyn is really a TRUE inspiration!
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