Shifting the Lesson Paradigm 2: Read

“Today, we’re going to respond to a character in our novels, then we’ll discuss with the person next to us. From there, we’ll get to know the characters better by exploring elements of characterization within our texts. But before we do any of that, let’s start with a little bit of reading.”

Most classes, I’ll address my students with some variation of the above comment. Thankfully for my students, we don’t constantly examine characterization. What is consistent every class, however, is the reading. Each lesson, I begin with roughly ten minutes of reading. I committed to this change after being blown away by learning of the amount of reading that Penny Kittle’s students were doing in her classes; at a conference, she shared images of students standing beside the literal pile of books they read over the year. I knew that this couldn’t be a trick and that there had to be something behind what Kittle was doing. Her secret was simple: give students time to read in class.

I truly believe that there is a book for everyone. As educators, we often see the inherent value of reading. Moreover, we usually have that one book that has just spoken to us. For me, it’s The Catcher in the Rye. I don’t actually think that is a particularly great book: the plot is flat, the references are dated, and it took me reading the text multiple times to truly appreciate the nuances of the story. But there is something about Holden Caulfield, the protagonist, that is captivating. He is a liar, a hypocrite, a narcissist, and an outcast by his own accord. Yet I can’t help but feel for a character who is clearly misunderstood from society and to whom, at times, I think everyone can relate. As such, it is the juxtaposition of my contempt for Holden and my sympathy for him that causes me to feel as though he is one of the most compelling protagonists that I have read.

I want students to find their own Catcher in the Rye, and to do so for their own reasons (hopefully I don’t have classrooms full of students with discontent for protagonists!), so each day I give students time to read. And sometimes, though not always, I’ll walk into class and students are already reading. Just take a moment to picture that: students, actually reading, and before the teacher enters the room; magical! While students read I may track student reading progress, complete note and folder checks, take care of any necessary housekeeping, or have mini check-ins with two or three students individually wherein I can quickly track observations and conversations after each chat. If a student has forgotten their book that day (there’s almost always one student who does) I have them select a book to read for that class from our classroom library.

If a student finishes reading a book before we move onto a different unit, I encourage them to get another book of their choosing. After doing a few mini check-ins, I’m usually able to recommend a book for a student. One time, I encouraged a young budding writer who was applying to nursing school to read When Breath Becomes Air. The end result, in return, was one of the best gifts I’ve received as a teacher. If I can’t find a recommendation, I encourage them to speak with our librarian who is easily one of the best librarians in the province and who can find a book for anyone.

In tracking their progress, I’m able to actually see that the students are reading and how much they are reading. Further, I can tell who is reading outside of class as well. I’m often surprised at how much some students have read since the previous class. Of course, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows as there is often one or two students who haven’t read much. But I allow students to set their own reading schedules and to revisit those schedules if they feel as though they are falling behind. In doing so, the students who haven’t read don’t need to be accountable to me because they are already accountable to themselves through their self-paced schedule.

The best part about including reading time within my lessons is that the students enjoy it. Often, when I provide a unit survey, students will say that it “calms them down” at the start of class, or it “gets them in the mood to learn”, or simply that it “allows them to get into and enjoy the story.” What’s more, when asked, nearly my entire grade 12 English class wanted more in-class time read. Students, when given the chance to read a little bit, were literally asking to be able to read more.

Previously, I mentioned how Penny Kittle shared pictures of students who had read 20+ books. She emphasized that these students were not the rule, but reinforced her messaging of providing time for students to read each day. My students haven’t read up to 20 books, but after five months, every single student finished their first novel, nearly all read their second in full, most are on pace to finish the third, and some have already completed five or six. And all because they’ve been given time to read in class.

 

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