It's Lit, Y'All

Kittle's discussion of independent reading and its space and function in the classroom has me actively thinking about the ways what I am doing to foster independent reading is working and the (many more) ways that what I'm currently doing is falling short. Going into my fourth year in the classroom, I've come to realize that I will likely never perfect my classroom practices, but I think that is an essential part of being an effective teacher. The strategies we have used in the past, even those that were successful, always have room for improvement. This is not even to mention that our classroom contexts are always changing and what worked for one group of students cannot be prescribed to a different group. Kittle shares her system, but in the same spirit mentioned above she notes that good teaching and relationships are more important than systems for tracking, responding, and rewarding. There are many ways to approach independent reading, and upon returning to this book...

Buehler is advocating for and providing examples of going beyond bringing YA lit into the ELA classroom at a superficial level by utilizing a unique and relevant YA pedagogy. In doing so, she mentions how it is possible and necessary to use YA texts to bring together personal, academic, and social relevance into one space. Buehler makes some assertions about YA lit that I already believe to be true: YA lit is accessible to our students because it is relevant to their lives, when teachers put books in the hands of students that students can relate to those students feel valued and heard, YA lit can be used in complex ways that encourage students to work collaboratively to make meaning. If students are going to be open and honest and have the types of difficult conversations that YA lit often inspires, then teachers must create a classroom community that allows for this to safely take place. Buehler asserts that some markers of a classroom community are "belief that the work is i...

Another YA summer... I am so guilty of letting some of my best habits fall by the wayside during the school year and all that it brings. This school year saw me faking it till I made it through another year of running student council, jumping into the insanity of working full time while pursing a master's degree, and trying to balance all of that with making it to Orange Theory more than once a week. I love to read, and I have the best intentions, but for some reason, when life gets hectic, reading for pleasure is the first thing to go. And I do this knowing that reading is an act that centers me, calms me, and brings me joy. Having summers off is essential for me as a teacher to reset, reorganize, and re-energize myself for the year ahead. Summer allows me to get back to my best habits in hopes that this time around I maintain them. Don't get me wrong. I definitely read during the school year, but not with the voracity that I do during the summer. I'm not even sure I a...