I'm a reader. You name it, I've read it: classics, mystery, fantasy, historical, nonfiction, sci-fi, comic books, stereo instructions, the back of the shampoo bottle….
Well, you get the idea.
Being a person who loves books, I'm fortunate to have found a career that's all about passing this love on to young people. Here are all the reasons I love being a reading teacher.
The Books
Because I love books (I've mentioned that, right?) I could probably teach any book effectively enough. Still, it's a real treat to work with a curriculum full to the brim with the very best books available for young people. If it sounds like I'm making a distinction between the "best" and the "not-so-best" books, that's because I am. This distinction is real, and it makes all the difference to my students. The very best books are those which captivate their readers. They have compelling characters, exciting stories, and the ability to transport us to places that are at once fantastically new and profoundly familiar.
When my students read great books, they imaginatively participate in a world that has been created just for them. They meet characters who will be the companions of their thoughts long after they've turned the last page. They find answers to some of the most important questions they will ever face: What does it mean to do the right thing? How can I be a good friend? Why must there be pain and loss as well as joy in the world? Having the right books makes my job feel entirely effortless at times. The book is doing all the hard work; I'm just leading students through it.
The Students
If there's one thing that makes great books even greater, it is the experience of reading them with other people. That's why it's so important to me that my classroom become a place of shared experience where I get to know my students, hear their ideas, and help them develop and refine their unique voices. That every student is unique brings wonderful variety and meaning to my work. I teach students of all age levels, of all backgrounds, and of all reading skill and interest levels.
I've taught four-year-olds who love books and high school seniors who tell me they've never liked or finished a book in their lives – until they took my class. For students who are already strong readers and love books, it is a privilege to help them take their strengths to the next level. For students who say they do not like reading, it is a pleasure to give them the tools, skills, and encouragement necessary to turn their relationship with books around. I have had countless students tell me, brimming with pride at their achievements, that they love reading now – and hearing that never, never gets old.
The Parents
For every awesome, unique student I've had in class, there have been awesome, unique parents behind her. I'm struck time and time again by just how hard these parents work for their kids, how much they love them, and how much they want them to succeed. There's little more rewarding than giving parents the tools to do just that. Often this makes a huge difference not only in a student's relationship with books, but also in his relationship with his parents. Let me explain what I mean by that.
Many parents have had the experience of sitting down with their kids to do some kind of reading homework and having the session end in tears, shouts, or both. It's a painful and demoralizing experience which I've witnessed firsthand. In fact, it happened in the very first class I ever taught with the Institute.
The class had barely begun reading when a young man going into first grade put his head down on the table and began to cry. His mom buried her face in her hands and followed suit. As I watched the two of them, I felt confident we could, together, figure out a better way of doing things. And we did. I knelt down by the desk, asked questions, identified the problem, and showed them some specific strategies to remedy it. Word by word, high-five by high-five, the three of us got through the entire book, and by the end of it mom and son were glowing with a shared sense of accomplishment.
I have had countless students tell me, brimming with pride at their achievements, that they love reading now – and hearing that never, never gets old.
Mom later thanked me with a lovely letter about how her and her son's relationship with books had totally changed. Reading a book together went from a dreaded chore to a fun routine they both looked forward to. She also baked me a dozen chocolate-chip cookies.
A hint for all you parents out there thinking of a way to thank your reading teacher: baked goods are always appreciated!
Chris Cognetto has been an Institute teacher for 5 years. She lives in Albuquerque, NM with her husband and two extremely silly dogs.