Reader Interviews

As I was planning my interviews, I decided that I wanted to have a lot of variety. I teach high school colorguard, so I thought it would be interesting to interview two of my senior girls. They both attend Summit High school. Every student in the school gets an ipad for their textbooks, so I wanted to know if they actually use the iPads for educational purposes....It shouldn't be a surprise to hear that the answer is NO. Neither of them enjoyed reading. Their reading experiences have been affected negatively by school assignments. They told me that they are so overwhelmed with schoolwork that they really do not  have time to read anything based on their preferences. On the other hand, they spend SO much time on technology. I really couldn't sympathize with them about the homework after hearing about their many hours on twitter and facebook. In some ways, this could be considered a form of reading. They are constantly reading throughout the day. It is no wonder they feel overwhelmed! Hearing about their negative school experiences made me concerned for when I am a teacher. How can I really grab the attention of my students? It makes me hope that I have some freedom in choosing the books for my classroom. I want the class materials to be interesting yet relatable. My biggest pet peeve is when a teacher begins a book unit by saying, "I really do not like this book." REALLY?! Is that how you are going to get your students motivated to read? I had plenty of teachers in high school that bashed the books before we read them. Honestly, I didn't even bother to read a lot of the books in high school because the teachers killed my spirits. It felt like a punishment. I know that I will not be able to make every student find a love for reading, but I would at least like to provide them many opportunities to discover what interests them.

Happy Valentine's from the 1800s!

     Valentine's Day is such a sappy day, and it is full of cheesy love letters. Just looking at this Valentine from the 1800s reminds me that this is not anything new to our generation...sweet talking has prevailed through the years. Literature plays such a big part in keeping this alive. Simple lines are carried along and recited to make others swoon. Does it matter that the words are not original? I personally think that it should matter. While it is impressive to hear a person quote Shakespeare, it just doesn't feel genuine. Anyone can open up a book and copy a romantic line. There is so much pressure to sound eloquent, and the content seems to lose importance.

     After seeing so many movies and books based on love, you begin to wonder if these plots are giving people false hopes. Are these stories setting the expectations too high? Or should we follow the example that they set? The fairy tale stories are enchanting and uplifting, but the chances of finding this are slim.

(I meant to post this on Valentine's Day, but I accidentally kept it in my drafts... oops.