Book Whisperer

I am underlining and highlighted everything in this book.  The writer is easy to relate to, I love that Teaching is her 2nd career, like for so many of us in this co-hort. 

Just from the introduction "A trail of worksheets from a teacher to their students does not build a connection with readers; only books do" & "Do what great teachers have always done: steel whatever ideas you can use."   These are easy quotes to identify with as new or pre-service teachers.

I like the way she turns negative labels into positives, by renaming Struggling Readers to Developing Readers, Reluctant Readers to Dormant Readers and Gifted Readers as Underground Readers.   She lists one of her failures as a Gifted or Dormant reader, to reinforce the importance of the reading class to reach all readers, not just struggling or dormant readers.

Choice in reading is the major theme so far in the book, she is getting into how to arrange her classroom, instruction, assignments around their choice.

She also underscores the importance of getting to know your students, hobbies, etc. one suggestion is the surveys at the beginning of the year. " Their needs as people, call to me from the ages of those surveys, and I whisper back with books."  Spoiler alert: There are examples of surveys at the end of the book. ( I looked ahead).