Join us in the Slice of Life story challenge. Every day for the month of March, bloggers all over the globe are writing their slices and sharing them on the Two Writing Teachers blog.
There is this kid. Let’s call him Joe. Every day he comes to school and works hard to learn. Some might say that he doesn’t have the desire to learn and that he doesn’t care, but I see the way he straightens up and faces forward the minute I start to compliment students who are doing this. I see how he gets excited for the points I give on ClassDojo.
This kid is not able to read at the same level as his peers. He is not the only one in the class, but he is the most resistant to reading. He chooses books that are way beyond his abilities and then busily pretends that he is reading them. Sometimes, it is okay that he does this. Sometimes he chooses nonfiction picture books and he learns from reading the pictures. But most of the time, he needs easier books so he can practice reading.
I have been recommending books, buying more books at a lower level, cajoling, requiring, almost begging, and still, most days he does not read because he chooses books that he cannot read. Even when I declare that he must only read the books he has placed in his book box, he is inevitably at the book bins searching again.
He loves book orders, and somehow scrapes together enough money to order a title or two each time. He finds the best looking covers in the classroom library and gets his classmates interested in more books. He likes books. But he can’t read most of them.
Joe is that kid that makes me earn my salary. He is the kid that makes me dig deep in my well of patience and try again today. We made a lot of progress before winter break, but then his family took an extended trip and we started almost at square one again in the middle of January.
But slowly, he is progressing. He is more fluent when reading with the small group. He is more confident about the words he is practicing each day. And yesterday, after taking too long at the book baskets trying to pick a book, he walked back to his desk with books that he can read. He sat down and he read. He did not know that I noticed it. He didn’t do this to please me. He did it to read. And the fireworks inside me silently went off in celebration of this moment. Maybe, just maybe, this kid is finally getting it.
Today, I will conference with Joe. I will show the patience I always show and I will congratulate him on choosing well. I will cross my fingers and hope fervently that we have crossed some kind of line and that this kiddo understands and is ready to be a reader.
Watching that happen must have been so exciting. I know how it feels to be so worried about the reading behaviours of some kids and when there is a shift . . .
I’ve had a few Joes, too. It’s a constant struggle to get growth but so wonderful when it does happen. Sounds like you are making a difference for Joe. Good luck ?
Oh my; what a moment! I have a few Joes in my middle school reading class, and am so frustrated with and for them.