World Read Aloud Day

Words matter

Before I get into the blog post for the day I wanted to issue an apology. I received an email that brought to my attention the use of the term "lame" in many of my posts. What I never considered was the history of that term when it is applied to people with mobility challenges. As I try to teach my students the importance of language as well as equity, justice, kindness and awareness I need to be more aware of the words I use. I appreciate the reader for reaching out and asking me to consider this. I apologize for not being more sensitive and will be more aware in the future.

Leading by Reading

This last week I was trying to come up with a way to make World Read Aloud Day a fun experience. I work in a Junior/Senior High so I think the classroom read aloud outside my doors is a little less than likely. That said we also have the unique opportunity of having the elementary school attached to our building. I had the idea of taking my English classes down to the elementary to read aloud, bring in the big kids to read with the little guys. Model joyful fluent reading, model a book love that I try to help my students develop. They would have done it but then I thought about my Basketball team. I have written about the boys before and how proud I am of them and their dedication despite adversity but I gotta say, despite some early hesitation the majority of the Senior Varsity team were down at my room picking up picture books today and ran down to the elementary and were matched with classrooms. They were a bit nervous at first but then jumped right in with groups of six, seven, and eight-year-olds gathered around the boys shared some great stories. I was told after they finished they all asked if they could do it again another time, they had fun. These 16, 17 and 18-year-olds who were, for the most part, unsure with the idea had fun. Some even said "We could come during our LA class, I mean we are reading" I have had a lot of proud moments with these boys but the examples they were to the littles down the hall today is something many of these kids won't forget. They will remember that the cool Varsity basketball team were reading picture books to them and they liked it. It wasn't a chore or assignment it was a privilege and I couldn't be prouder.

For my own classes, we read the first chapter of the amazing Refugee, some of our whole class novel Peak and a short story compilation in Social Studies that focused on Canadian History. My job is great every day, today was just icing on the cake.