Welcome to the awkward intro post, which kind of feels like a blind date. I'm not exactly sure who you are, but I'm grateful for this brief moment we have to get acquainted. See? That's why I posted a picture of myself over there, along with a brief blurb of who I am and why I've invited you here. (Bonus: that shot was taken as I prepared to marry the most beautiful Jenn Rose, but it works to also make me appear professional.)
I've dabbled in blogging before, but this will be a place to experiment with writing/reflecting as my students and I attempt to read a lot this month (and hopefully after that). We're going to use an idea I picked up from Penny Kittle in her fantastic Book Love, where students determine a personalized pages-per-week number to progress as readers. I've found it more useful--especially for myself--to track how many pages per week we can comfortably conquer and even stretch beyond to make reading more profitable and enjoyable.
So, what's my weekly and overall month-long reading goal for December?
Hmmm. That's going to keep me busy, especially since my wife and two little kiddos will likely want to see me this month without a book constantly in my face. Plus, it's Christmas season: I gotta live it up, take some naps, and put on a few pounds.
However, here's where that tree picture at the top of the post comes in. Today my students and I wrote a brief reflection about how our growth as readers is like the rings in a tree. (Thanks for the inspiration, Jeff Anderson.) Like this labeled tree, everyone goes through various growing seasons--rainy or dry.
This year, I've had a rainy reading season. My growth has come through a downpour of books that I've sought out and loved, combined with a goal to read 50 books in 2014. Other years, though, I've had dry seasons, where I barely touch a book for months.
Also like this tree, I carry scars from bad experiences with books. (I'm looking at you, The Scarlet Letter from my honors English class in high school.) But in true tree fashion, I've kept growing each year, and I've found the years I've set a weekly and monthly goal, my rings get considerably larger. Even those scars can heal. (I actually enjoyed The Scarlet Letter in college, when I approached it on my own terms.)
So, what's your tree story? What's affected your rainy and dry reading seasons? And how do you move past those scars? Feel free to comment below!
I've dabbled in blogging before, but this will be a place to experiment with writing/reflecting as my students and I attempt to read a lot this month (and hopefully after that). We're going to use an idea I picked up from Penny Kittle in her fantastic Book Love, where students determine a personalized pages-per-week number to progress as readers. I've found it more useful--especially for myself--to track how many pages per week we can comfortably conquer and even stretch beyond to make reading more profitable and enjoyable.
So, what's my weekly and overall month-long reading goal for December?
- 252 pages a week
- 1,008 total pages
- 4 total books
Hmmm. That's going to keep me busy, especially since my wife and two little kiddos will likely want to see me this month without a book constantly in my face. Plus, it's Christmas season: I gotta live it up, take some naps, and put on a few pounds.
However, here's where that tree picture at the top of the post comes in. Today my students and I wrote a brief reflection about how our growth as readers is like the rings in a tree. (Thanks for the inspiration, Jeff Anderson.) Like this labeled tree, everyone goes through various growing seasons--rainy or dry.
This year, I've had a rainy reading season. My growth has come through a downpour of books that I've sought out and loved, combined with a goal to read 50 books in 2014. Other years, though, I've had dry seasons, where I barely touch a book for months.
Also like this tree, I carry scars from bad experiences with books. (I'm looking at you, The Scarlet Letter from my honors English class in high school.) But in true tree fashion, I've kept growing each year, and I've found the years I've set a weekly and monthly goal, my rings get considerably larger. Even those scars can heal. (I actually enjoyed The Scarlet Letter in college, when I approached it on my own terms.)
So, what's your tree story? What's affected your rainy and dry reading seasons? And how do you move past those scars? Feel free to comment below!