Happy Thanksgiving break, everyone! It’s been a hot second since I have blogged (a new subject area plus larger class sizes has me struggling, y’all!) but I am finally making my triumphant return. Today, I’m starting a new series of posts that covers one of my favorite subjects: class novels!

Class novels (otherwise known as a chapter book read aloud) serve many purposes in my classroom. They are a mentor text that I use to teach skill-based mini-lessons. They are a way to expose my students to new genres, topics, and formats that they otherwise may not experience. They are a common literary experience that we share and refer back to all year long. And most importantly, they are a chance for us to pause our daily instruction and enjoy a really awesome book!

I think class novels are amazing, but I am careful not to turn them into an obligation. I want my students to develop a true love of reading, so I am cautious about assigning too much work that is related to our novel. I don’t want it to feel like another thing they HAVE to do; instead, I want it to be something they look forward to each day (and they do!). Plus, filling out character maps and answering comprehension questions after each chapter isn’t reflective of how real readers read. When was the last time you, a grown adult, paused between chapters to answer questions? Exactly. If we don’t do those sorts of things as adult readers, we shouldn’t be asking them of our students.

I’ve also found that most worksheets and novel packets are a time suck. I’m already pressed for time each day, so if I can eliminate one more task from our to-do list, I’m a happy camper. And finally, most novel companions are usually not very rigorous and ask students surface-level questions. When it comes to assessing student learning, they are never my first choice.

Instead of worksheets and packets, I use a few strategies throughout the year to help my students develop a love of reading; to assess my students’ understanding of skills; to incorporate current events, social justice, and the real world; and above all, keep reading fun! Today I will be talking all about Virtual Field trips and how I use them to build students’ background knowledge and get them excited about they books we read.

Continue reading “Spice Up Your Novel Study, Part One: Virtual Field Trips” →

POP QUIZ! What is the purpose of education?

A. To give kids a solid foundation of academic skills

B. To help kids discover a lifelong love of learning

C. To help kids understand the injustices that negatively impact many groups of people in America

D. All of the above

Correct Answer: D, of course! Every teacher likes to say that we are preparing our students for the real world, but in my opinion, we’re not truly doing that until we help our kids recognize, analyze, and push back against the prejudices, inequalities, and racism that are very much alive and well in today’s society.

Now, this is a lofty goal, and one that sounds amazing but that can be hard to implement in an educational environment that is focused on test scores, passing percentages, reading levels, and about a million other data points. However, I am here to tell you that it can be done. It is possible for you to find time in your reading block to tackle these big issues that will ultimately make your students better people. Today’s blog post will give you three easy steps to help you use the class novels you are already reading to make your students more conscious of the injustices around them.

Continue reading “Using Novels to Teach about Racial and Social Justice” →