A Review:BOOK LOVE by Penny Kittle -- with only 46 more days left in my career.

Sometimes books find you at an opportune time in your life. This book found me too late...only 46 days left in my career, I find a professional soul-mate I would love to visit with for hours. We share a vision for what schools and teachers should be doing, and yet we came at it from different directions. We had amazing mentors early on: she worked with Don Graves and Don Murray. My teachers at Indiana University included Roger Farr and Carolyn Burke--and her mentor Kenneth Goodman called me his granddaughter. We've learned from the best, and we've both taken those lessons to heart.

We both know relationships are what matter in a classroom. Her stories of nudging students into books, and into more complex books, are fun for me, because I could tell her MY stories too. We know kids need to enjoy their books or they won't read. We both have seen too much 'fake reading' in our careers, and are savvy enough to call kids on it.

I appreciate Kittle's bravery to revamp her traditional Englishclasses to incorporate more pleasure reading...along with the required elements. Close to 20 years ago, my colleagues in my English department all incorporated a reading Friday into our classes. We modeled reading with the kids, and we began work on helping kids select books. But we kept it quiet...kids responded.

I decided more than 10 years ago, that wasn't going to be the route that worked for me, and I 'invented' my current class, Reading for Pleasure. This class allowed me the opportunity to concentrate solely on choice reading, reading for fun, and reflecting on reading. Hearing Kittle talk about her success, I wonder if I bailed too soon from the traditional English classes....I know our 9th and 10 grade teachers have students read during class...but not with the intentionality Kittle displays. I really like the combination of reading in class, and the reading homework she assigns. A creative way to add without overwhelming her kids.

I learned new ideas I wish I had the time to incorporate: Reading Break, similar to DEAR...I appreciated her honesty about the teachers and students who tried to subvert the school wide reading. That's kept me from pushing. She admits she teaches at a small high school -- 900, as opposed to the 2400 students we have at my school. More opportunities for resistant teachers and kids. She said her school confronts that by having administrators roam the halls and classrooms during Reading Break, and keeping everyone honest. I like her ideas.

Summer reading AND summer book groups sound awesome. Having school libraries open during the summer to allow students to check out books! Genius.

I'm trying desperately to figure out how to start using her Big Idea Books these last days -- a group of small notebooks, each dedicated to a Universal Theme, in which students can contribute reflections on their books. Kittle says she keeps hers from year to year -- what an amazing idea to connect readers over time...still thinking of how to pull this one off.

There are many ways we work in sync -- we both aim to build stamina and flexibility; we understand the importance of a 'books to read next' list. We both know we must read with our kids, read what they're reading. We both share books with passion. We build relationships with students, knowing that's the door into the books. We are both widely read, in popular books, YAL books, and professional books. We both feel the same frustration with teachers (especially English teachers) who are not readers and writers, who 'cover' a book and assume their job is finished. She highlights several difficult conversations she's had with colleagues who cling to that status quo thinking. I love her courage to confront, and can see she does it with respect and gentleness.

Those long conversations I wish we could have would be focused on some of the ways we diverge: she does conferences; I have students write and provide lots of feedback, carefully crafted to 'listen' in a different way. I read with my students; she does her conferences while they're reading. Because she does her work in the English class, she is able to have students be 'interdependent' readers, and make year-long connections among the books and the canon. 

I had a wonderful epiphany as I was reading. She brings up a concept I've heard of before: Fixed and dynamic thinking...do we believe our intelligence is fixed, and if we don't get something the first time, it's just too bad...and if we don't get something the first time, we just need to try another way. She says to her kids what I've heard my experienced readers say to each other..."You just haven't found the right books yet." I had my students create a sticky-note chart of their attitudes about reading at the beginning of the semester, and then asked students to comment on the data. It was an identifiable pattern from students who'd taken my class more than once, that the kids who 'hate' or 'HATE' reading just needed to find that book. My students understand the dynamic aspects of reading and especially reading for their own pleasure.

Loved this book -- wish it'd found me sooner. Add another book to the list of 'books I wish I'd've written.' Add another author who lets me know I'm on the right path...for 46 more days.

Book Review: THE GEEKS SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH

As a teacher, I try to find books to read that will help me see my students in new lights, and interact with them more authentically. I have only read two of Alexandra Robbins' books, but I highly recommend them to anyone wanting to understand teens and the pressures we adult place on them.

My students and I judge how good a book is by the number of sticky-note flags I put into the book I tend to 'sticky' great writing, important point by the author -- anything I need to find quickly when discussing the book or the ideas IN the book. Let me tell you, GEEKS bristles with stickies. Robbins has added an important book to the literature of the sociology of secondary schools...I loved her book OVERACHIEVERS, and was eager to read this one too.

She takes six students and one young teacher through a school year, from the first day to graduation. She shows us who they are, what they value, with whom they interact. She must be a dynamite interviewer, because kids open their hearts to her and she treats that gift with respect.

The format is similar to OVERACHIEVERS...as she tells us about one of her characters, she links an issue he or she is dealing with to the research. These informational essays bring a new light and a context to her characters' concerns.

She introduces a term that is vital for her book: quirk theory: "Many differences that cause a student to be excluded in school are the same traits or real-world skills that other will value, love, respect, or find compelling about that person in adulthood." In other words, wait, be patient. Trust yourself. Don't give up hope. High school is temporary -- and life is what's important.

As she returns to each character throughout the year, we learn more and more about those interactions that add burdens to their lives. I was horrified when she reveals one of her characters is a young teacher who deals with mean girl bullying from OTHER TEACHERS! The school must be incredibly toxic to allow teachers to bully each other, and talk about other teachers to the students. I was horrified.

Robbins challenges each character to change something about his or her interactions with others and the last half of the book reports their efforts to break out of the fringe they've relegated themselves to. Whitney, the mean-girl prep learns to reach out to others, but is then excluded by her original friends. Noah attempts to show his natural leadership, the leadership that was rejected by traditional elections in school. Danielle just tries to smile...to talk to others. Blue (oh how I love Blue) is dealing with a mother who ridicules and belittles him, personal depression, a secret about his sexuality, and 'friends' who take over his projects and leave him out in the cold. His challenge allows him to show everyone a whole new Blue.

I was thrilled to read about Sachse High School in TX, where they attribute an all-school 'drop everything and read' period every day to an improvement in their school. It 'really made a difference in the culture of our school.' How exciting to see a school have faith in the power of reading and fellowship to break down barriers. I want to learn more about this school.

I always DO have favorites as I read about these dynamic kids. Blue and Whitney will hold special places in my heart...like the others, theirs is not a Cinderella story with a fairy-tale ending, but there are quiet victories, lots of self-reflection, and genuine growth. My least favorite was probably the teacher who saw herself as the 'only' adult who cared about the kids. Her self-centeredness was sad...I felt some of the kids had a deeper understanding of life than she. But it was her story of victimization by colleagues that horrified me the most.

Quotes that I want to remember:

"Middle school...has been called the Bermuda triangle of education."
"Meanness can be divided into two categories" overt and alternative."
"Groups can trigger the brain's inclination to take shortcuts...the group's opinion trumps the individual's before he even becomes aware of it."
"Conformity is not an admirable trait. Conformity is a cop-out. It threatens self awareness."
"Like lady Ga Ga, the quirk theory assures marginalized young people that some day they will be welcomed for the same reasons that classmates relegate them to...'the land of the misfit toys.'"
"Students vastly overestimate their classmates' use of alcohol, drugs and cigarettes."
"Studies show that students perceive parents who have negative attitudes about alcohol and drugs to be more caring."
"The permissiveness of parents who want their kids to be popular can lead to tragic consequences."
"The overemphasis of standardized tests forces teachers to teach the same restricted, un-inventive curriculum."
"Conformity is a mask behind which students can hide their identity or the fact that they haven't figured out their identity yet."
"Better to be lonely and real than to hide behind a mask of self deception. The loneliness will pass."

If you're a teacher, a parent, an aunt or uncle of a teen I recommend it. If, in your work, you ever interact with teens, I recommend this book. If you were a teen, cafeteria fringe, or popular, I recommend this book.

Head or Heart? Why Must I Choose?

Recent events, John Thompson's recent blog, and my own reflections about the end of my teaching career have all combined to make me think about this dichotomy...head or heart? Which rules our teaching?

"No significant learning can occur without a significant relationship." I've heard this attributed to Ruby Payne and others, but it's actually James Comer who said it.The moment I read this quote, I instantly recognized its importance in my own life, both as a learner and a teacher. There it is -- the single most important element of my own academic life. I thought about my own schooling, and the teachers who touched me, inspired me, challenged me. They were the teachers who invested in me...who got to know me. That's what I strove for in my own teaching.

This is the way I've tried to conduct my career: build relationships. Give every student universal positive regard. Respect students first; earn their respect day-by-day with my actions and attitudes. Grade and respond to student work with honor. Find ways to encourage a little more. And then a little more. Support every attempt toward independent learning. Celebrate achievements. I hope my students see this in our work together.

That's the heart of my teaching -- but I am comfortable assessing, grading, holding students accountable for their learning. I enjoy writing test questions that will allow students to look at their own learning and articulate their strengths. I've used standardized tests to pinpoint areas of growth and areas of weakness. I track student growth and can diagnose concerns.

But, that's not what reformers mean by 'head' -- they want nothing but standardized tests, evaluation of teachers based on student tests, grading schools by tests. They want to throw out relationships and educator judgments. They want to make data king. This has begun to poison everything that happens in schools, and is stretching teachers' values to the utmost.

I have heard a school administrator chide teacher education programs for teaching preservice teachers all 'that developmental nonsense.' The administrator said, out loud, 'we have to get them to pass tests, we can't worry about development.' This leads to schools that cut recess for elementary students so they can do more test prep.

I know high schools are now telling parents that their children should take every AP class the schools offer, no matter what students' interests, passions, or aptitudes are. I've had a friend lament that if she doesn't push her child into all these classes, she'll be doing her child a disservice. This push isn't for the benefit of students. The more students enroll in AP and advanced classes, the better schools will 'look' in school evaluations.

School administrators are desperate to 'earn' high grades from the Oklahoma State Department of Education. They are saying things and doing things diametrically opposed to what they know about education, learning and teaching. Yet, they say them and they do them. They pressure teachers, who are forced to pressure students, to say and do that which we know is wrong. But we all feel trapped by those 'reformers' who value the head and not the heart...they even ignore educational research if it doesn't fit their scheme.

How do teachers and educators hold onto the bedrock values that have inspired and led us throughout our careers? How do we adjust to new times, and still hold onto these values? A friend said it best: "How do I weave my moral imperative with my will to survive?" How indeed.  How do we respond to the demands of the 'reformers' who pretend to care? How do we keep the climate in our classrooms and schools safe for learning?

I read the original piece linked to John's blog. I saw no evidence that Roterham gives a rip about kids...that he even KNOWS students. His 'heart' conflicts are abstract, amorphous. They're bogus. He doesn't look into the eyes of struggling students who are giving us their all. He doesn't listen to a mother doubt her own parenting. He doesn't sit with a teacher who struggles to do the right thing. He's comfortably ensconced in his ivory tower think tank...lamenting heart vs. head education. He has no idea what's it like to build a relationship with a young person, to watch her grow, to celebrate with her the small steps toward success. He'll never experience the joy of truly knowing a student, of being allowed into HIS heart. He'll never experience the deep satisfaction of knowing you've ended the day giving your students your best...your heart and your head.



Polonius was a blow-hard for sure in Hamlet. But he accidentally stumbled upon one of the most important truths for a life of honor: "To thine own self be true. And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not be false to any man." That will be my touchstone. I will hold true.

So, for the last weeks of my career, I will let my head be ruled by my heart...I trust both. They, together, will lead me to the right decisions for thirty-eight years. They'll lead me to decisions that will allow me to sleep comfortably every night, knowing I did the best I could for every student and parent.

HB1659 Will Strangle the Oklahoma National Board Program...Slowly

I should begin this post with a statement of deep gratitude to the state of Oklahoma, the Legislature, and
Education Leadership Oklahoma for giving me and so many others the opportunity to hold my practice up to scrutiny, to challenge myself to work to the highest national standards of teaching and learning devised. I was awarded a full scholarship to go through the National Board process, to video my classes, to analyze and reflect on my teaching. I have repaid my state by staying in the classroom, full time. I have worked with new candidates in support groups and other professional development settings. I have continued to be a reflective teacher and an asset to pubic education in our state. The state's investment in my expertise has been mutually beneficial. I've seen how important this program has been to students in our state; I know we are a national leader in the NBC world. I know how strong we used to be. Now, I'm watching it be slowly strangled to death.


It will be a busy week at the Capitol as lawmakers try to slide out from under their responsibilities to National Board Certified Teachers, transfer that responsibility as yet another unfunded mandates to school districts, and cut the current stipend for NBCTs to a $1000 line in the salary schedule.

Representative Denney's HB1659 will have its first hearing in the Appropriations and Budget Committee Monday morning. I have grave reservations about most portions of the bill, and need to share my concerns.

Historically, Education Leadership Oklahoma has awarded scholarships for the entire amount of the NBPTS portfolio fees of $2700. ELO provides, free of charge, intensive training and organized support meetings for all candidates -- those who received the scholarships and those who decided to pay their own way. Even those pay-your-own candidates were reimbursed for their fees when they attained NBC. Usually ELO awarded 400 scholarships and worked with first-year candidates and Advanced Candidates who have two more years of active candidacy. But, we have been working under a Legislative moratorium on scholarships for the past few years.

Because of that, the only candidates in the state are a handful of third-year Advanced Candidates. Last year, with no scholarships, and no hope of a stipend (the other part of the moratorium), only 9 candidates went through the process. We dropped from 400 candidates to nine. NINE.

Representative Denney's bill reinstates some of what we've lost...but with strings.

Now ELO will choose no more than 100 new candidates (the selection committee is cut from this bill, so ELO is charged to come up with some kind of rules of selection) to receive "a portion" of the fees for the process. Specifically, $1300 of the $2700 cost. Candidates will also receive a $500 payment for expenses. I'll be thrilled to see new candidates being supported by the state, but the amount of support might not be enough for many teachers who are trying to support their families. It troubles me deeply that new candidates will be expected to work under a different set of expectations than all the rest of us have. The law's changes will make pursuing NBC more difficult.

The troublesome phrase 'availability of funds' is literally stricken from the language. That's because Rep. Denney has cleverly figured out how to make the National Board Fund disappear. Under this bill, the state is no longer responsible for paying NBCTs anything. They won't have to worry about whether school districts have the money. Not their problem any more.

That will free up that $15 million to use as merit pay for the teacher evaluation program. We will be losing support of a nationally-recognized board certification, to be replaced by an unproven state patchwork program and the junk science of merit pay based on test scores.

But I digress.

HB1659 crosses out "no school or school district shall be liable for payment of bonuses.' That's because under her bill, the entire responsibility for 'bonuses' will NOW be the districts' She has added a line in the minimum salary schedule for NBC. For the year 2013-2014, instead of receiving the $5000 bonus promised to us by the state, NBCTs will receive a $1000 line in the salary schedule...to be paid by the districts. NO mention of any financial support for this burden from the state.

Let's do some math. The Legislature usually budgets between $12 million and $15 million for these bonuses. They now send the money to the districts, minus our FICA payment that the state, as our 'employer' SHOULD pay. The districts now bear the cost of processing and dispersing the bonuses to NBCTs. There are 3056 NBCTs in Oklahoma, not all are eligible for the bonus, and many have retired. But, let's pretend they're all full-time teachers in a public school in the state. NOW individual districts must come up with $1000 per NBCT to be in compliance with the law.

In my district, Norman Public Schools, with 143 NBCTs, that means nearly $150,000 must be diverted from an already strapped budget to comply with the law. This in a time when the Legislature has consistently cut funding to public schools. Norman has lost $3.6 million since 2008, with 1500 more students. But, if Rep. Denney's bill becomes law, now Norman will have to cut programs, lay off teachers and support personnel, do something to find that $150,000 to pay NBCTs a portion of the stipend the state promised to pay. Instead of being a point of pride to have NBCTs employed in your district, now it will be a financial liability. Now, if the state would continue providing districts the funds for the NBCT payments, we could start a conversation -- beginning with the reminder that $5000 was the state's promise to us.

Now, remember the state's "generous" contribution toward the candidates' process? If a candidate certifies in the first year of candidacy, the $1000 bonus will not cover the teacher's costs of certification. It will take two years to recoup the money spent. Again, the rules will have substantially changed for any new candidates, and I'm saddened that new candidates won't have the same support I had, and that 3055 other NBCTs had.

There is no mention in the bill about support for Advanced Candidates, and the NBC process is designed to be a multi-year project. I guess Advanced Candidates will have to pay for any retake work themselves, making it even more expensive upfront, and for years after certification. These are all considerable issues for a teacher thinking about NBC.

Now, what's positive about this? Putting the 'bonuses' into the salary schedule allows teachers (I believe) to count this amount toward their teacher retirement. Stipends were specifically excluded. This would have been a help to me as I face retirement. But I would receive $4000 less each year. So, I think I'd've preferred the money in my pocket.

An intriguing statement on page 9 that is never referred to or explained: "It is the intent of the Legislature that the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education incorporate the National Board  certification portfolio development into all programs in education leading to a master’s level degree." We had an amazing program at Southern Nazarene University that did just that. The program died when it became apparent the State Legislature was backing away from its commitments to NBCTs and ELO. Now state universities are just supposed to trust them?

I understand the 'emergency' clause with which this bill concludes is just a formality, but it infuriated me. "It being immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety, an emergency is hereby declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and be in full force from and after its passage and approval" Emergency? Oh really? For whom? The Legislature who slid right out from under its responsibilities to the NBCTs of the state, or the school districts all over the state who will be faced with another crippling unfunded mandate?

There is little in this bill I can support. 

Oklahoma Senate Bill Will Rename National Board Fund

So far this legislative season, there are three bills proposed that will fundamentally change the landscape for our National Board teacher program, administered by Education Leadership Oklahoma. One, Senator Ford's SB316 will go to committee Monday.

I do not claim to be an expert in reading and translating legislative bills, but unfortunately I've had more experience in the past couple of years than I'd want. As my husband often points out, I'm much happier reading fiction. But with Common Core coming at us like a runaway freight train, it's time to do some close reading of these bills. The same close reading we'll be forced to impose on our students.

SB316 renames the National Board Certification Revolving Fund, proposing to call it the Oklahoma Teacher Performance Pay Revolving Fund. Yup. Performance Pay. Merit Pay. It does more than change the name of the fund. It modifies the purpose of the funds and redirects the payments.

Now, $15 million will be appropriated for the fund. I was intrigued with the phrase "The fund

shall be a continuing fund, not subject to fiscal year limitations..." in the original law, funds were always 'subject to availability." Good change...except

NOW, after 'bonuses' to NBCTs are paid, all leftover funds will be paid out as TLE bonuses for teachers earning 'superior' or 'highly effective' ratings on their teacher evaluation. NO language here that spells that out. The teacher evaluation process has been a frustrating, moving target all year.

Furthermore, no 'bonus' amount is spelled out for NBCTs. In the original law, it was set at $5000. Nothing here. The TLE bonuses are set at $1000 for superior and $500 for highly effective evaluations.

Concerns? Oh, yeah! NBCTs have already been evaluated by the rigorous National Board process...a highly challenging journey of deep analysis and self reflection of our teaching. We've videotaped in our classrooms, we have analyzed our practice in and out of the classroom. We have produced a multi-component portfolio of our work, and have sat for timed tests. That process is much more demanding than the state evaluation, and yet, now the fund for NBCT stipends will be renamed and shared.

There is no mention of how long NBCTs can receive the stipends, or how much the stipends will be. We will just be sharing our fund with the unproven TLE evaluation system.

I see this as a cynical grab for the money set aside for NBCTs -- money, which quite frankly, we never know will be available (that is the only part of this bill I appreciate...the availability of funds language is struck.

So, the Education Committee will hear the bill on Monday. Look at the list of members, and if your Senator is on the Committee, contact him or her and express your concerns.

We must face the fact that we have little support in the Legislature for this program.

It is an incentive pay program, promising payment IF teachers would hold up their practice to the scrutiny of the National Board Standards. But, once legislators saw a way to strip this program, a national leader, and replace it with true "merit" pay that can be controlled at the state level, we knew NBC was doomed in Oklahoma.

Oklahoma is still, even with our small population, in the top ten of states with NBCTs. 3056 NBCTs! Our leaders used to be proud of this fact, we used to provide scholarships for teachers to pursue NBC. Now, not so much.

Contact your Senator! Share your stories and evidence of student learning. Do it now!

"What Do We See? What Does it Mean?"

Those are my favorite questions to ask.I know some students are much more comfortable with focused, yes-no questions, questions with only one answer. But I'm not interested in them. I just read a blog that challenges teachers to stop asking questions to which we already know the answers. That's always been a pet peeve.

The greatest compliment a student ever gave me was an exasperated, "You don't ask questions like other teachers do...the answer depends on lots of things!" I'd asked him who would be the better leader, Brutus or Marc Antony, from Julius Caesar. He continued: "If you want a wimpy, Jimmy Carter leader, Brutus is your man." LOVE that encounter...and you can tell it occurred several years ago. I try never to ask yes-no questions and pose one that give students the right and responsibility to THINK.

I've loved my project this year with the stickies...I've loved watching students place theirs on the white board, then re-place them, then re-place them. I saw students first semester take ownership in their attitudes about reading, and in being good role models. I was eager to do the same thing this semester.

I learned that I'll need to give students a chance to do that final 'vote' and reflection earlier in the semester. I waited too long last January and lost a great opportunity to let students REALLY reflect on the entire semester. See, old teachers can learn!

This semester I have more students -- and 155 votes on the board. Once we had most of the votes set, I asked students those two questions: "What do you see? What does it mean?" Students who'd been in my class before were much more comfortable with my vague questions, and they got right to work. When newbies figured out there was NO right answer, they reflected too.

A summary of their insights:

Sixteen, mostly returning students, said the seven people who hate books hadn't found the right book yet. I loved that, because I do believe that's the key. Jim Trelease, author of  Read-Aloud Handbook, called these books our 'homerun books,' and far too many teens have NOT found theirs yet. At least one student saw it as a responsibility of us all to find good books to read and share. Several students talked about the fact haters probably didn't even know the kind of books they might enjoy. Again, this is in line with what I know about the class...

They talked about choice. "If more people could choose what they read, then they would probably read more." And "There are a lot of people who need a good book" And "Some students don't know there are a lot of good books, you just have to find one that appeals to you."

While I look at this chart and zero right in on the 'HATE' column, feeling already like a failure, students put it into perspective for me. "Starting out, we have over 50 people who love to read. That's brilliant." And "The charts two largest categories are LOVE and love." And "Twenty-six students LOVE to read and only seven HATE it." I know I have at least one challenge: "The most important thing [about the chart] is where my sticky note it. It's on the HATE column." One student put it this way: "Lots of people...are experience readers and can help influence others who don't like it." I am so excited to see comments like this...it shows my students understand we're building a reading community.

We made our reflections a couple of weeks after we placed our stickies, and several students talked about the fact that their attitude has already improved! Woohoo!

"Even after two weeks, I've grown to listen to those different authors I've never heard of or read before and now I want to read them."

"I think that over time people will enjoy reading more in this class. I know I already have."

"I feel like I already like reading more than I did when I first came here."

"I put, on the first day...a sticky... on 'don't like' to read. Now that I read every day, if I put on a sticky note, it would be on 'OK if I choose.' I used to hate reading but now I really enjoy it."

One of the things I love the most about these kinds of questions is I'll get the truth!

"The cynic in me wonders how many people actually LOVE reading."

"Maybe some people just wanted to please the teacher. Maybe some students said they hate it to be funny or make trouble."

"Some people may be trying to suck up a little."

The response that still has me reflecting is this: "...reading isn't a priority in our lives." How can we change that? I know my class, during the semester we're together, makes reading a priority, but what can we do as a school and a society to make certain every young person makes reading a priority?

Happy Teacher Dance -- Senior Discovers Books!

One of the exciting and frustrating things about teaching all semester classes is January and February. Saying goodbye to one group of students, introducing yourself to a new group; writing and administering and grading finals while planning first-week activities; finding the time to put the first semester into perspective while focusing on the new semester...it's daunting, and I've never done it completely successfully.

This year is no different. I tried something new this year, and I was eager to see what it meant. We constructed an attitude chart three times during the semester -- the first few days, at midterm and the last day. I goofed, because there wasn't enough time for students to reflect on the new data during the final exam. I'll do better this semester, and then the lesson will be lost. So, at the beginning of the semester, my kids told me what they thought of reading:

We reflected on the data, and what it meant. I was interested especially in one boy who proudly slapped his sticky under "HATE" and let me know, with words and body language and unwillingness to choose a book, that he was a hater. We had a great relationship, and he was never a behavior problem. He just let me know he wasn't going to be a pushover...but then, neither am I. I offered my 'tried-and-true' books: Chris Crutcher, Gary Paulsen, Paul Volponi, Walter Dean Myers...he rejected them all. I finally gave him a stack of 7 books and told him he would choose one of them as his first book, and then we'd go on from there. He did...he read...he wrote. He didn't love the book, but he prepared a book share over it. He complied. That's not enough if my goal is to help him change his mind about reading.

A friend suggested Ellen Hopkins' series starting with Crank. A bold move, one I wouldn't have predicted would be successful. But the friend knew something I didn't. This student has family who struggles with addiction, just as Kristina does in Crank, struggles. His Logs became insightful meditations on what he was learning about his own family dynamics by reading this book. He appreciated all the white space on the pages of poetry as a dedicated non-reader, but he GOT the story. This was his home-run book. And lucky for me there were two sequels!

At midterm, I cleaned the back white board of all stickies and gave students new ones. I am clear to them that I don't want to see them place their sticky because I want to make sure they feel comfortable being honest. My guy, tho, needed me to know some progress was being made. He asked if he could add a new category: "mraw", meaning he didn't HATE reading anymore, but was kind of indifferent. He knew it was progress, and I took it gleefully as progress.

We all kept reading. Students prepared elaborate book-sellers projects and talked to classmates about  their books. He volunteered for the first day, and talked about Crank. His presentation was confident and sure. He was at ease and honest about his interest. I encouraged him to write to Hopkins about what the book has meant...still working on that.

On the last day of the semester, during the final exam, I had students, for a third time, create our attitude charts, again anonymously. Again my student made sure I would know immediately where his sticky was. First the class chart. Notice...no HATE!!

 Woohoo! One of my missions accomplished. I still have one student who doesn't like reading, but even that student could have moved from "HATE" or "hate" -- I'd like to think so. Together we worked on reading and finding books. Students DID grow as readers and thinkers, and they could see their own growth.

You can't see my guy's sticky from this shot, but it's under 'like' now...He found his book. He found his author. He's learned to write about his books authentically. He knows how to talk about books that matter to him. He is now a reader!

And his last message to me about the impact of the class was there, on the board, under 'like':

In case you can't read: " I like it (reading) as long as it's Ellen Hopkins. Awesome, addictive author." Now, technically, this would put him in the 'OK if I choose' category for his new attitude, but I'm doing the 'happy teacher dance' thinking of the miracle I was allowed to witness last semester....Wonder which student will provide me with my last miracles in the classroom?