It is that time of year when most of us have fought through the worst of the winter blues and are looking forward to signs of spring. Students seem resigned to the fact that the winter semester is in full swing, but sometime they lack enthusiasm. Well, let’s be honest, sometime we, as teachers, suffer some gloomy days as well and we struggle to find our own motivation. It is on those days that I what to isolate myself with a book and just read. Recently, the books that have provided renewal and kept me up late into the night have been: Sean Beaudion’s Wise Young Fool (yesterday was the launch date for his new collection of short stories Welcome Thieves), Leila Sales’ This Song Will Save Your Life, and Tara Kelly’s Amplified. I loved them and, truth be told, and I wanted to talk about the books with others. It was rejuvenating to read these novels in the midst of other obligations. Furthermore, as I finished reading, I wanted to revisit Dr. Franks’ King Dork and Kevin Emerson’s Breakout. Come on, don’t all of you have a few students who would be interested in these and other YA novels that show adolescents engage in the music they are passionate about?
In the midst of my own renewal, I thought this would be the perfect time to share Alice Hays’ memories of the 2015 ALAN workshop. Alice is a great English Education at Arizona State University student who is enthusiastic about YA literature. If you have ever been to an ALAN workshop her post will put a smile on your face. If you haven’t been, it will inspire you to put the 2016 ALAN workshop on your calendar for next Nov. 21 and 22 following the NCTE Annual Convention.
Alice Hays Reflects on the 2015 ALAN Workshop
After experiencing the sheer joy and pleasure of opening up a box of FREE books, you start to realize all of the amazing opportunities you have at ALAN. There are so many panels to see, and, even better, they are full of rock stars. Not just any rock stars-but approachable rock stars who are incredibly kind and giving because they care about the students as much as you do! The first time I met Laurie Halse Anderson, she asked me if I wanted a picture with her, and I was so grateful because I was too nervous/shy/stars-truck to actually ask her if she’d be willing to take a picture with me. :) I was lucky enough to get another picture with her this time around again, and you can see her exuberance bursting through the image! What an incredible woman she is.
Alice Hays Reflects on the 2015 ALAN Workshop
After experiencing the sheer joy and pleasure of opening up a box of FREE books, you start to realize all of the amazing opportunities you have at ALAN. There are so many panels to see, and, even better, they are full of rock stars. Not just any rock stars-but approachable rock stars who are incredibly kind and giving because they care about the students as much as you do! The first time I met Laurie Halse Anderson, she asked me if I wanted a picture with her, and I was so grateful because I was too nervous/shy/stars-truck to actually ask her if she’d be willing to take a picture with me. :) I was lucky enough to get another picture with her this time around again, and you can see her exuberance bursting through the image! What an incredible woman she is.
One thing that made this particular ALAN (2015) spectacular for me however, was the panel hosted by Patrick Jones. He brought out “reluctant readers” and spent about 45 minutes in an open conversation with them. The students talked about how they found joy in reading and their responses very much mirrored the reasons many YA authors write the books they do. They are the books that they need to deal with life.
When asked what they liked about those books, their responses were varied. They said that they had a “good plot,” “gets into action fast,” had a “good setting” and most importantly had “characters like me”. This was mentioned multiple times by the students, and it was clarified that the characters looked like the readers were “right now”.
The books that the students identified as being THE book that turned them on to reading included: A Child Called It, American Born Chinese, Hamlet, Monster, and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.
When asked what they liked about those books, their responses were varied. They said that they had a “good plot,” “gets into action fast,” had a “good setting” and most importantly had “characters like me”. This was mentioned multiple times by the students, and it was clarified that the characters looked like the readers were “right now”.
The books that the students identified as being THE book that turned them on to reading included: A Child Called It, American Born Chinese, Hamlet, Monster, and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.
What was most important to me, however, was how the kids found those books and how teachers could help them find these books that were appealing. The students did NOT identify teachers as helping them find these books. Instead, librarians were the true heroes here! Students also said that the blurb on the back of the book, in addition to the cover were the major selling points. (Publishers, take note!)
As a teacher, you might be wondering how you could beat those librarians out of the coveted hero role! Some suggestions from these former reluctant readers include letting them pick the book! Help them find a book they might like. (How does one do this?) The students suggested asking them questions about their reading interests or personal interests.
They also suggested that teachers ought to get to know the students and then suggest books they might like. (I can’t help but think that this indicates a certain level of personal interest in the student, which might make that book recommendation a bit more meaningful than just trying to help them find a book to meet a reading requirement.) This also reminds me of the headstrong librarian depicted in Kwame Alexander’s Booked. The protagonist in his story couldn’t escape the insistent recommendations of the librarian eventually, and I know I desperately wanted to be that character in my own students’ lives!
As a teacher, you might be wondering how you could beat those librarians out of the coveted hero role! Some suggestions from these former reluctant readers include letting them pick the book! Help them find a book they might like. (How does one do this?) The students suggested asking them questions about their reading interests or personal interests.
They also suggested that teachers ought to get to know the students and then suggest books they might like. (I can’t help but think that this indicates a certain level of personal interest in the student, which might make that book recommendation a bit more meaningful than just trying to help them find a book to meet a reading requirement.) This also reminds me of the headstrong librarian depicted in Kwame Alexander’s Booked. The protagonist in his story couldn’t escape the insistent recommendations of the librarian eventually, and I know I desperately wanted to be that character in my own students’ lives!
Official release date: March 8, 2016!! Of course, as teachers, we are trying to help kids find books all the time, but we often make mistakes. According to these particular students, one of the major errors we make that prevents them from enjoying the books is giving them “too many worksheets” with those books. Another student beseeched the audience members to “Let [them] enjoy it...don’t put all this work on it.” (I just imagine how I may not have enjoyed Meg Medina’s Burn Baby Burn quite so much if I’d had to fill in a study guide or write an analytical piece concerning some component of the novel in a way that I didn’t find valuable.)
If you are like me, you want to share the absolute joy of reading with all of your students, and don’t emotionally understand why everyone doesn’t love reading even though it might make sense logically. And now those students who confuse us are talking to us and giving us an in about how to reach reluctant readers. I think it might be a good idea for us to follow these guidelines. I know I am certainly going to try!
Thanks Alice, until next week.
If you are like me, you want to share the absolute joy of reading with all of your students, and don’t emotionally understand why everyone doesn’t love reading even though it might make sense logically. And now those students who confuse us are talking to us and giving us an in about how to reach reluctant readers. I think it might be a good idea for us to follow these guidelines. I know I am certainly going to try!
Thanks Alice, until next week.
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