I was at an in-service last week and heard from one of the many terrific presenters that right now is a great time to be a teacher. He went on to explain that currently there are so many books for teachers to read that anyone can find something of interest; something that will give them a new nugget of insight to improve their craft. I immediately agreed with this thought. This time of great thinkers and movers in the education world means anyone can find something of interest to read! Everyone can find a way to improve their craft and make their classrooms a better place for kids!! Of course, as I say this I am reading three different education books in the hopes of finding a new nugget to make the next year better.
Why do I read educational books instead of just looking for strategies or activities? Why do I read books instead of choosing the ever popular Podcast format? One reason is that I LOVE TO READ. I have been an avid reader since I finished my first Laura Ingalls Wilder book in 2nd grade over thirty years ago. Give me a comfy chair and a stack of books and I am a happy girl. Another reason is that I do think that many teachers are readers at heart; after all, how many of us read book after book in our undergrad and graduate degree studies?
I think the issue that many educators face is that they have forgotten how rewarding their own reading can be due to how busy we get during the school year. When faced with a stack of 60 tests to grade for anxiously awaiting students, most teachers will choose the tests over reading something to improve the school year. We have also read so many assigned books in the pursuit of our degrees that many teachers finish their Master’s Degree and declare they need to take a break from reading. Is it really a break from reading they want, or is it a break from being told what to read?
We as teachers need to carve out time to work on our craft. How many times have we all heard the phrase that teachers build life long learners. Shouldn’t we as teachers model that life-long learner attitude? Should we ever reach a point where we feel that our classroom is running just fine and no need for improvement is needed?
Reading education books is a way to hear from other teachers. Teachers by the dozens (maybe more) are writing books about their experiences and the ways that they have improved their teacher practice. There are also books about reconnecting with our love of teaching. Teaching is a HARD job. We are under fire from so many different directions that this career path is not for the faint of heart. With that in mind, shouldn’t we carve out a way to give ourselves some quiet time and maybe make our jobs a little easier by discovering a new ‘nugget’ to make our kids into better learners.
With all of the books that are in publication and all the books that are to come, I hope that many of my fellow teachers can reconnect with their love of reading. Of course it doesn’t have to be simply educational books that are read – we should get to have some fun reading too. I just know that this super-duper busy teacher plans to carve time out for reading in the coming school year that I can justify as work based. It might just ease that conscience of mine when I decide to read instead of finishing the grading on that stack of 60 tests.
Musing of a Motivated Math Teacher 