A Review of The Book Whisperer

The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child  is written by Donalyn Miller, a 6th grade language arts and social studies teacher from Texas. 

In this book, Miller explains her theory for teaching children to be life-long readers.  To read and to like reading, one must spend time reading and reading many kinds of books.  The book outlines how she begins her year motivating students to read and gives her expectations in the classroom.  It includes some student opinions and student samples of surveys.

Miller gives us a theoretical background of the reading philosophy and her rationale.  She explains how her classroom library is set up and how it is managed.  Students have a reading notebook and it is explained within the pages of this book.  Even Miller keeps a reading notebook during the year which she tells us about.  In the back of the book are appendices with some surveys and book lists.
For accountability and grading purposes, Miller shares some traditional practices found in reading classrooms ( such as book reports, reading logs, comprehension texts) and offers some alternatives. 

The Book Whisperer will ignite your reading teacher passion! After reading this book, you will be able to start teaching reading Miller's way of reading right away.  However, there will be some administrators that will not like seeing this type of teaching.  They are happier with tangible products of reading.  They want students reading the same books and doing a certain worksheet or project to prove they have read the book or that they understand the book. Additionally, many teachers are required to teach a certain program or with specific materials.  You can still incorporate Miller's ideas - it just may take a little creativity.



Needed if you are to teach like the Book Whisperer:
1. Access to many books --many genres of various reading levels. It is best if they are books that are either yours or can be kept in your room.

2. You need to be a reader yourself - read so you can authentically converse about books and so you can recommend books

3. Time to read - class time , stolen moments, at home

4. A belief that all are readers- be positive and dont put labels on children ( struggling reader, reluctant reader) Find the books that will hook the child in and help them become stronger readers.


If you are a language arts teacher or even if you are not: I recommend this book should be in your stack of professional resource books to read.    Add it to your stack!

The Book Whisperer: Awakeneing the Inner Reader in Every Child.  
             ~ by Donalyn Miller   



Have you read this book?  What other books are in your stack? 

 

Really? How Dumb Are We?

I've heard rumors that the business world thinks the education world is foolish. Well, I think I have been a part of an incident that perpetuates that myth. 

I attended a conference recently.  When I was first told that I was going, I was asked if I wanted a cash advance or to be reimbursed. I chose to be reimbursed thinking t woukd be easier on all involved. That may have been my first misjudgement.

Through the online registraton, I was told that I would not be confirmed until my payment was recieved. So I wrote out a check and mailed it in the next day.  A few weeks later I got a copy of a purchase order from our district to the conference listing the handful of local people attending with the accompanying registration fee.  I immediately called the office telling them that I had already paid this fee because  had chosed to be reimbursed--remember?--I then was directed to call the conference director and arrange to have them return my fee to me.  ( Which couldn't be done until a few weeks after the conference was over and they close out the books , understandably). Sigh.

I brushed it off, went to the conference and thoroughly enjoyed myself.  I learned a lot  and networked with some great educators.  I even ran into a gal I haven't seen since we went to graduate school!

I turned in my hotel bill and mileage.  The school office emailed me that the hotel bill was not a "zero balance " bill.   WHAT?   The bill shows the amount due.  It shows the amount charged to my credit card. In fact, when I checked out I made a special trip to the desk to ask for the special bill instead of lients a just taking the nice handy copy of the bill slipped under my hotel door.   But no, that is not good enough for the schoo office.   They wont take the bill that the hotel gves out to hundreds of clients a week ( and I am sure that a good portion of them need zero balance bills).  This wasn't a rinky-dink hotel,  it was a very nice place that shares a name with a socialite named Paris.

The school office told me to call the hotel and ask them to fax the office a copy of a zero balance.    So I called. The hotel bookkeeper told me that the bill I got WAS a zero balance bill.  I know that, she knows that, but the school office doesn't know that.  The bookkeeper was very gracious. I told her that maybe she could write on the bill that the bill was paid in full or something.  She said she would take care of it and get it faxed.  

All was well for a few days until I got another email from the school office.  She said she had submitted the paperwork and the school business office had rejected the hotel bill.  WHAT?  REALLY?  They will not accept a faxed copy.  They need an original.  BUT I ALREADY GAVE AN ORIGINAL!  It was very hard to write a reply email to the school office and ask what exactly they want me to do now without showing some kind of disgust/attitude.  I mean, REALLY?  Come on, people. 

It's not even the money.  It's the idea.  Come on.  How many times are you going to make me call this business and ask them to give you the same information that they have already provided in the first place?  Geesh.  No wonder the world thinks we're dumb. 

Cognitive Coaching

Last fall I began some professional development in Cognitive Coaching and this weekend was the last days of our time together.   Cognitive Coaching is intended for helping mediate people's thinking.  We learned ways to communicate in order to help people plan, reflect, and problem resolve.  

While the cognitive coaching is to help others--I am the one who learns the most about myself and my communication skills.   I have had practice in learning when to ask the right questions and when to sit and be quiet.   

The hardest part of cognitive coaching is giving up the desire to give advice, relate with my own stories, and solve problems.  I have to remember that I am there to assist someone in their own thinking.   

The additional benefit of this course was meeting other educators in my district that I do not see often.    It is sad that often times the only people we ever get to know are the people in our own school.  We have some wonderful dedicated people in our district!