I really love to read. I have always considered myself a good reader. I have always loved reading, even as a youngster. I loved going to the library and picking out books. I wish I could read more books for fun, but I read too much for school and I never get the chance to read books that I want. I have made a goal to read the top 100 books according to the BBC. I have read 25 to 30 so far. My goal is to complete the list before I die. I also have this weird OCD thing...if I start a book I feel like I have to finish it, even if I hate the book. Everyone in my family encouraged me to read. My entire family values reading. We read together and pass books between each other. My grandma always bought me and my siblings books for every holiday. When I was young my grandma even had a special book made just for me! I thought it was great. I still love the book. My nick-name ever comes from a book...jillian jiggs! I never had anyone tell me reading was nerdy or stupid. My group of friends growing up also liked to read and we would talk about books all the time. Reading has always had a key place in my life. I love helping my nephew and nieces learn to read and read with them. I like to read historical fiction, fiction, young adult fiction, biographies, mystery, pretty much anything that sounds good. I am willing to read almost any book that is recommended. I usually check Amazon.com for new books and books that look interesting. I also like reading books using my Kindle. It is different than holding a book, but it is great for travel.
The only time I didn't like reading was when books were assigned in school. I didn't always like the assignments that went with reading. Sometimes the worksheets were lame and pointless. I may have liked the book, but doing all the worksheets made the process painful! The other type of reading I struggled with was and is poems. I just never seem to get the symbolism and meanings that are buried in the works.
I am really concerned with reading in my discipline. I want to encourage my students to read, but I don't want to force reading on students that don't have a positive view of reading. One of the teachers I am observing this semester is hosting a book club. I think it is a great way to encourage reading. The students are assigned a specific number of pages to read each week and then they meet the same time each week to discuss the book. I am excited to observe the book club next week. I also think using historical fiction is a great way to introduce students to history in a fun and interesting way. I know many of the books I have read have made me more interested in different eras. I love learning about World War 2 because of the historical fiction I have read. There are different reading levels within historical fiction and that can help students at different levels get the same information at their level.
