Reading is a skill that stretches far beyond the borders of an English Language Arts (ELA) classroom. No matter what field, direction, or goal a student decides to take in their future, it is practically guaranteed that reading technique and stamina will be essential. My goal as an ELA teacher is to help teens increase that technique and stamina by encouraging them to read consistently and independently. While this can be a challenge at times, the key is helping students see that reading isn't a chore; it's invigorating, empowering, and exciting!
The first step to helping teens see the excitement in reading is to provide for them a classroom library where they can see books on a daily basis that appeal to their interests, passions, personal experiences, and values--and then have the opportunity to borrow them to read on their own! As a first-year teacher, finding books to build that classroom library can be a daunting task. Though I've built up a small collection of some books, what my beginning classroom library lacks are books that my students whose first or primary language is Spanish (a large number of my student demographics!) can pick up and enjoy. My Spanish-primary students are already at a disadvantage trying to navigate and uphold school rigor in an English-dominant world. Yet they should have the same opportunity and access to engaging, exciting, and thoughtful books as English-dominant students.
The books on my Donors Choose list are modern, high-interest books that get students excited about reading and are all written in Spanish. Many of them not only help students linguistically but also relate to Latinx students culturally, ringing true with their own personal experiences. Receiving these books would open up their world now and in their future.
About my class
Reading is a skill that stretches far beyond the borders of an English Language Arts (ELA) classroom. No matter what field, direction, or goal a student decides to take in their future, it is practically guaranteed that reading technique and stamina will be essential. My goal as an ELA teacher is to help teens increase that technique and stamina by encouraging them to read consistently and independently. While this can be a challenge at times, the key is helping students see that reading isn't a chore; it's invigorating, empowering, and exciting!
The first step to helping teens see the excitement in reading is to provide for them a classroom library where they can see books on a daily basis that appeal to their interests, passions, personal experiences, and values--and then have the opportunity to borrow them to read on their own! As a first-year teacher, finding books to build that classroom library can be a daunting task. Though I've built up a small collection of some books, what my beginning classroom library lacks are books that my students whose first or primary language is Spanish (a large number of my student demographics!) can pick up and enjoy. My Spanish-primary students are already at a disadvantage trying to navigate and uphold school rigor in an English-dominant world. Yet they should have the same opportunity and access to engaging, exciting, and thoughtful books as English-dominant students.
The books on my Donors Choose list are modern, high-interest books that get students excited about reading and are all written in Spanish. Many of them not only help students linguistically but also relate to Latinx students culturally, ringing true with their own personal experiences. Receiving these books would open up their world now and in their future.
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