Category: Blogging

Excellent Examples to Kick-start a Reading Culture in Your Classroom in 2013

Published on by sengaw5 Comments

                                                       http://flic.kr/p/cj4kN

Anyone who begins a blog posting with “I just cannot help myself from bubbling with excitement; my students are loving reading this year.” has grabbed my attention from the get-go!  And this is exactly how teacher Pernille Ripp began her blog on 10 Things That Helped Us Love Reading More 

                                                        http://flic.kr/p/5Xzrn9

I also love blogs that set out at the very beginning what you’re getting into and I especially love lists, so Pernille’s list of 10 things that helped her and her students to love reading more held huge appeal.

Her 10 suggestions are explained fully in her blog (link above) but here’s just the list to get you started:

  1. Share my own reading life
  2. Stay current
  3. Share your books
  4. Friday preview
  5. Speed book review
  6. Using book trailers
  7. Read more series
  8. Keep a read next list
  9. Give them ownership
  10. Talk books

This will help get you thinking about what could work in your classroom or library for the new 2013 school year.  Maybe you just want to try one of the suggestions on her list or add one to the strategies you’re already trying.  And if you like these ideas, share them with your teaching colleagues!

What’s Obvious to You, Is Amazing to Me!

Published on by sengaw1 Comment

One of the educators I respect immensely is Richard Byrne.  His website FreeTechnologyForTeachers is a virtual treasure trove of fantastic resources and great observations.  If you don’t follow him, then you really should! On Twitter he is: @rmbyrne

One such observation of Richard’s recently has really resonated with me.  That is “What’s Obvious to You, is Amazing to Me!”  Those of you who know me, will know that one of the things I’m most passionate and vocal about in my professional life is collaboration –  this could take the form of a casual conversation in the staffroom over coffee which leads to the meeting of minds, possibly extending to meaningful brainstorming right through to formal planning and delivery of lessons with teaching colleagues and everything that comes in between and beyond!  You gain so much from this approach, but the thing I’ve only recently become more intentional about is the sharing of some of my thoughts and actions through this blog.

Initially I began blogging as a way of reflecting on my own practice, commenting on the things that impacted me and as a record of my own professional journey.  Making the decision to share this publically with “the world” feels a little scary as you don’t know who might be reading it, whether others will agree with you, or indeed think you have anything valid to say at all! It’s scary to think of others reading it, but it’s also scary to think that actually no one wants to read it!  Or maybe what you have to share is so obvious to everyone that what’s the point in even saying it.

But what Richard says in his posting is that what has become obvious to us as part of our everyday practice may in fact be the first time someone else has heard it, seen it, read it in quite this way.  Or maybe it’s something someone else has thought about but wasn’t sure what to do with it.  Or maybe it will be the “right place, right time” scenario, where it’s validation of something you’ve wanted to say or do but just needed a catalyst to make it a reality.

I know in my own journey that this has often been my experience (Richard’s posting as a case in point!) and so, please feel free to ignore anything I blather on about that isn’t relevant to you or is already in your “obvious” basket, but I hope you’ll agree that this shouldn’t negate the opportunities for the sharing of ideas in collaboration with others.  It might just be the right amazing thing at the right amazing time for just one person.  It’s the willingness to share our journey that’s important.