I met Cathy in July at TCRWP Reading Institute and she shared how she blogged each Saturday as a celebration. I immediately liked the focus of this Saturday ritual. I have made it a habit during the school year to blog on Saturdays. But my focus was just a looking back at a week where I was noticing my life being back in the classroom as a classroom teacher after spending 10 years as a reading specialist. Yes, sometimes I was celebrating but that was just by chance. Now as I am relaxing in July, away from the classroom, I do think I will being to embrace posting to this Saturday Celebration Blog group.
Today I celebrate reading in a BOOK CLUB. While at TCRWP Reading Institute, my advanced sections had me read and share within a book club. That reflection can be found here:
WWI book club work
NF Book Club work
Once I returned home, I continued to communicate with the smart teacher participants I met at TC. We live all over the USA and we wanted to practice this work more during our summer time. So we formed a virtual book club. A book was picked - A Handful of Stars by Cynthia Lord and google docs were shared. Then I sat and read in VA. I thought about the chapters I read and jotted notes, looked things up, made notebook pages and shared all this thinking to a google doc shared with my virtual club. I then read their thoughts and made comments and they did the same. And because we are in the habit of having twitter chats with TCRWP, we had a twitter chat using the hashtag - #WabtR (writing about reading).
And because that first club book went so well, we decided to do it again.
Today I celebrate my book club friends, most I have NOT met or just met briefly during our intense week of learning in NY. They are learners who are working so hard at their reading this summer in order to teach better come the 2015-16 school year. Because I am reading and spying on myself as I read and then sharing my notes in the company of very smart and devoted teachers, I literally can feel myself growing as a reader!!
Thank you, book club friends!
Today I celebrate that I get to read books WITH you.
I think I will always remember the Summer of '15 as the summer I became a stronger reader and I owe this growth to being able to do the work in a club. I can't wait to guide my 3rd graders into partnerships and clubs once school starts in September.
And I can't wait to read and post my thoughts later today to my virtual book club google document.
Thank you TCWRP and thank you book club friends!
Sounds wonderful. I just finished A Handful of Stars-so good. And had my own book chat about Circus Mirandus this week, lots of fun sharing with a group. Thanks for reminding me!
ReplyDeleteI love this summer is making such a strong and positive impression on you!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing about your book club experience! It makes me think about responding to reading and collaborating with others to grow as a reader. I think students should be able to do this too. I will check out the book-A Handful of Stars and now Circus Mirandus too!
ReplyDeleteI haven't met you but I count you in my new circle of friends. Reading together and writing connects us. The book club was the best PD I've had in a long time. Practicing what we ask our students to do is so important. I am also accountable. I have others waiting to hear from me. I hope our conncetion continues to grow.
ReplyDeleteMargaret,
DeleteI agree. We are STRONG online friends and I bet someday our paths WILL cross so we can meet in person. I look forward to MANY more connections with you, my friend!
Yay for our virtual clubs and writing about reading! We are all over the country, but connecting our thoughts and growing together. So glad you are on the journey with me.
ReplyDeleteMy friend was in that session and she raved about it. I was lucky to have her with me while we fought LA traffic so I got a peek at what you did with Mary Ehrenworth.
Looking forward to the #WabtR chat!
I just started a virtual book club with my sister and sister-in-laws named, naturally, The Sisters Book Club. We're hoping the daughters will join but they're not quite ready. Since we don't live near each other this is a way for us to share something. We planning to meet up once a year together (outside of holidays) at a book related event.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea!! How fun to read and discuss with sisters. This was my first virtual book club and it was SO easy and as I read other's responses, I felt like I was sitting next to them as they shared their thoughts. So fun!!
DeleteI have a google chat book club with two dear friends who have moved away. Our tech skills are challenged and sometimes we manage to make things work and sometimes we resort to conference calls. But we love our time together. I've seen #WabtR, and now I know a new acronym.
ReplyDeleteSo fun to hear your enthusiasm from participating with other readers this summer.