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Lost in my Work by Margaret Hale
A few weeks ago, a friend and I were having a conversation about learning to “turn off” work, or not spend so much time working at night. I have tried in the past year to do a better job of using my time during the day more efficiently so that I don’t bring as much work home, and I thought I had actually been pretty successful. When I said that I thought I was doing well, her response centered on the fact that I still read in the evenings. In my mind, reading is a totally different story.
This conversation stuck in my head for several weeks. Yes, I read mostly books written for children, middle grade students, and young adults. I also read professional books and journal articles. Occasionally I read an adult book – for example I couldn’t wait to read Dan Brown’s Inferno when it came out earlier this summer.
I work in education, so technically speaking, most of the things I read impact my work. As a professor of both young adult and children’s literature, the children’s and young adult books I read are immediately applicable. I also do consulting work focused on literacy in various schools, so the professional books I read are immediately applicable in those situations.
But somehow, all of that reading isn’t like work for me. Victor Nell, in his book Lost in a Book, writes about the idea of ludic reading, or reading for play/pleasure. For me, most of the time that is what reading is – a chance to play. Granted, there are some times when I must read something that has been assigned or that is required for one reason or another, but the children’s, young adult, and professional books I choose to read bring me pleasure. So I don’t consider reading an extension of my work day in that sense.
I find that for many adults, even English teachers, reading is a kind of work for them. They don’t regularly have experiences where they get lost in a book. Instead they see reading as something else on their to-do list, a chore of sorts.
All of this thinking about what reading feels like for me got me thinking about another recent incident. After reading a book, I tweeted and posted on Facebook the title of the book I had just finished. I had actually posted several titles that day as I was working through a stack of recent picture books. A friend commented on my Facebook post asking how I stayed so ambitious.
As I thought about her question, I realized that she meant ambitious in terms of work. She is an English teacher and based upon our previous conversations, I know she thinks of reading children’s or young adult books as preparation for her job.
Reflecting upon both of these incidents has helped me to realize (not for the first time) that I love what I do. I love reading books and being able to talk to students and teachers about those books. I love connecting them with books they might enjoy. And when it gets right down to it, I just love reading and I’m so glad it is a part of my work!
Earlier this week I had the television on Good Morning America and was eating my breakfast when they reported a startling statistic: 70% of Americans hate their jobs or are completely unengaged. Shocking! But thankfully, I am not one of those 70%. I love what I do and I love the reading I do as part of it, whether it feels like work or not. Maybe that is what keeps me ambitious. I am one of the few who “get to do their work” rather than “have to do their work.”
Margaret Hale is an admitted biblioholic who spends her time teaching literature, language arts, and reading courses to pre-service teachers at the University of Houston, working with teachers in school districts around the Houston area, and reading as much as she possibly can. She is also the co-director of the Tweens Read Book Festival. You can find her on Twitter as @grithale.
Nerdy Book Club 
Like you, I am blessed that my passion is also my vocation–we get to read for a living and share our love with young people and their adults. Aren’t we fortunate? My favorite definition of reading teacher, “A teacher who reads and a reader who teaches.” Thank you for sharing your “ambition” with all of us here, Margaret. May it never wane!
I love that definition,Donalyn!
You’re not alone, Margaret! Everyone who knows me thinks I’m the biggest nerd ever because I’m always reading children’s/young adult books along with professional titles (including taking them on vacation). My husband will frequently implore me to stop working and read something “fun”. But the thing is… these ARE fun books for me. They may not look like it to others, but they definitely are a source of real pleasure. Keep reading and sharing, Margaret! There are lots more of your kind out there! 🙂
So glad to know I’m not the only one, Beth! 🙂
What? Doesn’t everyone live their job every moment of the day? How sad for them! The worst part of the summer is that I don’t have a captive audience to recommend books to, so I end up accosting strangers in book stores! Great post, Margaret!
I love that you accost strangers in book stores to give them book recommendations! Maybe we will meet one of these days in a bookstore!
Margaret Hale, I totally agree with you and LOVE to discuss my reading life with my students.
I think kids really love it when we discuss our reading lives with them. It helps them get to know us as people and as readers!
Finding balance between work and play is a constant struggle in my life. I agree that reading children’s books and young adult literature feels more like play! During the summer months I have more disposable time for reading, and it definitely feels less like a chore and more like a joy. However, when my professional book piles start growing, I feel pressured to read faster and to finish them quickly. Unfortunately, nonfiction takes me a lot longer. Perhaps this is a byproduct of the Industrial Age where assign and assess was the mantra of the day. Thanks for posting such a thoughtful blog. I love the Nerdy Book Club contributors!
Thank you so much! I read professional books much slower and often use children’s or young adult books as a kind of reward for getting through a professional book! 🙂
I have often told people that I am blessed to get paid for a job that I would do for free. I will be retiring in a few years, and when people ask what I plan to do, I tell them I will volunteer at a library! Probably a school library! And I know I will never quit reading. I feel like my job and my hobby are one and the same. How blessed we are!
The school libraries where you volunteer will be so fortunate! It is sometimes hard for me to understand people who work at jobs they don’t absolutely love.
It is so nice to see that there are other people like me out there! I too, love that my “work” includes reading children’s/young adult books. I still look forward to getting lost in a good book, or finding the magic in a new picture book. I hope this excitement is then translated to the kids. So for me, the reading is never work. This post also helped me to remember how lucky I am to love my job! Thank you for your words.
You’re welcome, and thank you for your kind comments!
I have had similar experiences & conversations about books I’m reading. I LOVE kid lit but also love to read professional journals & books as well. I have appreciated the camaraderie of the Nerdy Book Club. This is a fantastic post. Thank you!
I love reading professional books and journals as well, and it is even harder to get people who are not educators to understand that those books/journals are pleasure reading as well!
I love that I can use my job, as a teacher, to read YA and children’s books. I find them much more relaxing than reading adult literature. I do enjoy a few adult writers and eagerly await their titles being released, but for the most part I read YA books. My students always know what I am reading and we discuss my books as much as the ones they are reading. I have young adults in my life asking me what is good to read! When I was growing up the YA literature wasn’t as diverse as it is now and I love reading YA!
I love reading YA, too. There was a great essay in the New York Times a few years ago titled “The Kids’ Books Are Alright.” I’m pretty sure that was the title. It was all about the large number of adult readers who prefer to read YA. Great article. If you want, I think I have a copy of it and would be happy to email it to you.
Margaret
Well said. I know what you mean. My reading work does not feel like work. I love every last bit of it. Will admit it even feels funny calling it work.
It does feel funny to call it work! I agree!
Margaret- I love that you love your job and love reading. It’s a great inspiration and reminder to us all. If we don’t love our job, then why are we doing it? I’ve found that the more YA and children’s books I read, the more fun I have teaching. I also noticed that the kids have more fun, there are deeper connections and better discussions. That’s what it’s all about!
That IS what it’s all about. I find that the more I share my reading life with students, the more we build community in our classroom.
Totally with you! 🙂
🙂
Breathe=Read!
I was just sharing with some teachers today that when I am feeling stressed or anxious or overwhelmed, if I will just give myself 30 minutes or so to sit down and read for pleasure, I feel so much better. I think that is because breathing = reading for me!
🙂
As a literacy specialist, I need advice on ways to encourage teachers to read. I have shared my reading identity and encouraged students (and teachers) to do the same. I have modeled book passes ,book talks, and conferring around reading goals. They are extremely hard working professionals and I don’t want to make them feel guilty because they choose other activities. Any thoughts?
I have found that often when I encourage teachers, they end up feeling guilty because they don’t read as much. I have switched tactics and try to just talk about what I’m reading and how much I’m enjoying it in hopes that they will want to read it. Much like I would do with kids. Instead of telling them, “you should read more,” I try instead to say, “I just finished this great book . . .” Does that make sense?
Margaret
Yah!! Someone else gets it too. I am known as ‘The Reader’ at my school and that is not always in a positive way. I read all sorts of books and for me it is relaxation. I have also found the best way to encourage others to read, whether adult or child, is simply to share about ‘the great book I have just read’ too. Sometimes they choose to read it sometimes they don’t but they always know they can ask me for recommendations when they are ready to read.
Thanks for the reassurance that I am not alone.
Caroline 🙂
Thanks for the great post. I am a former first grade teacher and hopefully will be employed soon as a reading specialist. I too, love to read. I read the books my own children are reading, for example am working through the 39 clues this summer. I read Inferno. I love historical fiction. I read Choosing to Read a book about teaching middle schoolers. I have a friend who was a colleague when we both taught first grade together who doesn’t read for pleasure. This is something I can’t comprehend. I love to read what my kids are reading, what I would want my students to read, my professional books and books I read for fun. I hope that the teachers I work with are readers, but am going to have to learn how to work with those who are not as all.