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The Reluctant Reader by Heather Cato
I know it’s not a contest or anything, but I bet that when I began teaching language arts I had read fewer books of any kind than any other language arts teacher in the history of public education. I never liked reading as a kid, but I can vividly remember the first time I took my students down to our antique, two-sizes-too small library to check out books. With the signatures on my diploma still wet, I was excited to begin working with my students on all of the great teaching strategies that I had learned in college to improve their reading skills.
Once we got to the library the students mechanically slipped into a chair at one of the tables in the room to await further instructions. Eagerly I explained that they could pick any book they wanted to read; they didn’t have to read something just because I told them they had to. I guess I was thinking I would get a standing ovation from the students because I had just liberated them from the reading tyrants that had enslaved their whole educational career, making them read boring and uninteresting books. I was surprised when I received a series of moans and rolling of the eyes as students unenthusiastically got up to select a book.
As the students aimlessly roamed around the library I began to realize that they didn’t know what book they should pick. What’s worse is I realized I did not know what to encourage them to read. I, a non-reader myself, was a fraud. How could I recommend books when I hadn’t read any? Well, I’d read maybe 8 in junior high that I could tell them were great, or at least not half bad, but that was almost ten years ago. Would these students actually find those books interesting?
That day in the library, I had to swallow a huge horse pill of reality. My students, sauntering around the books, robotically picking up books to glance at their covers, pretending to find a book, and lying that they were actually going to read it were 8th grade duplicates of me! No wonder my students were giving me a slouching “OH NO,” instead of the standing ovation I thought I deserved.
Libraries are probably the scariest places in the world to any reluctant reader. Too many shelves. Too many books. Too many choices. I realized that as a teacher, and the one who should be inspiring a love of reading, I needed to do a lot more to get books in kids hands than take them for a stroll through the library.
I became a reader. Of course, I did not become a bibliophile over night. I started by having my book-loving librarian mom help me out, I subscribed to several blogs that reviewed young adult literature and started following authors on Twitter. Finally, I started to read, not so much out of desire because I suddenly love it, but out of a need to be able to talk about books with my students.
Now, I read so much it is hard to keep track. It’s hard, and I am proud of it. My personal reading experiences are single-handedly the most important tool I have to encourage students to read.
Teachers must read the books they hope to get their students reading. So take that trip to the library; browse the YA section, and get to it.
A reformed reluctant reader, Heather Cato is an instructional coach with several years of experience as a middle school language arts teacher. She was named the 2012 Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts Middle School Teacher of the Year and can be frequently found striking up conversations about books with unsuspecting teenagers at the local bookstore. A Teacher Consultant for the National Writing Project, you can find her on Twitter @heathercato or on her blog http://www.ThreeTeachersTalk.com
Nerdy Book Club 
So, so true, even the part when you say (unconvincingly) “it’s not a contest or anything”! The teachers in my building have grading to do at home; I have reading. How can I recommend books if I don’t know them? Great post.
I’ve had to swallow that “huge horse pill of reality” a time or two myself. If I am not reading, how can I recommend? Great reminder to keep reading so I can match books with kids’ interests. Thanks, friend.
I can also relate. I feel like I have been playing catch up the last decade because of all the books I missed out on. I finally feel like I can recommend great books for my 4th graders. Thanks for your post.
“Teachers must read the books they hope to get their students reading.” It’s true! Thanks for this post.
I’m a speech-language pathologist as well as an author and I work with teens who hate reading. Ironic and challenging. What’s even a bigger challenge is getting them writing.
I would love to post this post in my staff room! This is a very important reminder for teachers that they need to share their reading lives. And in order to share, they need to have a reading life! It takes time to know your books and to actually read but it is such rewarding time – both personally and for the students. The most enjoyable “professional development” there is in my opinion . . .
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Thanks so much for sharing this, Heather! You are so so right – teachers of reading MUST be readers. When we aren’t, it’s hard to expect students to be enthusiastic readers themselves!
I have always been a reader but I never took the time to read the books I was putting in my classroom library. This summer I started reading some books that would be good for my third graders. I noticed those are the books they went to first. Last week I brought in Pickle by Kim Baker after I had finished reading it. Almost every student in my class wants to read it. It showed me how important it is for me to set the example!
Hear, hear! I love this post and this message. I am in 100% agreement that if we want to be reading teachers, reading teachers that spark and hook readers, we need to know what is out there for our readers. We also need to know our readers. Knowing readers + knowing books = powerful potential for creating lifelong readers. But even though I know this, why do I feel worried that a certain colleague “caught” me reading during my prep time? Like I should have been busily moving around the room arranging materials, or had my face glued to a screen, etc. Why does reading have a bad rep, it should be celebrated that teachers are reading the books they want their students to read. There, I think I’m done.
I think keeping up with the reading is one of the most important things I can do as a Language Arts teacher….and I love the feeling of knowing each book that my kids are reading, and hopefully loving. Thanks for this great post.
I’ve been giving a lot of book talks lately, showing the teachers that they need to do it too, to help their students find good books, ‘just’ for them. Even if you don’t know many, you can start finding what’s the latest, what you like, what some student would like, etc. It’s an important thing in my life to show how much I love books because I am a teacher & I want students to love them too. Thanks for sharing such a critical piece in your learning as a teacher.
My friend who lives right below me is a teacher. I am amazed at how many books she reads at once and teaches. The time and brain power she invests is astounding. Impressive, and yes, I would think necessary. She has also informed me that she has read books of interest to the kids but not taught in class just so she can see what is catching their attention outside of the classroom.
Great post, Heather! I love this line because it so true: “Teachers must read the books they hope to get their students reading.” I don’t want our libraries to be scary places, so I’ll continue to work to help all readers. Thank you so much for sharing this today!