Choice Reading--I'm a believer!

This year, I completely revamped my English 10 Choice Reading program. Scratch that--this year, I created a Choice Reading program. Before this school year, I had an expectation and requirement that students would read one "choice" book per quarter, but I did not have any guaranteed built-in time for students to read and work with these choice books. That all changed this school year, thanks to some inspiration from Kelly Gallagher and a friend and colleague of mine, and the results of this new program have been amazing! 

Here are the basics:

• Students are required to read at least one book of their choice each quarter. (This expectation has not changed.)
• The first fifteen (15) minutes of every English 10 class is "Choice Book Reading" time. Right after I greet the class with "good morning" or "good afternoon," we all settle in with our choice books and I start the timer for 15 minutes. ( Note: We all read our choice books. I read, too!) Students must read their choice book during this reading time, not the required reading text we're studying as a class. I started the 15-minutes of choice reading on the first day of school (we all read a short story that day since I knew that not everyone would have a book), and I have stuck with it despite schedule changes, shortened class periods due to late openings, etc. Consistency is key! It would be too easy to find reasons why we "can't" fit it in the schedule. The reality is that it is just as essential as any other activity we do in class.  
• Within the first couple of weeks of school, our class took a trip down to the library where the librarian gave book talks and had them complete an activity which involved exploring different books. Some students found their 1st quarter Choice Book on this library visit.
• Each quarter, students complete a creative assignment and present their book and project to the class. The first quarter project was a book review, the second quarter was a bookmark project, and third quarter was a choice between a bookmark (because it was quite popular), a poster for a movie adaptation, or a soundtrack for the book. Regardless of the activity, students discuss key motifs and themes as part of their presentation, and they share a key passage from the text. All of the activities require more thought and analysis than mere plot summary.

the choice reading bookshelf in my classroom

The collection has grown a bit since I took this photo a couple of months ago. The bookshelf is now overflowing and I have an basket of books that sits beside the shelf, and some additional books are on one shelf of another bookshelf in the room. At the beginning of the school year, I asked for donations from friends and family. (Thanks to all who donated!) I've brought in books from our bookshelves at home, and some of the books are from the Choice Book Room that our English Department is blessed to have. I also pick up books from the bargain section at Barnes and Noble from time to time and purchase some from Amazon, especially when students share a title that becomes very popular in the class.

Here are some of the results of this Choice Reading program:

• Although they are only required to read one book each quarter, the majority of my students are reading several books each quarter. I have one student who checks a new one out at least every other class! Some students are developing a love of reading while others are rediscovering this love that had become lost in the craziness of their teenage lives. Students are learning which genres and authors they like. Of course, I do have a few students who do not really enjoy the gift of fifteen minutes of reading each class, but the vast majority do.
• Since the students present their books and projects each quarter, they are also working on their presentation skills. And since I videotape each presentation and students watch and reflect on these presentations, their public speaking skills are continuing to improve.
• My students love talking about their books! They enjoy sharing their thoughts about the books, and they frequently read books that other students have recommended. Books tend to trickle through the class and then students have discussions about these common texts.
• The students ask me about what I'm reading, and they love to suggest titles. A few months ago, when I added Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close to the choice bookshelf and told them a bit about the novel, several students recommended that I read Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life because they thought I would find some similarities. That YA novel became my next choice book, and the students loved the fact that I read their recommended title.
• My students are more open to the required reading in class, and they are making more connections between texts.
• My students' vocabulary skills are improving, as are their discussions about assigned readings.

some of the popular titles in my classes right now

Here are my three favorite Choice Reading moments from this school year thus far:

• When the timer goes off at the end of fifteen minutes, I ask the class to find a stopping point and take out their vocabulary (or whatever it is we're working on next). One day, as the timer went off and I quietly said "go ahead and find a stopping point," one of my most reluctant readers moaned, "But I want to keep reading!" The whole class looked at him and then he looked up from his book and said, "Yes, I admit it. I like reading!" It was one of the best moments of my teaching career! 

• Back in January, a new student joined one of my classes. Before we started our choice reading time that day, I asked the student to introduce himself and tell us what kinds of books he enjoys reading. When he didn't tell us about what books he enjoys, I asked him again and he replied, "Oh, no, I don't read." The entire class gasped and turned to look at him, their mouths wide open. Then one of the students picked out a book for him to read and we started our fifteen minutes of quiet reading. The reading time had become such an understood part of the culture of that class and the class clearly enjoyed it--I was thrilled.

• When I add books to the shelf, I do a mini book talk. A couple of weeks ago, our department spent our monthly meeting time sharing nonfiction titles. The next day, I went to our Choice Book Room and picked up some of the titles which I thought my students would find the most interesting, and then I shared a bit about the books before we started our reading time that day. As soon as I said, "okay, go ahead and grab your choice book and get ready for our fifteen minutes of choice reading," four or five students literally ran to the front of the room to grab books that I had just finished sharing! I must say, I loved seeing my students arguing over who grabbed the books first! The one out of that list that is most popular in my classes right now is Half a Life: A Memoir by Darin Strauss.  

The fifteen minutes dedicated to choice reading means that some time is being taken from focusing on other activities and skills, but, as a whole, I see so much improvement as a result of this new program that I believe it is well worth it! 

Giving students the tools to become stronger, more confident speakers

This past Tuesday, my English department spent our in-service day discussing oral communication skills. We started with a discussion of Erik Palmer's Well Spoken. After reading some good reviews of Palmer's book (and seeing that Kelly Gallagher wrote the foreword), I purchased and read the book last spring and then recommended it to my department chair. She then purchased copies for every teacher in our department, and we decided the book would become the focus of a department workshop. We worked together to create what became a very productive in-service.

There are a plethora of books on public speaking out there, and as a Speech & Debate teacher and coach, I've read (and own) many of them. Palmer's new book is perhaps the best resource for teachers of any content area. It is concise (only 148 pages), clear, and organized, with practical ideas and suggestions that can easily be implemented into any classroom, not just English classrooms. The question of how to teach oral communication skills more effectively seems to come up quite a bit in my English department, and Palmer's book is the perfect little handbook full of answers and ideas to get teachers started! (You can also check out Palmer's website.)

Here are some highlights and additional thoughts on teaching public speaking skills in the classroom:

• I have heard a lot of teachers complain about how their students lack presentation skills. Others are noticing, too. In his introduction, Palmer discusses the National Association of Colleges and Employers survey. The results of "NACE's Job Outlook 2011 survey suggest that 'New college graduates looking to crack the still-tight job market need to hone their verbal communication skills...verbal communication skills topped the list of 'soft' skills they seek in new college graduates'" (5).  Palmer goes on to discuss similar findings in a survey of 104 Silicon Valley employers. Perhaps the most striking observation is that "employers sought improved oral presentation skills more frequently than they did written skills" (6). We need to readjust our thinking and teaching of oral communication and presentation skills. Instead of thinking "the presentations are so bad," we need to think about how we can better teach the skills. Also, we must provide opportunities for students to present and improve. The weak skills will not magically improve if students are only giving presentations once or twice a year, or even just once a quarter. Instead of thinking of presentations as an "add on" to our curriculum, we need to consistently integrate speaking opportunities. And not all speaking opportunities need to be formal. Think-Pair-Share discussions, group discussions, whole-class discussions, Socratic Seminars, group presentations, informal and/or impromptu presentations...all of these provide opportunities for students to practice their skills!
• Students also need an opportunity to reflect on their presentations. It's one thing for a student's teacher and peers to tell him/her what they need to work on, but it's a whole new, more meaning experience when a student sees these areas for him/herself! Palmer suggests that students tape themselves at home. I encourage teachers to videotape presentations in class! Aside from providing meaningful opportunities for students to practice their presentation skills, I believe that videotaping presentations, and having students watch and reflect on their presentations, is the best way for students to work on and improve their presentations skills. I record presentations in my Speech & Debate class (and team), of course, but I also record presentations my English 10 and IB English I students deliver. At first, students can be a bit anxious about the idea that their presentations are being videotaped, but they quickly see the incredible value of videotaped presentations! Students watch their video and write a critique in which they focus on their strengths and weaknesses and create goals for future presentations. NOTE: Be sure to include a statement and explanation about videotaped presentations in your course policies/syllabus! 
• We need to create a culture of comfort in our classrooms. Students need opportunities to practice their presentations skills, and they need to have a safe, comfortable environment in which to do so. There are many things that go into creating a "culture of comfort." Always starting with positive comments is essential to creating a "safe zone" in the classroom. Palmer tacks this idea on as almost an afterthought in his discussion of creating a "safe space": "Finally, let students know that positive comments are appreciated" (101; emphasis added). Starting with positive comments should be the first step in creating and maintaining a safe zone in the classroom. Not only do I require students to start positive when giving oral critiques, but they also have to start with positive comments when they write critiques of their own presentations. It makes a difference for confidence and comfort in the classroom.
• Students need to understand that visual aides must enhance presentations in order to be effective. All too often, students get so excited about creating their visual, be it a Power Point or a poster, and they start planning the visual before they plan their message! Palmer has a great chapter about using visual aids. I'll just add a helpful tip our librarians share with our students: the "10/20/30 rule" for Power Point presentations. 10/20/30: No more than 10 slides. No more than 20 words per slide. Size-30 font.
• Assessing presentations--Palmer emphasizes the importance of teaching and evaluating content and delivery separately, and he provides some helpful rubrics as well as some critiques of rubrics. As Palmer points out, though, "not all speeches have to include all elements of effective oral communication" (114). You can add skills onto the rubric as they're covered and practiced. You can even let students decide which elements they want to be assessed on based on their goals from their critiques. 

There is so much more I can say about the importance of public speaking and our responsibility as educators to incorporate meaningful presentations opportunities into our class activities and lessons! I'd love to hear your thoughts, comments, questions, and ideas! I'll plan to share some public speaking teaching tips every now and then in my blog posts.