Raegan Shaw, Post #5, Organize an Outstanding Classroom Library

As a first year teacher, I am constantly worrying about my classroom library and wondering if it has enough to offer for my students.  I also worry about having enough books that are leveled appropriately for my readers.  I went into this year thinking that most of my students would be on a fifth grade level or higher, since they are in fifth grade; however, I quickly realized within the first few months of school that my a good chunk of my students are far below grade level.  This being said, I failed to prepare my library accordingly and have been playing catch-up here and there all year long.  This required reading chapter has not only opened my eyes to the entire importance of a relevant, appropriate, classroom library that is full of variety, but also a classroom library that is organized, challenging, and enjoyable.  This chapter compels me to enhance my book selections and make them ever-more appealing to its seekers.

What l found most interesting about this selection is that it is actually encouraged for classroom libraries to have “light reads.”  These types of books are typically books that may seem quick and easy, yet serve as a motivator to students.  I connected with this part of the chapter because I see a good bit of my students reading comic books.  At the beginning of the year, I was very concerned.  I always thought that comic books were full of short sentences and mostly pictures.  What I failed to realize is that most of my students who read these comics are usually picking comic books that coordinate with my social studies lessons!  Even though these reads are not the longest reads or the most challenging—especially vocabulary-wise—I have found that these short, witty books often lead my students to choosing longer, more thought-provoking books on the same topics or even different topics.  Even as an adult, it’s nice to pick up a magazine or something short and sweet to read!

Another part of this chapter that I enjoyed and found intriguing, and honestly shocking, was that as a teacher, I should be encouraged to de-emphasize leveled books.  I have always leveled each book to coordinate with Accelerated Reader.  I never really thought that students would gravitate toward their own level without my help.  Reading this section of the chapter freshened my childhood memories of reading books that were too hard for me, at the time.  I will never forget the day in third grade when I picked up a Harry Potter book and saw the word ‘muggle’ and threw the book across the room, crying, “this isn’t on my AR level!”  As hilarious as it may seem now, I really did know (or thought I knew, seeing as muggle isn’t a tough vocabulary word, but a word that the author had made up for their own novel) that Harry Potter was above my level, without my teacher ever having to share this with me.  This being said, I know that if a student picks a book that may seem to be a “just-right” book, I need to ensure that they do not get discouraged when they see a few words throughout the book that they do not know the meaning of.  I should encourage my students to use dictionaries, context clues, and nearby adults to help explain new vocabulary, for this is how students’ AR levels grow, anyways!

I really enjoyed this selection and it truly has urged me to create a whole different reading vibe in my classroom.  If not by the end of this year, then definitely by the beginning of the next school year, I would love to re-vamp my entire classroom library.  This article gave me some sort of hope for the future!