Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Where I Probably Get The ALA All Up In My Grill

Mrs. C's kind comment on my last IEP post made me think about my most and least favorite things about teaching English. Reading.

I love reading. I love reading to students and I love discussing books with kids when they care about the book. I love watching them challenge and predict what's going to happen in the text.

... and it's that very love that makes me hate making them read.

Every once in a while, I allow free read time in class. I take the kids to the library beforehand to insure they have a book they'd enjoy, but somehow the kids who hate reading the most are also the only kids who always have overdue fines. They're also the ones who are unjustly charged these fines--imagine that. Many times, they're the kids who want their reading scores to magically rise.

Planning for free read time this Friday has reminded me of all that struggle and caused me to dream of a rap artist sponsored reading promotion. Imagine the photos, these are just the captions.

Read Or Die
(this particular poster would have to feature Sean PuffyPDiddyDaddy
Combs, a la Rock The Vote)


Read, Bitches

Books Are Your Daddy


Other poster ideas?

8 comments:

Mrs. N said...

I just got this t-shirt for my birthday.

Reading is Sexy

Jim Jannotti said...

It's derivative of one of your slogans, but I have to do it:

Reading is bitchcakes!

The Crib Chick said...

One I'm contemplating for the oldest 'Peep' (who requested a t-shirt that says 'Bibliophile' from me for her birthday, by the way):

Books Not Boys (Or at least "Books BEFORE Boys")

I guess you could modify one of yours, for gender reciprocity...

Books Not Bitches

The Crib Chick said...

Hey, this could kill two birds with one stone, now that I think of it; prevent teen pregnancy *and* promote literacy!

Call me, girlfriend; I think we've found our cause.

Anonymous said...

You know, here in the Volunteer state, Dolly is already on board the reading bandwagon (check out imaginationlibrary.com). Dare I propose a collaboration? How about Kanye West featuring Dolly Parton...

educat said...

This is the place where some obvious Dolly Parton joke goes...just imagine it here.

There's a Kristin Chenoweth "Read, Y'all" poster in our library (and yes, non-Okies, Oklahoma's reading campaign is called "Read, Y'all!". Now, stop calling us the Midwest.) and it hasn't done much good. Maybe it's just not the right celeb. Would Toby Keith with a book...nah, no one would buy it.

educat said...

Jim, this just came to me, can we amend yours to read

"Bitchcakes for Books"

It sings.

"Ms. Cornelius" said...

I still like "Read-ity read read read"-- we could embroider THAT right under the "@#*&!!!" one-- or maybe embroider "Read-ity read read read" and THEN the cartoon cussin' below as an emphasizer.