Mission

Bibliophiliac is the space where one passionate, voracious reader reflects on books and the reading life. You will find reviews, analysis, links, and reflections on poetry and prose both in and out of the mainstream.

A book must be the axe for the frozen sea within us. Franz Kafka

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Sunday Coffee in a Sunny Chair

This regular post is my version of Sunday Salon--the title, which I keep changing, is a reference to Wallace Stevens.  I've been thinking I'd like to establish some kind of regular posting schedule, and I like Sunday for reflection back on the week, a more relaxed kind of post.  I've been participating in two memes on a somewhat regular basis--Top Ten Tuesday (The Broke and the Bookish), and the Book Blogger Hop on Fridays (Crazy for Books).

Now I have three goals for my blog (nothing grandly ambitious):  to write more regularly about the classic I love, to write regularly about short fiction, and to host a challenge.  More soon about all three goals, but I have pretty specific plans for each.

The week just past was good, if busy and overwhelming.  Our students came back to school on Monday.  We have a new principal, a new uniform policy, and I'm teaching entirely new classes.  We had a great first week, and I am happy with my classes and delighted with my students.  The English teachers at my school have agreed to have silent sustained reading in our classes on Fridays, and I took each of my classes to the media center.  It was so much fun to help the students find books.  I used to be a bookseller, and I went right into bookseller mode, saying "How can I help you?"  While my students read, I was reading too--beautiful! 

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love the sofa in the field. Glad your classes are going well. I'll be glad when my library reopens to the public and I can help our young minds discover some great books.

Sarah at SmallWorld said...

Love the picture! And the Friday reading sounds blissful!

Kate said...

Sounds like you have a lot of new stuff going on this school year! I love the idea of sustained reading on Fridays. :)

Aisle B said...

Sounds like a perfect moment... getting to share the love of reading is the best. Good on you! Hoping to spread that to my kids... ooops wait there goes the little one (5years) with a pen on a BOOK! NOOOOOOOOOOOO! will have to get him a PENCIL!

Vicki @ Grams Made It said...

I love the idea for silent sustained reading on Fridays. At one of the intermediate schools where I sub, all students carry a library book with them. If they finish an assignment before the rest of the class, they're allowed to read silently. It works like a charm and the kids think of reading as a reward.

Judith said...

What a *lovely* first week! I'm so excited for you and so glad you have the sustained silent reading thing going. That's so important!

Judith (Reader in the Wilderness)

Suzanne Yester said...

Love the idea of sustained reading! What a great way to let the kids relax and read for pleasure!

Lisa said...

Glad to hear your year is off to a great start! My boys always loved SSR; I think they would both have enjoyed having it every day!

Christopher said...

Lisa, I love your notion of the 'Sunday Salon.' I would like to join you in this too. I really applaud the effort of you and your fellow teachers in the dedicated reading time on Fridays too. In the 1960s, when I went to school, this was pretty much de rigueur from about the sixth grade on up.

Interestingly enough, I actually added a posting today suggesting a short story that I think would make a wonderful reading project in a class room setting. And a big 'Thank You' for all that you do in the class room each and every day, Lisa! Cheers! Chris

bibliophiliac said...

@Page-why is your library closed???
@SmallWorld-Friday reading IS blissful!
@Kate-hope you have a great start to your new year!
@PK-only 5 and already making notes in the margins?
@Grams-isn't ssr brilliant?

bibliophiliac said...

@Suzanne & Lisa-I'm always amazed and happy when the students actually love SSR
@Christopher-thanks for all your words of support! (Some days!) I have the greatest job in the world...I can't tolerate boredom or tedium, and those are two things that aren't in the mix in my job!

Emily said...

Hooray for silent reading! My mom (also a high school English teacher) insists on silent reading every day. I wish more of the teachers at her school would adopt the same policy!