Sunday Coffee: Where I Am

The first week of school is over, and I can take a breath.... sort of.

Things really could not have gone better. My students are great, and that energy and excitement is there--now I remember, quite clearly, why I love my job! Although, in the midst of summer, I forgot.

Two things:
My feet really, really hurt at the end of the day.
I'm exhausted, as is every teacher I know. That first week really knocks it out of you.

This week I found out how much my creative writing students love to write (a lot). And I began anew my lifelong crusade to turn students into readers (of course, many students come to me with a love of reading already).

I've discovered Penny Kittle's wonderful book Book Love. I read Donalyn Miller's The Book Whisperer over the summer. It is an excellent resource for any teacher who wants to begin an independent reading program in the classroom. But Penny Kittle's book is more applicable to my high school classroom--and her book is written in an accessible and eloquent voice.

As the school year continues, I'll be posting more about my classroom, and about what my students are reading. Here begins the emptying of my wallet directly into my classroom. I'm definitely going to be applying for some grants for books for my classroom library.

Here's a view of my classroom the weekend before school opened. As you can see, I have begged, borrowed, and bought a large number of books for my classroom. But, here's the thing: I need the books my students will actually read, those unputdownables. I can hand a kid a book, but it really has to be a book that will engage him or get her so engrossed that she forgets she doesn't really like to read.

I'm still working on East of Eden, so my post for the read-a-long will be a bit late. So you have that to look forward to....

Where I am right now is the local bookstore, with a stack of books I'm about to buy. Incorrigible!
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
The Memory Palace by Mira Bartok
Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi
The Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones

What's everybody else reading?