Reading . . . and Then Some 16 January 2015 UPDATE

A Great Start!

It was really exciting to see all the staff who came for our first meeting of Reading . . . and Then Some! Here are the highlights: Mrs. Young discovered inspiration for student sketching projects in some graphic novels. Ask her about it! Lorna Williams may be collaborating with her on a literary project for next year. Mrs. Arrowood turned out to be our new resident film expert, and Mrs. Ohlrogge was her usual exuberant and enthusiastic self. She brought her ISS students and parked them at separate tables so she wouldn't have to miss out! There was an excellent turnout by 7th grade and the conversation was lively. In the "But I Don't Have Time to Read" department, the team was apparently fascinated by the fact that I read on my iPad or Kindle while

brushing my teeth and go two full rounds each time! (It's electric, and signals after 2 minutes.) But that's 8 minutes a day, and if I add in time for flossing, rinsing, spitting and stuff it's at least an hour and a half of reading per week during an otherwise mundane chore. (I change pages by tapping the device with my elbow, so you don't have to think "yuck!") I can read a

lot in an hour and a half! We did not discuss The Other Bathroom Thing . . . but that's a great time to read too. Mrs. Dye surveyed her students

before attending to find out what kind of books they like best and requested specific genres for SSR. Mr. Adams, Mrs. DeWease and Mrs. Feaster are all avid readers of middle school lit (ask them about it!), while Mr. Campbell prefers professional reading--and that's great too! This isn't about all of us reading or liking the same thing. Real people don't do that. Mrs. Mote and Mrs. Tensley took the time to come in independently because their schedules are a bit quirky, but we had interesting conversations about reading and more. Mrs. Tensley shared a true-life supernatural

experience when I showed Jade Green to her. It's one of the best ghost stories in the library, and set in South Carolina as a bonus. You may want to ask Mrs. Tensley about her interest in Nikola Tesla! Eighth grade was represented by another lively group, including Mrs. Ackerman, Mrs. Hydrick, Mrs. Snider, Mrs. Wimphrie, and Mr.

Tharpe. Mrs. Snider revealed that she had read Smile--unquestionably the most popular graphic novel we have (a whopping 135 weeks on the

New York Times Best Sellers list and still #3)--and talked about how relevant it is to understanding what so many of our kids are experiencing. Ask her about it! Mr. Tharpe

described an intricate reading program/wall/book review/student suggestions thing done by an overachieving

media specialist whose barcode labels I am apparently not worthy to scan. However, it did get him motivated

to read The Fourth Stall and he checked out a couple more books before leaving. I need more details on the project--it sounds good! After the meeting, Mrs. Ackerman was inspired to post a very cool reading list outside her classroom--ask her about it!

Everyone took one or more laminated signs which say, "I'm reading ______ Ask me about it!" to post in their rooms or outside their doors. Teachers who are actively engaged in reading and excited about it can really make the difference, especially with the lowest-achieving students. Reading with them during SSR is one of the most important things a teacher can do during the day. I haven't mentioned every person who came, but I was so very pleased to see everyone who attended! This is just a beginning--if you would like to

attend next time you won't be behind or out of the loop. Reading And Then Some is a book club/reading group/professional development/technology training/opportunity for fellowship with colleagues. It will be what we all make of it. The door prizes on Friday were pots of miniature daffodils which said, "Let's Grow!" to symbolise what's ahead: starting small, but blossoming into something bigger and brighter. The next Reading And Then Some day will be Friday, January 30th. Come if you can, when you can. I have some different snacks in store, and in our first Technology Tidbit I'll be sharing a resource for thousands of free eBooks and practically free audiobooks which you can read or listen to on any mobile device. And don't forget to sign up in PDExpress!

Mrs. Ackerman and Mrs. Anderson won the door prizes for January 16!

P.S. I almost forgot to mention that there will be a prize drawing for a $25 Amazon gift card at the end of this nine weeks and the next as well! Everyone who attends gets their name in the pot each time, so come often for more chances to win. There will also be opportunities for additional entries revealed in the weeks ahead.