Reading Changes You
Three books. Just three...
Where the Red Fern Grows is a tale about a boy and two dogs. Their journey--together--is heartwarming, but it's the ending that tugs at your heart. Did the dogs change because of the boy, or was the boy changed because of the dogs? What changes me?
Roots. So much has been written and shared about Kunta Kinte, a captured African slave, and the genrations that followed him. The concept that we are all connected--past and future--inspired me to search for my own family's roots. Who am I? Why? Who do I want to be for my family's future?
Killer Angels is a narrative about the Battle of Gettysburg from the perspective of those who were there. Joshua Chamberlain, a future medal of honor recipient from Maine, was a simple man who experienced something extraordinary. He became a hero, however, not just because of his circumstances but rather because of how he reacted to his circumstances.
It's interesting to me that each of these stories deals with loss in one way or another, but I don't think it's just the loss that made me cry. As I reflect back I believe each of these stories had a common theme about hope and the resilience of humanity.
Perhaps the greatest benefit of being an elementary teacher and principal is helping children learn to read? We help young people decode. We help them comprehend. We help them unlock text and make it a part of them. Learning to read is magical...truly magical.
But learning to read is not magical because of what we can do. Rather, I think learning to read is magical because of what reading does to us. Think about it. Reading informs us. Reading entertains us. Reading opens our emotions and hearts. Reading connects us to new ideas. Reading inspires or even challeneges our beliefs. Reading changes us.
My hope for our students is that each of them finds at least one book or even several books throughout their lives that changes them...more than just a book they don't want to put down...but a book I hope each person can look to that changed them because they read it. And then each of us can share that story with another person or people. Maybe...just maybe...we will be reminded about the power of education and the resiliencey of who we are and who we need to be. In 2013, as I watch the news, struggle with budgets and pending legislation, cope with national and even international issues, a reminder about hope and our resiliency may be just what we need.
Now...I welcome any readers of this blog to comment here on any books that changed you. Maybe we can create a list that will inspire the world!
- Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
- Roots by Alex Haley
- Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
Where the Red Fern Grows is a tale about a boy and two dogs. Their journey--together--is heartwarming, but it's the ending that tugs at your heart. Did the dogs change because of the boy, or was the boy changed because of the dogs? What changes me?
Roots. So much has been written and shared about Kunta Kinte, a captured African slave, and the genrations that followed him. The concept that we are all connected--past and future--inspired me to search for my own family's roots. Who am I? Why? Who do I want to be for my family's future?
Killer Angels is a narrative about the Battle of Gettysburg from the perspective of those who were there. Joshua Chamberlain, a future medal of honor recipient from Maine, was a simple man who experienced something extraordinary. He became a hero, however, not just because of his circumstances but rather because of how he reacted to his circumstances.
It's interesting to me that each of these stories deals with loss in one way or another, but I don't think it's just the loss that made me cry. As I reflect back I believe each of these stories had a common theme about hope and the resilience of humanity.
Perhaps the greatest benefit of being an elementary teacher and principal is helping children learn to read? We help young people decode. We help them comprehend. We help them unlock text and make it a part of them. Learning to read is magical...truly magical.
But learning to read is not magical because of what we can do. Rather, I think learning to read is magical because of what reading does to us. Think about it. Reading informs us. Reading entertains us. Reading opens our emotions and hearts. Reading connects us to new ideas. Reading inspires or even challeneges our beliefs. Reading changes us.
My hope for our students is that each of them finds at least one book or even several books throughout their lives that changes them...more than just a book they don't want to put down...but a book I hope each person can look to that changed them because they read it. And then each of us can share that story with another person or people. Maybe...just maybe...we will be reminded about the power of education and the resiliencey of who we are and who we need to be. In 2013, as I watch the news, struggle with budgets and pending legislation, cope with national and even international issues, a reminder about hope and our resiliency may be just what we need.
Now...I welcome any readers of this blog to comment here on any books that changed you. Maybe we can create a list that will inspire the world!
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