“I’ll come back when you’re teaching.”
Believe me, this is definitely teaching.
I confer, ask questions, offer stacks.
I make recommendations; I take notes.
I celebrate, diagnose, coach, encourage, redirect.
Most of all, I listen carefully.
“I don’t know what I like.”
“I hate reading; that won’t change.”
“I’ve never read a book before.”
I give permission. Wimpy Kid? Yes!
Graphic novels the whole year? SAME!
Reading on your Kindle? Of course!
Rereading a childhood favorite? Great choice!
Listening to audiobooks? That’s reading too!
“I didn’t know I liked reading!”
“Do you have more like this?”
“Finished! I need a new book!”
No, I haven’t read every book.
But I know every single reader.
I can detail ninety-eight reading histories,
Ninety-eight current reads, ninety-eight plans.
Why they used to hate reading,
Why it’s sometimes ok this year.
If you ask, I’ll tell you.
It’s far from perfect this year.
Too often, not even that great.
Some kids still haven’t finished anything.
Some kids abandon book after book.
Some kids are on their phones.
Some kids fall asleep, even snore.
Some kids whisper to their friends.
Some kids talk really loudly, nonstop.
But most days, there is quiet.
Everyone has a book they’ve chosen,
A book chosen just for them.
Some even start before the timer.
Already absorbed in story, eagerly reading.
I distribute the latest book arrivals.
Then I start my daily rounds.
I consult, validate, empathize, cheerlead, model.
I assess both comprehension and enjoyment.
This is what teaching looks like.
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Once again, my theme for the March 2023 Slicing Challenge is finding inspiration in the words, ideas, and forms of others. Each day I will write in community and conversation with another slicer and link to the post that inspired me. Although I did define sentence a little loosely here, I was inspired by Kristasjots’s topic and format in “A Slice of Six Word Sentences” at Teachers Write.
the dirigible plum 
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