Visiting With Old Friends While In Self Isolation

As time goes by, it seems people are settling in and teachers are wanting to post more for their students and students are wanting more to do.  Could it be that there is still excitement in learning?

As I peruse through social media posts, I see funny memes but I also see lots of posts where folks are asking for book recommendations. Sometimes they are asking for themselves and sometimes they are asking for the students in their households. 

The other day I saw where somebody had posted, "Looking for book recommendations for my sophomore and 7th grader?  Thanks 😊" 

Here was my response:

What are their interests? Do they play ball or fish or hunt? Do they play video games or draw or paint? That is a good place to start.  What did they enjoy reading or listening to when they were younger? My philosophy is that everybody can be a reader, we just need to know what they like and enjoy digging deeper into!

(By the way, that is the same thing I always used to ask my students when I was a classroom teacher.)

I think the most fun I had as an educator was when my first 7th grade class of students moved on to high school.  I'd taught them all in 7th grade and then most of them again in 8th grade.  Right before spring break I asked them all to write the title of their favorite book on an index card and give to me and why they liked that book.  Then, my intention was to share it with my next year's class. 

Well, later that year I was approached by our administration and told that it was customary to recognize students for having an outstanding year.  We recognized highest average, all As, and things like that like most places do.  We also had an award to recognized folks for most improved or other accomplishments. 

I decided that I would use those index cards and bought each of my awardees his or her favorite book in a hardback edition.  I had the most fun surfing the net or haunting book stores to find each of those books.  The look on the faces of those students when I handed them their book and said a wee bit about them was priceless.  I doubt they treasured that nearly as much as I did!

So, while we are staying at home and there are no sports to watch on TV, I am revisiting lots of my old friends - books I've collected over the years.  I hope other people are doing the same.