Who had the Greater Reward?

Have you had the opportunity to share something with others that made their eyes light up? Maybe you gave a gift and they unexpectedly rejoiced. They simply gushed over your choice and exhibited unchecked appreciation for what you brought before them. It’s as rewarding a moment for you as it appears to be for them.

I have been in this position, along with a colleague from the Language Arts department, the last few weeks. My colleague, Mrs. Nelson, had expressed frustration over one reluctant group of student readers. She decided to reach out to as many as she could to find a way through the problem. And, in her desperation, she turned to me. I jest of course. I’m grateful that Mrs. Nelson was candid enough to seek my help.

Over the course of several discussions Mrs. Nelson kept hitting on a common phrase: “I just want them to read and enjoy what they read.” To that end, she pulled together a wide range of fiction and non-fiction books possessing great appeal with the help of other Language Arts colleagues and the school librarian. The result was a rolling cart of books, which while they may not be heralded as American classics, that covered the spectrum of reading and interest levels. Seriously, I wanted to plop down and work my way through quite a few of the titles. Instead I settled for browsing a handful of books, as did Mrs. Nelson. We would present them to this group on a Wednesday and let them chose their top three.

Whether is was our individual presentations, the variety of interesting books, the pleasure of knowing you have a choice in what you read, or a mix of all three, the day was a smashing success. The students tracked our every move during the class, hands shot up frequently, and sometimes mouths fired off too –Can I have that book? Will you put that aside for me?, etc. The students toured the room as they reviewed each selection making a case along the way for why they wanted to read particular items.

Now, as the saying goes, getting something is sometimes not as pleasant as wanting something. Thankfully, the opposite has proven true. This class is reading! They’re choosing to move in lock step in smaller groups so they can all discuss their reading, they’re demanding the next book in a series, and their eyes are lighting up because of books.
So one may well argue that my colleague’s efforts have proven to be the greatest of rewards for her students who have stepped more boldly into the world of the written word, but I’ll happily argue the point. We’ve been acting fairly giddy ourselves as we share our pleasure in knowing we had a direct hand in helping a group of students want to read.