Roaming Reader

She sits down and opens her book for independent reading time. Two minutes later, she closes it and studies the front cover.  She checks to see if the bathroom pass is on the wall.  It is!  She leaves her seat and saunters down the hall.  Ten minutes later, she returns to her seat in the classroom and stares at her book again.  Slyly, she pulls out a piece of notebook paper and writes a note to her friend,

"Are u mad at me?"

"Psst," she whispers to the student next to her and checks to make sure the teacher isn't looking her way.

She then wanders over to the classroom library, and begins perusing.  Pulling out baskets, checking the book covers.  She sharpens her pencil.  She gets a drink.  She goes back to her seat.  Her friend's response is back on her desk.   Forty-five minutes later, independent reading time is over and she hasn't finished a page.

As a teacher, it makes me want to pull my hair out.

I don't think it's her fault though.  I think it's mine.

I read an article this morning called, Will Teachers Become Obsolete? .  The article discusses whether teachers can be replaced by a computer.  Ultimately, the author says no, because as teachers, we possess an inherently human quality to care for students and inspire them.  This is something that a machine could never do and this is what I will keep in mind this year with my reluctant readers.

My roaming reader does not like to read...obviously :-)  She probably has had little success with reading in the past and had found few books that captivate her.  I have plans for readers like her this year.  More to come...