The Book Whisperer Chapter 1 Thoughts

Reading Donalyn's experiences with books I think back to my own childhood. I remember walking to the library from my grandparents house where I stayed every summer. I would browse through all of the books looking at the pictures, checking to see just how many pages each book had, and if I thought I could really read it. Finally, after all the work I had put into browsing I would settle on checking out a movie. I loved The Babysitter Club movies, I liked the books about the younger sister because they were so much easier to read.
My reading experiences as a child are few. I struggled as a reader, not only did I not know the words, I didn't know any strategies to learn to read the word. When I had finally decoded the word, I had no idea what I had already read. The vicious cycle repeated itself. Finally in third grade I went to special reading class, Title 1 reading, there I learned a few "tricks" to read a little. By 6th grade we were each required to read a different Don Coldsmith book and write vocabulary words we didn't know and define them and also write a summary for each chapter. I didn't finish mine, I can still remember the grade I received, 54% F. I hated reading, I hated my teacher, and most of all I hated myself. Reading was hard but I was smart enough to get through middle school, high school, and college with A's and B's.
It wasn't until I actually started teaching that I started to understand the rules to reading and how having strategies could help me understand what the author was really trying to say. Graduate school taught me so much about being a reader and how readers learn to read and understand. I had a wonderful professor that helped me not only as a teacher but as a reader. She actually lent me this book to read! It has become my mission to learn as much about teaching young children to read and LOVE to read that it is what I work on all school year and summer long.
I love the credo by Susie in the book, "If you ever think you have all the answers, it's time to retire." I totally could see that, the fixed mindset of some that just won't budge or even think something else my be better or work more effectively. I feel like I am Donalyn when she was looking for and reading every resource that should to fix how she taught reading. I find myself doing the same thing but not just in reading but also in writing. How can I connect the two to make it true, good readers are usually good writers and good writers are good readers.
Note to self, read:
In the Middle by Nancie Atwell
Mosaic of Thought by: Ellin Keene and Susan Zimmerman
Students should spend MOST of their time reading and writing independently! I have the same feelings Donalyn has had when she is falling short of obtaining the perfect classroom with kids fully engaged. It is so hard to follow the "perscription" from a book. This is something I see now, that I need to follow my students needs and not try to stick to the books example.