"What's that you're reading?"

So, Clifton Middle School adopted a "Study Hall" in February. We took 5 minutes from every class period and the previously designated "Sustained Silent Reading" minutes and combined them into a 40 minute Study Hall at the end of each regular class day. (Wednesdays are minimum days, so we don't have it then.)

The motivation for this was the disturbing news that almost 20% of our students were below a 2.0 gpa. We have lots of interventions in place - after school tutoring, study skills classes for struggling students, special counseling sessions to address issues surrounding poor academic progress, remedial classes in math and language arts and regular meetings with parents to update them on what is happening.

We can only do so much - ultimately it is up to the student and their parents to turn things around - but we have to do something. So we started this program. It was the principal's idea - not every teacher was in favor - but it has been used successfully in other places, so she wanted to at least try it.

The way it works is every teacher gets 25 kids - alphabetical by grade level - and those same students will stay with the same teacher for all three years. Students are graded daily on having their reading log correctly filled out, having their Binder Reminder (a planner that each student is required to have) listing all of their assignments, and circling the assignment they plan to work on that day.

Since I teach RSP students all day long, it was certainly different to have a room full of regular ed students - many of whom are also honors students. It was also different to have 25 kids - my biggest class has 12 students in it! Because I usually teach such small classes, my room couldn't accommodate 25 kids - so my aide has half of them in the room next door.

On Friday, it was the Clifton Mile Run for 8th graders. Arvin W. has left Clifton so the Clifton Mile as the Terrill kids remember it is different. For one thing, it's run during the Study Hall period. (The period is also used for assemblies and other events that might disrupt the academic day - which is a plus - any teacher will tell you how disruptive it is to have your classes chopped up by an "assembly schedule.") For another, it's run by grade level on different days.

We had the option of going to the run and sitting on the field while the kids who had signed up ran. It was my day to work in the temple on Friday, and I leave from work so I had to be a little more "dressed up" than usual. Sitting on the field in a dress and pantyhose didn't appeal to me. I also had a significant amount of work to do before the end of the day and had planned to do it during Study Hall (the group I have is good about working independently, so a little bonus for me has been the ability to get work done on the computer during that time.)

The aide next door offered to take the whole group - which was not very large, since about 8 of the kids were running. I offered to stay with those who didn't want to go.

I bustled around getting my classroom ready for Monday morning, and then typed up the pages for the 2 IEP meetings I have on Monday. The 4 girls who had opted to stay sat quietly in their chairs - reading!! I decided to walk around and see what they were reading.

The results - Twilight, The Host - both by Stephanie Meyer, a book called Feast of Fools and I don't remember the author, and the 4th girl was reading her History text book. (apparently Feast is about vampires too though.)

The last few minutes of the period I asked them how they were enjoying the books they were reading. The two Stephanie Meyer girls said they were "loving " the books. I told them I had read Twilight but didn't think it was very well written. Since I never want to discourage reading, I suggested that it all depends on whether you are reading for pleasure or want to identify something as good literature.

We had an interesting discussion. I told them about The Historian and suggested that if they enjoyed the vampire concept, they might enjoy this long, but well-written and critically received novel even more.

I also told them that I had graduated in English from BYU - just like Stephanie Meyer. One girl said, "Then you could write a book." (That would be a whole other post - how often we say, "I could write a better book than that" but we don't! Writing is work - hard work - and even poorly written novels take time and effort.)

But what a treat to discuss books with 4 lovely young ladies. I love my students, but by and large they struggle with reading. And even if they read well, many of them don't like to read - it represents all things difficult to them and they don't like to "go there."

Just letting you know how things are on the literary scene in my little corner of the world. I don't ever recall a teacher talking to me about books he or she had read - do you?