My feelings toward my in-school reading experiences are generally indifferent, with sparkles of great novels and black spots of novels I disliked very much. In grammar school, reading was always encouraged, but seemed more so to be a race, rather than the quality of reading. I remember having charts that monitored students' progress on the quantity of books they read, but not the quality. I remember having assignments that measured our understanding of the reading, such as book reports and exams, but any literature other than that was simply a measure of how quickly one could read. As a child I did not struggle with reading, but I do remember feeling that pressure to read a bundle of books and continuously comparing myself to my classmates. I remember loving The Outsiders (read in 6th grade) but hated A Wrinkle in Time (7th grade).
Once I reached high school, the focus shifted to quality over quantity. I was challenged with many different genres and now my understanding was not only tested but also analyzed and discussed. Through my experiences reading in high school, my preference in reading for pleasure shifted to historical fiction.
As I embark on my journey as a teacher, I find myself becoming incredibly excited about expanding my library to include a variety of reading levels, genres, and topics of interest so that I may reach my students. I enjoy watching students experience a task they once found to be unenjoyable, morph into one they find joy and interest in.
