Literacy Narrative

My Literacy Life

INTRODUCTION

During the Fall of 2015, I took a course titled EDUC 741: Improvement in Reading. We were asked to write a first person account on how we became a literate person. This assignment required me to be a reflective teacher and to really think about how I came to not only learn how to read and write, but also how I found my passion for reading and writing. I enjoyed this assignment because it reminded me how lucky I was to come from such a literature rich household. This assignment also made me feel empathy for my students, some of which are not growing up with supportive adults. While writing this narrative I was taken back to the days I spent reading with my sisters, and also to the many nights I spent writing in my first journal.

STANDARDS

WI Teacher Standards:

Standard 2: Teachers know how children grow.

Standard 9: Teachers are able to evaluate themselves.

Standard 10: Teachers are connected with other teachers and the community.

IRA Standards:

IRA Standard 5: Candidates create a literate environment that fosters reading and writing by integrating foundational knowledge, instructional practices, approaches and methods, curriculum materials, and the appropriate use of assessment.

IRA Standard 6: Professional Learning and Leadership - Candidates recognize the importance of, demonstrate, and facilitate professional learning and leadership as a career-long effort and responsibility.

REFLECTION

I enjoyed this assignment because it reminded me how lucky I was to come from such a literature rich household. This assignment also made me feel empathy for my students, some of which are not growing up with supportive adults. While writing this narrative I was taken back to the days I spent reading with my sisters, and also to the many nights I spent writing in my first journal.

The older I get the more thankful I become that I am a person who is fully literate. It wasn’t until I started teaching children that I realized how much work it takes to get a child to perform this wondrous task of reading and writing. Sometimes I can’t help but smile while watching kids read – it really amazes me that they can perform such a task at such a young age.

Teaching students of various backgrounds has made me thankful that I came from such a literacy rich household. My mother, a schoolteacher, and my father, a school psychologist, kept my two sisters and me busy. We enjoyed spending time in mom’s classroom reading her books, or taking trips to the store to buy new journals. Reading and writing happened naturally in our household. I was always curious of my sisters’ reading materials, and so in order to keep up I had to be able to read and write just as they did! We three girls were good students, and enjoyed school.

Looking back on my schooling years makes me feel thankful that I did not struggle in reading or writing. My language arts blocks, literature courses and speech classes were my favorite ones – the ones I looked forward to each day. I do not remember a time where I struggled to read or pushed back during writing time. I understand now as an educator how important subject engagement is, and I’m thankful that I enjoyed my literacy classes!

Finally, I am thankful that I was surrounded by adults who encouraged and challenged me daily. I was encouraged by my mother to write in a journal daily (a practice I still continue today). I was also encouraged by my elementary and middle school teachers to write stories, and write I did! I was challenged by my college professors to go beyond my high school writing stage, and thus became a collegiate level writer. My literate life is still going strong!

"Today a reader, tomorrow a leader."

“Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.”

The picture below was taken at my nephew’s second birthday party October 2015. I love this picture for many reasons (mostly because it has my adorable nieces and nephew!), however there is a different reason this picture struck me when I saw it. This image illustrates how much we read in my family! Here we are at a birthday party with toys and games, and yet the children want my mother and me to read to them – which we adults happily oblige!

Reader's Life

Writers's Life

I spent many hours as a child reading. I began my reading journey by reading familiar texts by Dr. Seuss. I eventually made my way to the beloved Captain Underpants, Goosebumps and Harry Potter series (which I saved and now have in my 5th grade classroom!).

My reading life declined as I progressed through middle and high school. I lost my drive to read independently, and I would seldom pick up a book “just for fun”. This continued into college, as I often would only read required texts. Although I loved my classes for my English minor, I sometimes felt exhausted by the assigned literature.

I feel I am now leading a true reader’s life. I find myself now reading for fun, instead of watching TV or crafting! I am motivated to read and recommend books to my students.

Although I enjoyed reading, writing has always had my whole heart. I can remember being a little girl spending hours and hours writing notes to my mom and sisters. I liked to fill up notebooks of stories, but I fell in love with writing once I was given my first journal.

My first journal was given to me when I entered fourth grade. I began to write almost daily, and each entry was several pages long. In my diary I would dictate the daily news from elementary school. I kept this journal all the way through the 8th grade! It was amazing to look back and see how much I had grown as a writer.

I used writing as an outlet for my feelings, as my parents divorced during my middle school years. Writing allowed me to express my thoughts, and now I am encouraging my students to write their feelings as well.