Today I asked a kid to get his parents in for an interview. I have taught this young man for 3 years. He is the only student I have ever taught for three years in a row. It has been a pleasure to teach him. I have never requested an interview with his parents. I have never felt any need to see them. He has usually worked well, behaved well and been caring and compassionate with other students. I realised today, this would be the final parent-teacher interviews I would have a chance to meet them. I really want to tell them face to face, what a wonderful job they have done with their son.
Positive Calls
Our principal asked us last year to make a positive phone call home. She suggested that instead of focusing on negative behaviour and phoning parents to let them know what the child was doing wrong, that we chose someone who was doing the right thing and phoned the parents and let them know their child was doing great. I took the challenge and phoned a parent of a kid I’d been quite impressed with that week. The parent was delighted and the kid was my friend for life. I still get a huge smile every time I see him, he’s left our school now.
Good Intentions
After that experience, I thought I ought to do it once a week. It made me feel so good as well. I haven’t done it since though. I’m setting an intention to make at least one of those calls this week before school finishes. I hope that those parents do visit me at parent teacher interviews too!
12 Must Read Books for Teens
I said earlier that I would create my own list of 12 books to read before you turn 12. I can’t do it. I have given it a lot of thought and as I teacher I am constantly referring students to books. Mind you, my students are generally between the ages of 12- 16. I have to know a young person before I could suggest a book for them. I have read a lot of books for young adults. There is such an amazing variety. So I am going to pass on this list. I have mentioned many books that I love for young people. There are 46 blog posts on this blog about young adult reading. This however is only for the last 35 months that I’ve been blogging. I’ve read heaps before I started blogging. It’s just too hard.
My Shakey Reading Memories
I can’t really remember what I read before I turned 12 with any accuracy, but I know Enid Blyton was big for me. I also read a whole series about a nurse called Sue Barton. It was responsible for me thinking I was going to be a nurse when I grew up. In reality I hate the sight of blood though. I loved ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ and lots of fairy tales. Some of my favourites were ‘The Princess and the Pea’ and ‘Rapunzel’. Milly Molly Mandy, Pollyanna, Anne of Green Gables were some others I loved. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and lots of school readers I can recall. I remember wishing there were books written by Australians about Australians because the books I read had the seasons and landscape all wrong. I would love to hear from others what they read around these times. I was born in 1965.
Reading Challenge Stocktake
Premiers Reading Challenge
At school our kids participate in the Premiers Reading Challenge at year 7, 8 and 9. They need to read 15 books in a period of around 6 months. Most of them complete this and I try to challenge them to extend themselves a little. 10 of the books they read need to come from a list. I like to complete the challenge also and read 10 from the CBCA Award shortlist. The CBCA Award winners are announced during Childrens Book Week which is 18th – 24th August. This co-incides with the end of the Premiers Reading Challenge, which for schools is 17th August.
My Challenge Progress
The challenge began on the 31st January and in this time I’ve read; ‘Don’t Call Me Ishmael’ by Michael Gerard Bauer , ‘The Red Shoe’ by Ursula Dubosarsky, ‘Red Spikes’ by Margo Lanagan and ‘One Whole and Perfect Day by Judith Clarke. From my own choice books, I’ve read ‘The Lollipop Shoes’ by Joanne Harris, ‘The Witch of Portobello’ by Paulo Coelho, ‘The Journeys of Socrates’ by Dan Millman, ‘Stalker’ by Hazel Edwards , ‘The Running Man’ by Michael Gerard Bauer, ‘The Zahir’ by Paulo Coelho, ‘Theodora’s Gift’ by Ursula Duborsarsky, ‘White Time by Margo Lanagan, ‘Flying South’ by L M Elliott and ‘I Heard the Owl Call My Name’ by Margaret Craven. So I’ve actually over read in my own choice section. Well I guess that is the challenge! I have the last two from the shortlist for older readers, and one of the 2007 Eve Pownall Award for Information Books shortlisted books, because it had red in the title of course. I aim to read these during the next week.
In Summary
So I’ve read 4 out of 10 from the CBCA Awards shortlist. I have 3 here from the list to complete and would like to read the Catherine Bateson’s book ‘Being Bee’ in the Younger Readers Category as well as the one with Macbeth in the title by Jackie French. That will make 9. I’ve read two picture books from the list, so I will reread them and review them and then my work is done. Work – that’s a joke, I love reading. It’s been great listing this. It made me realise some more progress made.