thinking about the final exam and the book thief

I’ve spent the weekend thinking and reading about the upcoming final exam. I’m very excited about this because my mind is wandering to various scholars, books, and articles I’ve studied during my doctoral journey. In preparation for my mini meeting with Allison tomorrow, I’ve been making mental notes of various topics for professional development. I know I will definitely address adolescent literacy.

For me, the term “adolescent literacy” usually conjures deficit thinking – adolescents who are not reading or writing at grade level and who, as a result, are falling further behind each year. Just as with our discussions about the Beers book, we tend to focus on the strategies that help adolescents catch up. But what about the students who are working at grade level and beyond? According to what I’ve been reading, their needs must be addressed, too. We (as in ELA secondary teachers) need to think about their literacy growth, too, especially in light of a global economy. It’s simply not our task to ensure success in the ELA classroom, whether in middle school, high school, or university. Needless to say, my beginning work on the final exam has been eye-opening. Can’t wait to dig in deeper.

And on a personal note, I went to a book store earlier today with my daughter and son. (I try to stay out of book stores during the semester – too much temptation.) While there, I stumbled across a novel I read several years ago, The Book Thief. For just a moment, I stood there and looked through the pages, looking for a familiar sentence or character, and it was all a total blank. My mind is too full of other business for now, and that makes me sad. I loved that book. (At least I remember that I loved the book.) I’ve decided it will be the first book I read when the summer break arrives. There’s something to be said about returning to something you’ve read before. As Rosenblatt would point out, I’m not the same person who read that book years ago. It will be a whole new experience, and I’m looking forward to it.