Genre #1: Bookmark

Summary:

     I created a bookmark that would be given out to the students before they began reading a book for Book Club. This bookmark contains information that can guide the students when they are reading. Students can jot down important notes such as the names of the main characters and major events. It also includes a list of common literary devices that can be incorporated during a discussion in a book club. The bookmark will get the students thinking about important topics of the book and mark their place as they read! I also included words that remind them what they should be doing to prepare for and take part in a book club: read, take notes, listen to others and participate in the discussion. It's kind of like a mini anchor chart.



Genre #2: Book Club Invitation

Summary:

     This is an invitation that can be given to the student's parent or guardian so that they can engage in the book club process. Book clubs are very social and people of all different levels can benefit from discussions. Also, it is great for parents to get involved in the learning process for the student and teacher. In the invitation, I made sure to include many options for different books. It's important for students to have options so that they can become more engaged. I chose to make the invitation very fancy and formal so that the the parents and students would take it more seriously.

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Genre #3: Schedule for Book Club

Summary:

     I created a schedule for an extra curricular book club group. Because book clubs are based around the idea of student choice and reading for please, I decided that an actual book club could help emphasize that discussions about books could be fun and educational all at once. I included popular trade books on the schedule such as "The BFG", "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and "Holes" so that the students would be engaged in the club. I also included showings of the movies based off of the books that were read to make the club more appealing to students. I believe that it is always good to watch a movie that is make after a book after you read the book. In this fictional club, refreshments are provided and the club takes place in a laid back setting.

     The creation of this genre piece really got me thinking about how realistic these clubs could be. I can see myself starting up a book club similar to this and having students really enjoy it. If you make reading fun and pleasurable at an early age, children will be more likely to be readers for life. It also helps that this club does not have the stigma of a grade like the club could in the classroom setting.

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Genre #4: Anchor Chart

Summary:

     I created an anchor chart for book club "jobs" that could actually be used in a classroom that is doing a book club. I tried to include ideas for self-monitering skills that are needed to be a great book club member and reader in general. I included basic steps that students should take to prepare for a book club as well as attributes that should be used during actual discussions. I tried to list the steps from most obvious to least obvious. On the bottom of the chart I added ideas for students to use when they get stuck during a book club and don't know what to talk about.

     It's very helpful for students to have something to go off of when they are taking part in group discussions since the teacher cannot be right next to them at all times. Charts like this one can be very helpful during the first couple book clubs to keep students on task and remind them of what they should be doing.

I tried to choose genre pieces that could be useful to me as a teacher and I think this one could be one that I can actually use in my future teaching.

Genre #5: Blog from Volunteer's Perspective

Summary:

     I chose to write a blog from the viewpoint of a volunteer in a 5th grade classroom who had not seen a book club in action before. The point of this genre piece was to describe the atmosphere of the book club in detail. Book clubs should be fun, relaxed and engaging for students. In this made up classroom, the teacher served hot apple cider and the students took charge of the book club. I made a point to contrast this new method of teaching literacy with the old rote method that the volunteer experienced in elementary school. In the blog, the volunteer describes the types of wording students were using in the book clubs such as "from my perspective", "in contrast", "on page 78" to describe the level of sophistication book clubs can help students learn. The blog also mentions the benefits communication skills that book clubs teach students.

     Today I had the pleasure of volunteering in a 5th grade classroom at a local elementary school. I hadn't stepped foot in a classroom since I was a kid, so this was somewhat of a foreign experience for me. I couldn't believe the level of independence the students had in their learning. When I was a kid, I remember sitting in rows and not being allowed to talk to anyone until recess. The teacher did the teaching, and we were expected to listen and learn. There was no interaction at all.

     Today's experience was completely opposite. When I turned the corner of the hallway by the classroom, I immediately smelled the aroma of hot apple cider. I heard the sound of students laughing and the bustling of chairs being moved. As I entered, I saw the students moving their chairs into four circles. The teacher informed me that the "Book Club" was about to start. All I knew about book clubs was that Oprah did them, and they involved people talking in depth about books. Would the 5th grade students be capable of the self-control necessary for this type of activity? If they were, how would they be graded? I looked to my right, and saw a large chart near the chalkboard. The chart said "Jobs of Book Club Members" at the top. Below were points such as "participate", "listen actively", "think outside the box" and "look through different lenses". Students shuffled around the room and eventually settled in one of the four circles. The teacher began calling up students for cider and the rest of the class talked quietly to one another. It was clear that they had done this before. A few minutes later the students started digging into their books and talking to one another about them. I was so impressed by the level of respect the students had for one another. For ten minutes, I walked around the room and listened to what the students were saying. I heard things like "from my perspective", "when looking through the lense of Victoria", "I can see what you are saying, but..." and "On page 78...". The students were discussing these books like adults would do. They made deep connections that they had clearly thought about beforehand. They also used evidence from the text that they located easily. I was so impressed! As the students discussed the books, the teacher walked around from group to group to make sure the students were on track.

     I think the point that should be taken from my experience is that schools today are not operating at all like they did when we were kids. Students are not learning rotely, they are engaging in learning and developing communication skills that will benefit them their whole lives. I would be thrilled to be a student in this classroom! I hope to volunteer again in the future. Who knows...maybe I can go back to school and become a teacher!

-Book Clubs aren't just for Oprah anymore!

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Photo of Children with Books

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