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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