Anne Frank Text Pairing

One of the many beauties of summer reading is that we have more time to read exactly what we want to read. Many of the people I know joke about how their To Be Read (TBR) stacks are so large that they are in danger of toppling, and despite endless hours of reading, only seem to grow and grow. After reading Donalyn Miller's Reading in the Wild (2014), I added a new type of TBR to my summer reading stack--my book gap. Donalyn defines a book gap as "the books we avoid or titles we haven't read in spite of popularity or acclaim." The first book I thought of was Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.

I knew all about Anne Frank and her secret annex, but how in the world had I not read her diary? One of the free books I received at the IRA conference in May was Anne Frank: The Anne Frank House Authorized Graphic Biography by Jacobson and Colon (2010.) I brought it home, and my 12 year old daughter immediately snatched it and took it to her room. Then, two weeks ago, when I went to see The Fault in Our Stars, I was entranced by Hazel and Gus's visit to the secret annex while in Amsterdam. So, I went to my library and got Anne's diary.

Anne's diary was so intriguing. The details Anne gave about the rooms in the annex and the 8 people who lived there were quite vivid. But, there were many things I had questions about. Since this was a diary written only from her perspective, what was I missing? What events had been shown only from her bias? What happenings were going on that Anne knew nothing about? The diary ends abruptly, and without the notes at the conclusion of the book, I was left wanting answers.

I ran to Katie's room and snagged the Graphic Biography.

This was the first time I'd ever read a graphic book, and I truly enjoyed it. Many of the answers I was wanting were included--there were photographs of the Frank family and their helpers, a diagram of the secret annex, more details on how the eight in hiding were discovered and their fates. I was provided with much more of a sense of closure than had I just read her diary.

I am so thankful that I closed this particular book gap and, in the process, was also able to delve into the genre of graphic books.

Summer Professional Development Woes

Today is the 15th day of summer vacation (weekends not counted.) I have spent FIVE of those precious days off in professional development. That's one-third of my summer, so far, in professional development. (Thank you, Dr. Obvious, but I felt it was worth reiterating.)

On Friday, June 13, I went to the NTCTELA conference in Hurst. No one sent me to this conference; instead, I went because I was interested. I went because it was finally an opportunity, relatively close (if over an hour away is considered close) to home, to hear Donalyn Miller speak. I paid the $85 registration fee myself. I paid it because I felt it was worth it. Or, rather, I didn't mind paying that amount because I felt that I would grow immeasurably because of my attendance. And boy, did I!

On Sunday, June 15, I traveled with five of my colleagues to San Antonio for a three day conference on educating students of poverty led by Eric Jensen. Our principal presented us with this opportunity, and the six of us agreed to go. No, this time I didn't foot the bill for the travel or the lodging, but it did mean that I had to arrange for someone to watch my three kiddos in my absence. I was giving up several days of irreplaceable time with the three people whom I love more than anything. But I gave it up because it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to hear a guru share his secrets for working with our hard-to-reach kids.

Two days ago, I went to a one day offering by our local regional educational service center. Again, it was over an hour away. The two other instructional specialists at our school and I both attended. While there were numerous teachers there from across our district, there was only one classroom teacher from our school. Oh, and let me mention here that attendees to the conference were able to receive a $75 stipend for going! So why didn't more educators take advantage of this opportunity--an opportunity to grow professionally AND take home a nice chunk of change in the process?

I think there are a few reasons why more people didn't go. Obviously many people have conflicts--vacations, teaching summer school, and childcare issues. But what is really the issue here? Is it because there is a lack of a growth mindset? Do some educators not see the need to grow professionally? Surely that is not the case. Or, is it because a lot of professional development just isn't very engaging for the learners? Unfortunately, I think it is mostly because of the latter.

A friend of mine who teaches in a neighboring district recently had to take the required thirty hours of professional development for teaching gifted students. He posted several rants on social media. I inferred that the presenters were lacking in audience engagement. He complained about the unprofessionalism of the educators around him (something I, too, suffered from at one of my conferences.)

If we look reflectively at our professional developments in the same way that we reflect upon how our lessons went in our classrooms, I am sure that we would see some startling comparisons. If our audience isn't very attentive to the point of being rude, is it truly their fault? Is it their fault that the material may not be relevant to their lives? Is it their fault that they may not have had a choice in
attending? I argue that no, it is not their fault. Those of us who design professional development have an obligation to make sure that our audience is engaged, to make sure that the material is somehow relevant to our participants, and to account for the fact that some people were "forced" to attend. There is some sort of disconnect--the things we would never do in our classrooms are the exact things that many leaders of professional development do to their adult learners. We know that a lecture format is not very effective. We know that people need to talk and to move. We know that people need choice. So why aren't we addressing these things more often in our professional development offerings?

NTCTELA Conference: Donalyn Miller and Teri Lesesne

I have been a loyal stalker fan of Donalyn Miller and Teri Lesesne for years. I’m not sure how I was unable to see them present in person for so long, but I was. FINALLY my first opportunity to hear them speak was at the NTCTELA conference in Hurst on June 13. The title of their presentation was “E = MC² (Engagement = Meeting Conditions Too).”

Donalyn and Teri have not kept it a secret that they are busily writing a book together (along with 20 of their closest friends.) They shared that the working title of their book is The Engagement Manifesto. The book will include information on what engagement is, what it is not, and how we can tell if students/readers are truly engaged. Teri went on to explain that engagement truly is “the unconscious delight of getting lost in a book.” (LOVE that definition!)

The entire presentation was built around Australian researcher Cambourne’s Conditions of Learning: immersion, demonstrations, expectations, employment, responsibility, approximations, and response (feedback.) Donalyn and Teri also shared dozens (dare I say “hundreds”?) of book recommendations. That alone was worth the price of admission to the conference.

I took nine pages of handwritten notes during their lecture. Here are just a few of my favorites:

Donalyn on technology: What is the iPad offering the learner?

Teri on how to start a read aloud: Begin reading picture books with the cover. Look at the fly pages. Notice everything you can, all over the book.

They reminded us that the number one way to improve reading proficiency is through independent reading. The number two way is through read aloud.

The more striving readers you have, the more read alouds you should do. It is the great equalizer. DM

RIGOR is not about levels and lexiles. It is about how complex the text is. COMPLEXITY is how an author does things in interesting ways that are accessible to the reader. TL

“Reading belongs to the reader.” DM

Value reading preferences. True preferences come from wide reading. DM

Striving readers become stronger subsequent readers with each book in a series. DM

Donalyn and Teri were definitely in their element—discussing literacy practices and books with educators. Some of the books they recommended that are now on my Amazon Wish List (come on, pay day, Mama needs some new books!) include:

I Kill the Mockingbird (Paul Acampora)

The Knife Of Never Letting Go (Patrick Ness)

Absolutely Almost (Lisa Graff)

One for the Murphys (Lynda Mullaly Hunt)

Jane, The Fox, and Me (Fanny Britt)

I cannot wait until the next time I’m able to hear the Dynamic Duo of Donalyn and Teri in person again!

NTCTELA Conference--Matt de la Pena

Although school hadn't even been out for an entire week, I started my summer professional development on Friday, June 13, in Hurst at the North Texas Council of Teachers of ELA (NTCTELA) conference. I am not a member of the organization, but when I saw who they had lined up to speak--well, I had to go! The keynote speaker was author Matt de la Pena. Other featured speakers included Donalyn Miller (the Book Whisperer), Teri Lesesne, Penny Kittle, and Matt Glover.

I had read lots of buzz about Matt de la Pena on social media and on blogs, but I had not read any of his work prior to the conference. I felt a little guilty about that. Our gift for attending the conference was a free copy of one of Matt's books. I received his novel Mexican White Boy.

Matt was quite an engaging keynote speaker. He spoke about how his book We Were Here was based on Of Mice and Men (another classic I need to read.) He told a great anecdote about how he changed the name of his main character after he witnessed a boy selflessly give up his seat for a girl at an assembly in Queens.

Matt spoke about how people have all kinds of definitions--parental-definition and educational-definition. The hardest definition to break away from, he said, is "self-definition." Matt shared that he was a reluctant reader growing up because he wasn't exposed to a literary world growing up. He said that he never saw another adult male (other than a teacher) read. The book that made the difference for Matt was one he read while in college--The Color Purple by Alice Walker. Soon, novels became Matt's "secret place to feel."

Matt closed by challenging us educators to pay attention to the kids in the back of the room. Those little seeds that you are planting, he said, might not bloom until years later.

Matt de la Pena definitely planted some seeds in me. Because of his keynote speech, I decided that I needed to read some of Matt's books and The Color Purple. I finished The Color Purple yesterday. I  see some parallels with Matt's story. The main character, Celie, after much heartache and pain broke away from her definitions--from society's definitions, from gender definitions, and finally, like Matt, from self-definition.

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

When I see the title of a book mentioned a few times by different friends, I typically get the book to read it myself. Such was the case with Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. I hadn't read anything by the author before, so I went to the library and picked up that book and another of hers.

I admit that I was guilty of judging the book by its cover. It looked, to me, like the perfect summertime love story. Well, as it turns out, that was only partly true. When Lou loses her beloved job, she is left no choice but to take a job as the caretaker for a quadriplegic named Will. Lou and Will develop a fondness for one another, but Lou soon learns the real reason that she was hired. Her job then takes on a new urgency as she tries to give Will a reason to live.

This touching story was an easy, fast read, but it was definitely not the feel-good, read-while-relaxing-on-the-beach book that I had envisioned. The book asks its readers to redefine what it means to truly love someone. Would you allow yourself to go through hell if it meant that the one whom you love is finally getting the only thing he really wanted in life?

I'll be thinking about this book for awhile. Four of five stars.

Summer 2014 YA Reading Suggestions

Those people who know me know that I'm always reading. I pride myself on trying to be up-to-date with the latest titles, both in adult books and in Young Adult (YA.) Friends and coworkers frequently ask me what I'd recommend for them to read next. Here are a few YA titles I'd like to share for your summer reading enjoyment.

The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

     I saw this book at the IRA conference. A line on the cover claims that the book is "Criminal Minds for the YA world." SOLD! As soon as we got home, I went to the library and got my hands on it. A group of teenagers with natural abilities in profiling, reading body language, and other skills are in a program grooming them for eventual work with the FBI. Of course they eventually get involved their own situation where they must use their natural talents to save one of their own. I look forward to reading future books in this series!

Counting by 7's by Holly Goldberg Sloan

     Willow is a highly gifted girl who is misunderstood by just about everyone. When tragedy strikes, she must learn to rely on others to survive her grief without losing herself in the process. If you are a fan of Wonder, I think you will definitely enjoy this touching story of what it means to be a family.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

     Perhaps everyone has heard of (and possibly read) this book by now. It is the love story of two teenage cancer patients who go on a quest to find out more information about their favorite novel. 

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

     People were raving about this book on social media way before we regular folks could get our hands on it. I had seen people describe it as the "Gone Girl for YA." I do think that comparison is somewhat off the mark, but like with GG, the reader is kept constantly guessing about what is going to happen next. If there is one characteristic that I truly crave when reading, it is the ability of the author to completely shock me with plot developments that I couldn't see coming. And boy-howdy did E. Lockhart accomplish that! It was a quick read, and it is one that will stay with me for awhile. I made all of my close friends read it so I could discuss it with someone.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

     The story of two twins who go off to the same college but to very different experiences. Wren is a huge fan-fiction writer who tries to come to term with a changing relationship with her twin sister and other new relationships at college. I enjoyed this book, but not quite as much as I loved the final book on this list, Eleanor & Park, also by the same author. Nevertheless, I will continue to read anything that new author Rainbow Rowell produces! (She's really fun to follow on Twitter, too!)

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

     E & P is my favorite book that I've read this year. It is the story of two extremely different teens who find themselves sitting together on a seat on the bus. On that bus, an unlikely love develops against all odds. I admire how Rowell wrote the story, alternating between Eleanor and Park's voices, giving the reader valuable in sight into each character. I love the book description that states, "Two misfits. One extraordinary love." 

Other longtime favorites I'd recommend:

     Wonder by R. J. Palacio

     Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper

     The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

     Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

     Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo

     The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo

     

And finally here are some YA books that I'm looking forward to reading this summer:

     The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau (Another dystopian novel)

     If I Stay by Gayle Forman (If you were lying in bed in a coma, would you chose to go to heaven with your parents or stay on earth?)

     The Great Greene Heist by Varian Johnson (reminds me somewhat of an Oceans Eleven for teens)

     Boys of Blur by N. D. Wilson (boys have to run fast during the sugar cane harvest in Florida)

     Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo (not really sure what it's about, but it's by DiCamillo!)

     The Diary of Anne Frank (I realized that I've never read the entire work, and I want to.)

Happy reading! :)

When IRA Hands You Lemons...

It's been a month since we went to the 59th annual conference of the International Reading Association (IRA) in New Orleans. It was my first time to visit the Big Easy and to attend the IRA conference. I don't want to exaggerate, but this trip truly was a life-altering experience! If I had to sum up this trip with one cliche, it would be, "when life hands you lemons, make lemonade." 

We had planned to fly out of DFW, but after our flight was cancelled, we waited in line for four hours to learn that there were no other flight options. We had to DRIVE the EIGHT HOURS TO New Orleans. Just the thought of an eight hour car trip makes me want to puke. But, it gave my BFFs and me so much time to chat and sing crazy 80's songs at the top of our lungs. "Hit me with your best shot! Fire Away!!" I wouldn't trade that quality time with my best friends for the world!

The first morning of the conference, we had our dog-eared programs marked with the sessions we wanted to attend. Our first choice after the general assembly with featured speaker Jeff Kinney was to see Dr. Tim Rasinski (whom we had seen the evening before while he was eating at a sidewalk cafe.) We were at least 15 minutes early, but we were too late. The session was closed due to crowd size. Instead we walked around the exhibit hall. Having learned our lesson, we wanted to get to our next choice of session super early. It was a session with Penny Kittle, Kelly Galagher, and THE Book Whisperer, Donalyn Miller. (I am a huge stalker admirer/fan of each of them, but I was most excited about finally hearing Donalyn speak in person, and this was the only session she was presenting.) Well, wouldn't you know it....even though we were almost 45 minutes early, the session was already CLOSED. We tried to divert the attention of the IRA bouncers (seriously, they had bouncers!) so we could sneak in, but no luck. I was so disappointed and upset. I had just about decided that my entire IRA experience was ruined. 

Later that evening, the BFFs and I were done putting the finishing touches on our presentation for the next day. It was around 9 pm, and I told the ladies about a gathering of the Nerdy Book Club that I'd seen mentioned on Twitter by Donalyn. We freshened up and walked a block to a hotel bar where we were greeted by none other than Donalyn herself. We had the obligatory photo ops, and then she introduced us to several other people. 

We spent several hours discussing literacy, books, and life in Texas. And, as Donalyn said, "Who else would be sitting at a bar in New Orleans discussing test prep?" Yes, I admit I was a total fan girl that night. This was about as close to literacy royalty as I'd ever get! I was so impressed by Donalyn. She spoke so eloquently about what she had seen in her travels around the country, on literacy policy, and on the trials of parenting. But what impressed me even more was how she made each of us feel welcome and how she valued our opinions. What an absolutely amazing night!

The lemonade I'd made in New Orleans was second to none!

Robin Johnson, Donalyn Miller, Jill Culmo, Micheal Kessner

A Little Bit About Me

My name is Jill Culmo. I am an educator who is passionate about literacy. I love to read, and I work tirelessly to get my students to love reading, too. I wholeheartedly believe that students who read more, achieve more, and that one of our top priorities as educators is to motivate kids to want to read more (hence the name of this blog!)

I have attempted to write a blog several times. I previously wrote a combination personal and professional blog, but I've now made the decision to separate the two. I recently made a promise to myself to revive the professional-side of my blog. I wanted to give the blog some depth, so some of the posts you'll read here are cut and pasted from my earlier blogs.

I just finished up my 17th year in education. I was a classroom teacher for 15 years, teaching all grades from first through fifth. (I also did a stint semester teaching seventh grade summer school. Yikes!) I've also taught developmental reading courses at a local community college, and I was honored to be an adjunct professor at a university. I received my Bachelor of Science from the University of North Texas and my Master of Science in Reading from Texas A&M University--Commerce. In 2009, I completed my Doctor of Education in Curriculum, Supervision, and Instruction at TAMU-C. The title of my dissertation was The Impact of Daily Independent Self-selected Reading on Second Grade Students. Currently I work as an Instructional Specialist and Early Literacy Specialist in the Mesquite Independent School District. As my principal put it, I help "to grow both teachers and students."

My husband and I are the parents of three wonderful children, ranging in age from 3 to 12 years. When I'm not working, taking care of my kids, reading, or doing laundry, I pretend to be a runner.