Reflection

I am getting a lot out of this class in the sense that I am beginning to read children’s books as a reader, not just as a soon-to-be teacher. At the beginning of the blogging experience, I had trouble finding things to say because I was reading the book through the lens of “would this be useful in a classroom?” (Which, inevitably, the answer is usually just yes, or no). This is definitely an important perspective, however, there is more to children’s literature than just that.  It is important to read it as a reader as well. I have really been learning this semester that children respond so much better to what you are doing in class when you actually participate in what you are asking of them. When I started looking at books in this context, I was so surprised at how much there is to say and how much there is to learn. Children’s literature is so much more complex, more rich, more full of questions and opinions than I ever imagined. I was really surprised to find that there are books where I have questions that I can’t answer, or insights that inspire discussion. I had a twenty minute conversation with my roommate about the book “Rose Blanch” by Roberto Innocenti. Children’s literature is so much more sophisticated than I ever gave it credit to be, and having to sit down with it and think about it, and read it first hand, has helped me to that realization. Having this kind of appreciation I think will help me be a better teacher because it has made me more passionate and more thoughtful about the topic, and those things make a huge difference because children can sense that.