Reading Conference = My Wonderland

I was just having a conversation with some friends about how we find it a little strange when adults go to Disney World without children.  I just didn't get the appeal.  But then I realized, Disney is for many what a reading conference is to a dorky reading teacher - a wonderland!

                                   

(Proof that we were in Springfield: See Abe in the background.)

I had the privilege of attending the Illinois Reading Council (IRC) conference this past week/weekend. Along with many co-workers from my district, my very good friend who teaches at CPS also joined me. The last time I attended the annual conference was about five years ago.  Though many things have changed within education during this time, I was pleasantly surprised that the energy was the same.

During the 3 days, I heard some amazing authors speak.  Chris Crutcher, Wendelin Van Draanan, and Jay Asher were just a few that blew me away! Clearly, I spent way too much money buying their books for my class and getting them signed! But, when in Rome...

Getting Chris Crutcher's autograph! #authorsaremyrockstars

Along with the authors, I also sat in on a few really interesting sessions.  One of my favorites was about discussion techniques that help empower students.  It seems basic, but having a discussion in a middle school class can be nearly impossible! The balance between getting kids to actually speak, and making sure one or two kids don't take over entirely, is a challenging task.   But I got some great ideas that I am excited to try and pass on to other teachers that are interested.

Another especially great session was about vocabulary.  The presenter, Camille Blachowicz, was someone I had heard of throughout my time at National Louis University for grad school.  I really see myself being able to use some of the new ideas and techniques with our school wide vocabulary program throughout the year.


(Notes from Jay Asher's presentation - so funny!)

In addition, there were some more theoretical sessions that were not quite as exciting, but were still extremely important.  As always, I was impressed with Richard Allington and his research about the volume of reading students need to be doing.  It seems obvious, but kids need to READ if they want to improve their READING skills.  Shocking, I know.  In the same vein, Brandi Noll's session about RTI and how it often replaces instructional time, rather than being used to increase instructional time was very eye opening.  While discussing RTI, she also brought up the rather controversial research that computer based programs are often the least beneficial for students. Again, I know it is shocking to think that a computer can't teach a student as well as a real live person, but that's just what the research says!

Overall, the conference reaffirmed why I love teaching (especially reading) and rejuvenated me! I'm super excited to bring back these books, ideas and lessons to my school!

Jay Asher, from a distance.  He's one hilarious, interesting, and witty guy!