Classrooms During COVID-19

After reading Pernille Ripp's blog post about teaching this year with COVID-19 happening, I started to think about how this will affect me as a student-teacher. Of course, I have been thinking and reflecting on this all summer but with the start of my student-teacher role coming soon it has clouded my mind more often than not. What resonates with me the most about this post is the fact that Ripp just wants her students to be able to hold a book in their hands. With COVID it has been harder to get students to read with a physical book in their hand rather than an electric copy or just an audiobook. There is always something to be said about holding the paperback while reading; it's just a different feeling. Ripp wants this for her students, and so do I. There's nothing like the process of actively picking out a new book to read, holding it in your hand, feeling the pages in between your fingers when you turn the page, and feeling satisfied when the number of pages left to read shrinks. Reading electronically takes away the experience of reading. 

This fall, I think it will be difficult at first to build readers because, for me, it will have to be done virtually. Yes, my mentor teacher will be in the classroom getting face to face experience with the students, but I won't be and that is something that I was looking forward to. It's much more difficult to connect with new people - with new students - virtually than in person. To help build readers within the first couple of days I want to help create a welcoming atmosphere that supports reading and highlights the fun in the experience of reading. I honestly, though, am not really sure how to go about that. I want to discuss it more with my mentor teacher during pre-planning and come up with a game plan. I think building a good rapport with your students is important to building readers.