How do teachers demonstrate what matters to them?

I recently gave this survey to my 12th grade English classes to reflect on their independent reading time—ten minutes designated at the end of every class period to ten minutes of silent free-choice reading. As you can see, when I asked if he enjoys independent reading time, he answered yes, because "most teacher's don't care about reading improvement." This indirectly answered my question. I can interpret it to mean, yes, I enjoy it because I know it improves my reading and I don't get many other opportunities to do that, so therefore it is valuable to me. And this was crushing, especially because it sounds incredulous—teachers don't care about learning?!—but I know there is truth to what he wrote. There are too many teachers who don't care whether their students grow in reading because they (A) don't believe it's possible or (B) believe it is only possible with incredible effort and don't want to put in said effort. I have definitely met quite a few teachers in the A category. "Kids don't want to read." "Kids don't care about learning." "They simply won't do it."

I've had plenty of students who occasionally put their head down during reading. I have a rare few who mostly do so. I've had some who read with no enthusiasm, picking up a different book at random each class, no matter how many times I make suggestions. I have never had a student refuse to read every single day. Kids will read if you present them with the opportunity. And just because some will resist does not mean we need to rob the rest of them of their opportunity.

I know none of these teachers—at least the ones I know personally—are not standing in front of students saying, "I'm not going to try to help you become better readers because you simply won't or can't." But clearly that is being communicated to children somehow. I think where I feel most defeatist is in sharing my thoughts. Because the teachers who don't care about reading improvement also don't care to find any inspiration to start caring. They don't want to know that they can do something to help kids read better, because they love the excuse. Everyone else already agrees with me and so it feels as though I have done nothing. But perhaps, to those teachers who care—remember that we must keep showing them how much we care. Maybe even tell them directly. "Your abilities matter to me, because I want you to have the best life you can have. I want you to have every advantage, and I will do all that I can to give you that."

To the teachers who care, happy Valentine's Day! I see you and I love you.

2.14.2024