Getting my daughter ready for college and coming across all the books she’s kept on her shelves has me reminiscing about the elementary era of nightly reading. I look back on those nights so fondly because it was never just about the reading or the book selections, it was about the bond we built through intentional, uninterrupted time together. During my daughter’s time in elementary school, I was a newish teacher trying to get my footing and find balance between home and work. I was also leading extracurricular activities, working towards another degree, and shuttling my daughter to her own activities. Bedtime was when all of that stopped. My phone would be put away, and the TV would be off. It was reading time. My daughter’s rule was that she would read first, then I would read so she could “rest her eyes.” Throughout our time reading, she would figure out how to pronounce new words, learn what they meant, and talk about character perspectives. I wasn’t prompting her. She was naturally talking to me about these things because she was applying some of what she was learning in school to how she was reading at home. This, in addition to our talks about her day, gave us something to look forward to every weeknight.

As a teacher, I wanted these moments so badly for my students. I wanted them to connect reading to joyful and peaceful moments with family. I wanted them to hear a story in class and make a connection to something they had read or explored outside of school. I realized, however, that routines that foster these kinds of experiences were difficult or even impossible for many families to establish. This led me to redesign my Fri-yay reading block. On Fridays, I began dedicating 10-15 minutes to individual students for one-on-one reading time. I made sure that I had met with every student within a two week time frame. During our time together, the student could either bring a book they wanted to read to me, a book they wanted read to them, or a book we could read together. We often ended up chatting about things that were on their minds in addition to reading the books they selected. I kept a notebook where I documented who I had read with each week, what we read, and who did the reading. Students got so excited after visiting the library and told me all about the books they had checked out for us to read together. What I found through all my note-keeping, was that by third quarter, every student was reading to me. They no longer wanted help. They were so excited to show me how far they had come as readers and to share their thoughts with me. These precious moments have taught me that teachers can intentionally design classroom experiences that extend and strengthen the learning, relationships, and support students receive at home.

Coming next week…

A post for every educator who’s ever opened an email that begins with, “I’d like to discuss…” or replayed a conversation they’ve had with a parent long after it ended. How do you support all students while navigating challenging behaviors and difficult conversations with parents?

I’ll be sharing practical strategies for staying professional, building positive relationships, and keeping students at the center, even when the conversations are tough.

If you’ve ever wondered, “Did I handle that the best way I could?” I hope you’ll join me next week.