Crispy But Not Burned

I remember pacing the aisles of my favorite used bookstore a few years ago. Somehow I always end up in the education section.

Amidst the old books smells, I found a book called Not Quite Burned Out But Crispy Around the Edges. It was a funny book, and the name has always stuck with me.

Not quite burned out but crispy around the edges is exactly how I’ve been feeling this year. The feelings of burn-out are pressing in on me like a collapsing tent. And I hate it. This isn’t me. I feel the dirge of overwhelmingness is about to crescendo in heartbreak. I don’t want to lose myself in the process of teaching.

I have to get out of this rut and get back to the heart of what I’m doing and why I’m doing it.

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The Work of Inspiring Readers

I grabbed one more title off the cluttered clearance shelves of my local used bookstore.  My classes this year are fascinated by horror and thriller books.  Last year it was mysteries, and the year before it was all things fantasy.

I find myself browsing the clearance shelves at least once a month for new additions to our burgeoning classroom library.  Sure, the kids could check out books from the school library (and they do), but there is something more intimate and connected about our classroom library.

It takes personal time and my own money to do this, but I don't mind.  I know it takes a lot of work to inspire readers.  It makes me a better teacher.

I wish I had more conversations about this side of reading from admins and other teachers.  Instead it's mostly about data, spreadsheets, data, test scores, and more data.  So many important things in education don't fit nicely into line graphs.

A student told me on the first week of school how much she didn't like to read.  It took some serious work, but now she can't wait for reader's workshop and enjoys reading to me.  Tell me, how do I plot that on an .xls sheet?

Maybe if we put more effort into igniting a passion for books, we wouldn't have to worry so much about bubble sheets and test scores.

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My Latest Bookstore Haul

[Cross posted from my Posterous- Background Vox]


On Writing- A Memoir of the Craft Stephen King
I've been wanting this one for a long time.  $7.48 was a great deal.  It's on my summer reading list and I can't wait to start on it.

Choose Your Own Adventure #76: The Mona Lisa is Missing Ramsey Montgomery
I loved these as a kid.  I remember doing a book report in 5th grade on a CYOA about a space ship.  This one was the only one they had at the bookstore, so I snagged it for $1.25.  My 4th graders like them too, but I always have to explain how they work.  They're usually a big hit with the boys.

Zen in the Art of Writing Ray Bradbury
I had no idea this one even existed.  The first few pages were great.  For $3.50, it was a no-brainer.

The Chocolate War Robert Cormier
This was actually from a previous trip, but I forgot it in my car and found it recently.  I'd heard some good things about it.  It was an easy grab at 50 on the clearance shelf.  I'm almost finished with it.  It's well written and Catcher in the Rye-esque at times, but I think I would have liked it better when I was 16.

Number the Stars Lois Lowry
I was so excited to pick up another copy for $2.  I do a big, whole class literature circle with this book at the beginning of the year.  I can never seem to get enough copies.  It also happens to be one of my favorite books ever.

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