I am probably like many other people, in that I do not remember many specific details about literacy and language and how I learned them growing up. I grew up in a very education-centered home. Both of my parents are educators and have always provided a very supportive academic environment. This probably explains much of the reason why I have always been an avid reader. As a child, from the moment I learned to read in elementary school, I had my head in a book everywhere we went. I read so much, my parents actually used taking my book away as punishment for not paying attention to what was going on around me! Because of this love for reading, I am never at a loss for imagination. I tend to be a very creative person, which may be due to all of the places I’ve visited and people I’ve been through books that I have read. I have a little brother who is eight years younger than I am, so until second grade, I was an only child. We had very few children in our neighborhood my age (most were older and didn’t want to play with skinny, scrawny ol’ me) so I often found myself having adventures through the texts that I read. This isn’t to say that I was stuck inside everyday reading in the corner. I am a very active person and love being outdoors, so my books often traveled with me around the backyard and to the farm next door.
I am also a music lover and music has been a vital part of my “internal language” since childhood. I was raised in church and found the songs that we sang very easy to memorize. Being in the choir was one of my favorite opportunities as a child to experience music and help others do so, too. I also learned, growing up, to play the guitar and the piano, although I didn’t play either all that well. However, I have always loved the organization and often predictable pattern that music provides. Even today, I always have a song playing in my head throughout the day.
My passion and love for reading and music are part of my reason for becoming a teacher. I have a deep desire to help children appreciate and, hopefully, also love literature. I currently work at Bolton Elementary School as a fifth grade teacher and it is my first year of teaching. In fact, I just graduated from my bachelor’s program this past December. Yes, that’s right, I’ve only been a teacher for 5 months. However, I love the challenges that teaching at a Title 1 school provides. I hope to instill in my students a chance for them to “escape” from their everyday life and go to places they will probably never go and be people they will never get the opportunity to be. My goal in going to graduate school, and in this course, is to not learn how to teach reading, but rather to learn to teach it so well, that my students do not merely participate, but rather that they experience literature. ~Allison Reese