Hello fellow students in Race, Class, and Gender! I am Angela Steele, a member of the Appalachian State University Class of 2007. I have been married to my husband Chris for 5 years, we live in Lenoir. My teaching career began three years ago at Whitnel Elementary. I spent two years in 2nd grade and this year I taught 3rd grade.
As a child I remember being surrounded by books. My mom is an avid reader and any free time she had I saw a book in her hand. My mom read to me nightly. Stories I remember are those from the Bible and the Golden Books.
Throughout my early school days, I was a good reader, but did not enjoy the task independently. In elementary school, reading seemed to chore rather than enjoyment. I read the Saddle Club Books and the Baby Sitter's Club books. I grew up riding horses, so these books seemed to be a perfect fit.
I am a product of the beginnings of the age of Accelerated Reader. This limited my book selection. I was told to only choose books that I could take tests on and was bound by my grade to do so. This program stifled my wanting to read independently.
As I continued my education, I found a love for reading that extends to today. This love came from the freedom to choose books that drew my interests. After college, I was able to read things that I didn't "have" to read, but want to read. I enjoy James Patterson, Janet Evanovich, and the Twilight Series. Mysteries, suspense, and drama are what I look for in my own personal reading.
Even though I’ve been in Graduate Reading program for a short while, I feel that my views about literacy are evolving. Reading is a skill that cannot be taught in isolation. There are several layers to reading development that all depend upon one another. More than ever, I am aware of the importance of reading to students. I have taken this for granted in my brief years of teaching. Being aware of the process in choosing “quality” children’s literature has definitely impacted my teaching. Another importance is including variety in literature genre. I want to continue developing my knowledge of literacy and Reading Education.
Angela Steele