[aisle] Help with Teacher Relationships Needed

Tue Jan 25 10:18:48 CST 2022

Two things:

One, when you get a chance, check out the Lexile (yuk!) ratings for graphic
novels.  They're all over the place, because the art allows for inference
in service to the words.  Stan Lee regularly got fan mail from high school
and college students who told him how they learned advanced vocabulary from
the comics he wrote.  Mr. Lee was chagrinned, because it never occurred to
him to do anything more than tell a compelling story.

Two, (and this is really evil, but, Whee!!!), say to the teacher, "Well,
let's meet halfway.  They will check out the book you want them to check
out, and I will allow them to check out the book they actually want to
check out. Good?" And if the teacher does not "get it", say, "If you wonder
why students who love to read suddenly stop, it's because someone
criticized their reading selections, and in that moment, they realize,
'Well, if you don't respect what I read, why should I respect what you want
me to read?' A week from now, we'll ask them which books they read.  Would
you rather they read something they want to read, or no book at all?
Because that's totally a choice for them."

I am a high school librarian, and I begin each year with Juniors
apologizing to them, because once they loved to read.  Once they loved to
go to the library.  And then someone reached inside of them and snuffed out
that candle.  They didn't mean to do it.  They thought that they were
helping.  They shouldn't have.  "I am here to relight that candle."  In the
ten years I've given that speech, more than one student looks stricken, as
if I know exactly what happened to them.

tt

Timothy Toner
Librarian
John Hancock College Prep HS
5437 West 64th Pl
Chicago, IL 60638
773-535-2410
he | him | his
*Omnes mundum facimus*

On Tue, Jan 25, 2022 at 10:05 AM Honkoski, Trisha via AISLE <
aisle at list.railslibraries.info> wrote:

> I am so sorry that your students – and you – are confronted with such an
> ill-informed limited point-of-view. Here is how I responded to one such
> teacher. (Note: this is before New Kid by Jerry Craft won the Newbery in
> 2020!)
>
>
>
> First, it is best practice for students to have free choice in their book
> selection from the library to encourage a love of reading and to read for
> enjoyment. As Donalyn Miller states in *The Book Whisperer*, “Providing
> students with the opportunity to choose their own books to read empowers
> and encourages them. Readers without power to make their own choice are
> unmotivated.” This is one of the many reasons I advocate for at least one
> free choice selection.
>
>
>
> With respect to your concerns about graphic novels in particular, I can
> assure you that there is much evidence to support the contrary and how
> graphic novels benefit readers, especially reluctant readers. Research
> from the University of Oregon
> <https://minnesotaenglishjournalonline.org/2014/03/11/praxis-strategies-for-teaching-literature-3-graphic-novels/> found
> that comic books averaged 53.5 rare, or more complex, words per 1,000.
> That's more than children's books which average 30.9 and even adult books
> at 52.7. One study
> <https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1080569913482574> found
> that graphic texts promote learning and better recall. Another found that students
> had the best reading comprehension <https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1053749> and
> enjoyed reading the most when they read graphic novels. They also motivate
> reluctant readers
> <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/234751892_A_Novel_Approach_Using_Graphic_Novels_to_Attract_Reluctant_Readers_and_Promote_Literacy> to
> pick up a book.
>
>
>
> I’ve included some additional resources here that I hope will help put
> your mind at ease and reduce your stress.
>
>    - The Power of Graphic Novels
>    <https://www.teachercreatedmaterials.com/blog/article/graphic-novels/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=autopilot&utm_campaign=fictionreaders&utm_content=blog>
>    - Librarian Ro for Teach Graphix Week (short video clip)
>    <https://youtu.be/QqQ6QgXQdYc>
>    - Graphic Novels for Kids: Classroom Ideas, Booklists, and More
>    <https://www.readingrockets.org/article/graphic-novels-kids-classroom-ideas-booklists-and-more?fbclid=IwAR14WaSLeLhGYdUTjMCdYS2PVaidvAOKFnlRISQ0qPdaLnGUqnQrN6G5_9A>
>
>
>
> Lastly, if they are struggling with how to read them – as far as following
> the sequence of the panels and such – I would love to teach a lesson (or
> more) on graphic novels.
>
>
>
>
>
>    - Mrs. Trisha Honkoski
>
>
>
> *From:* AISLE <aisle-bounces at list.railslibraries.info> * On Behalf Of *Elena
> Menicocci via AISLE
> *Sent:* Tuesday, January 25, 2022 10:01 AM
> *To:* AISLE-Share: Association of Illinois School Library Educators
> discussion list <aisle at list.railslibraries.info>
> *Cc:* Elena Menicocci <emenicocci at gmail.com>
> *Subject:* Re: [aisle] Help with Teacher Relationships Needed
>
>
>
> I am curious about how others would handle this as I too am having the
> same issue!
>
> Recently I had one teacher tell her entire class in front of me that they
> were babies because graphic novels are baby books. Then she looked at me as
> if I were in agreeance. She has also banned her class from checking them
> out.
>
>
>
> Elena
>
>
>
> On Tue, Jan 25, 2022 at 9:55 AM Leanne Brown via AISLE <
> aisle at list.railslibraries.info> wrote:
>
> Good morning,
>
>
>
> I am in need of some wisdom, if you have the time to share it.
>
>
>
> I am in my 7th year of being a librarian, and this year I am in a new
> school in my district. My administration is very supportive of students
> taking out whatever they would like to read, as long as they are doing some
> "stretching" and trying new things, challenging themselves, etc. My admin
> are great to work with.
>
>
>
> My struggle is with some staff members; they have some very specific ideas
> on what their students should check out, particularly avoiding "candy
> books," as they are called--books with lots of pictures. Some teachers even
> say picture books aren't welcomed, even though I have been educating on how
> some are made for older readers, such as our Bluestem selections. Graphic
> novels aren't particularly welcomed either, and my efforts to have the
> students take a balance of graphic novels with traditional novels has lead
> one teacher to banning graphic novels altogether with a "No Graphic Novel
> November."
>
>
>
> I am trying not to go hard on this because I am new to the building, and
> relationships and trust need to be built so that I can do my job the way it
> needs to be done. However, the daily struggle is getting to me.
>
> I would appreciate any ideas you have; please email me off-list so we
> don't clog everyone's emails. Many thanks in advance!
>
>
>
> Leanne Brown, MLIS
>
> Librarian
>
> Meadow Ridge School
>
> 10959 W. 159th Street
>
> Orland Park, IL 60467
>
> (708) 364-3600
>
>
>
> MAILMAN_MIMEDEFANG
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