Why I Read

I don't know if it's okay to jack your own stuff, but I'm doing it. I have to write a blog for my classroom blog, and I liked what I wrote so I'm posting it here too. So read and enjoy. 

Why Reading is Important.

In high school there were certain books I had to read over the summer. Going into my senior year it was The Great Gatsby. To be honest I hated reading in high school, and rarely did it. I read spark notes and had other classmates tell me about the book. I regret it now being an English teacher, but I was a slow reader and stumbled over words. I was embarrassed to read infront of class.

When I was young I had surgery and quit talking for around 2 years. This lack of talking around 3 and 4 years old greatly delayed me. I was in speech for about 7 to 8 years. I say all this because even though I was embarrassed to read and pretty much hated it, that all changed my second year of college. I had a marvelous teacher, Dr. Moore, who taught World Literature part 1. He loved how words began and changed throughout time and John Milton. I began to see the love I had for those things as well. He inspired me to read and see how the specific words the author chose were used. Why were they there? Why did the author choose another word? What does the author truly mean by it? I began reading in class, and soon at home. I read for fun. I had only read or fun with Harry Potter, all other reading was for a goal (either AR points or it was required). I was now a reader, and it didn't look like it was going to stop anytime soon. 

I say all this because I am now sad I missed out on all the books from high school, and now I'm trying to play catch up with those and classics. Don't read for others, but read for yourself. Reading helps you grow and learn. The only way to get better at it is to practice, so what if you are slow, stumble, don't know the words. Look them up, practice saying them, and ignore the kids laughing at you in class. Clearly they are jealous that you are pursuing knowledge. I'm here to encourage you to read, learn, and fall in love with something. I will try to find a topic or style of reading you will become a part of. I will only try to encourage, so you will keep trying and not give up.