Twitter @suzannelilly
I'm sporting a new hairdo today. It's fluorescent blue over my normal golden highlights. To be totally honest, I'm at the age where women don't dye their hair fluorescent colors, or wear blue wigs, unless they're named Katy Perry. I'm not trying to be youthful, or outrageous, or pretend I can sing like Katy. I was forced into turning my hair blue.
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| What do you mean, I don't look like Katy Perry? |
Last August, I informed my students we would all be reading many, many books in fifth grade. I gave them the forty book goal, and several of them slapped their hands on their foreheads. A few doubled over in pain and turned ashen and pale. The anguish in their body language was no worse than if I'd stabbed each of them with a hypodermic needle. A horse sized hypodermic needle.
But by the end of October, everyone was getting into the groove of reading, and many students were on fire. By the end of December, a couple of students had already met their forty book goal. They asked, "So what happens when we pass our goal?"
Obviously, I didn't want them to stop reading just because they'd met the mark early. So I did what all teachers do in that kind of situation. I made something up.
"There might be some reward in it for you."
"What reward?"
"I haven't decided yet."
"Didn't you dye your hair blue one year when a kid in your class read a bunch of books?" One particularly attentive student asked the question I hoped no one would bring up. Her words hung over our desks, swirling in the air like a swarm of blue flies.
I cleared my throat. "Ahem." I slurped a drink of water. Stalled for time.
"Why yes, I did dye my hair blue. But it was for reaching an incredibly high goal. I'm certain no one in this class will be able to meet it."
"How many books do we have to read to get you to dye your hair blue?" For the first time this year, all eyes in the class were on me, and all ears were listening attentively.
I picked a number that seemed too high for even the most avid reader to attain. "One hundred books."
A whoosh went round the room. Everyone sucked in their breath except for the attentive girl who remembered my blue hair from three years ago. She stood up.
"I'll do it." Now all eyes turned to her. She squared her shoulders and stood up straighter. "I can do it. I'll just read a little bit longer each night. I can finish sixty more books by June."
As the year continued, many more students made it to the forty book mark. June 6 came around, and I felt secure in the sense that my student wouldn't make it to one hundred books. After all, on Monday she had only read ninety-seven. But on June 7, she came to school proudly brandishing Book #100 over her head.
"I finished! I got up this morning at 5 a.m. and finished the book!" She smiled her most angelic smile. "Now will you dye your hair blue for me?"
That kind of dedication and fortitude, not to mention love of reading, has to be rewarded. So that, my friends, is why I'll be wearing fluorescent blue streaks in my hair. Who knows? I may decide I like the look and keep it for a while. It worked for Katy Perry. It worked for me. It got my students to read well over 1,000 books this year. That's my personal success.
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That was a good story and a good incentive for the children. I used to read 2-3 books a day at their age, so I knew someone could do it :)
ReplyDeleteReading is a great way to learn vast amounts of knowledge. It really helps you in life.
/\/\Carla/\/\
My sentiments exactly. Will you come to my class and tell the kids that? :-)
ReplyDeleteWay to stay committed or should we offer to commit you! Kidding. That's awesome. I know many adults who can't read 100 books a year. My daughter, who is entering 5th in the fall has been bitten by the book bug. She's out-reading me! She even couldn't sleep one night because she wanted to finish her book. I didn't cave because unlike me, she can't survive on low amounts of sleep!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post!
I know, I'd be thrilled to have the time to read 100 books. I only made it to 46 this school year. It's wonderful that your daughter is a reader, too! I think you should challenge her to a reading contest.
ReplyDeleteThat is so awesome! That's very inspiring to hear that kids are reading so much. How did the students react to your new blue hair? :-)
ReplyDeleteIt is teachers like you that us parents want. Great job for helping them want to meet goals and over such a wonderful thing. I tip my hat to you and your blue hair.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Heather! It was a fun time today.
ReplyDeleteAshley, they all laughed and took pictures. A couple of kids in other classes asked if I knew my hair was blue. (?!)
O wow, what an awesome story! And what a great idea to get kids to read more books, I love it. Personally, I never needed any incentive to get to reading. As a child I read as much as I could as soon as I learned how. I loved reading. I remember cycling to the library on my own, with my own library card, and that of my sister and my mother, and taking 18 books home with me. And I would read them all in record time and go again.
ReplyDeleteAnd as my library never had whole series of the books I loved, I also started buying my own books from my pocket money every month.
I was like that as a kid, too, Aurian. My favorite weekend activity was going to the library. When the bookmobile came by our street, I was as excited as if it was a holiday. Now, I love summer because I read, read, read, even more than I do with my class during the academic year. I'm glad you enjoyed the story!
ReplyDeleteYou are an inspiration! Congratulations to you and your students! Even reaching the 40 book goal is a huge accomplishment, but for one dedicated student to reach 100 is certainly worthy of some blue streaks! I'm sure she'll never forget this. :)
ReplyDeleteThat. Is. Awesome. You MUST send me a photo of you with blue streaks. Please please please. What a great feeling you must have whenever you catch a glimpse of your blue locks, knowing what they represent. Kudos, Miss Suzanne!
ReplyDeleteI know, Julie, I was so impressed she made it to 100. There were others in the race too. One girl read 85 and another read 78.
ReplyDeleteVicki, all the photos are on the kids' phones. I purposely didn't take a picture to keep...I looked like I'd spilled blue paint on my head. There's a reason I didn't become a cosmetologist!