Have you heard of Remaining Readers? What about Teachers and Children as Readers (TACAR)?
Teachers, when was the last time that you discussed a novel with colleagues?
As a literacy organization, one of the ways WITS keeps teachers engage in their own literacy pursuits is by holding reading groups.
Historically, teachers who were recipients of the Rochelle Lee Teacher Award were required to participate in a book club as a way to have teachers read and discuss non-professional texts or non-required reading while still making connections with their students. For several years, the book clubs were called Remaining Readers to remind teachers that they were moving beyond Becoming Readers, one of our required workshops for first year awardees.
So, teachers, I ask you: when is the last time you discussed a book with your colleagues? Here at WITS, the teacher book clubs we offer for Rochelle Lee Teacher Awardees afford current awardees and alumni an opportunity to discuss novels with their peers, but also taking strategy and questioning techniques back to their classrooms. First year awardees are required to participate in Becoming Readers which serves to re-ignite the passion that teachers have for reading.
Teacher Book Clubs: Remaining Readers Book Clubs are becoming, or rather returning to the name TACAR (Teachers and Children as Readers)
Recently, the WITS staff has transitioned into a new office space. While sorting through documents and purging items, the ideas and rationale around the name TACAR seemed to fit more so than Remaining Readers. It’s important to note that the main concept of TACAR is to focus on making connections, which include the self, the world, and other texts. These strategies should be familiar to teachers, since they are what readers do naturally: relating to the book, characters and comparing what they have read to other texts. As participants discuss different books on a school-year timeline, starting in October and ending in May, the hope is that teachers will not only continue grow as readers but be able to discuss their outside reading with their students.
In these groups, teachers are provided a framework with a set of rules and guidelines, as well as numerous discussion prompts and questions for the first session. Keep in mind that initial meetings run a bit longer, so groups have the chance to build community through ice breaker activities and questions, as well as adding to the already-established group norms and expectations. After these first 1-2 sessions, members can expect that the bulk of the meetings are for discussion. Since these will be held online, there are opportunities to share audio or video clips of the author but remember that community building is as important as discussion for the first meeting.
We also should acknowledge that teachers either do not always make time to read or have the schedule to allow them to do so. When thinking about the change from “Remaining Readers,” to TACAR, the change is a shift from passively “remaining” a reader to being more active in the role of teachers as leaders, as they guide students by being readers themselves. Many participants say that book clubs empower them to reading a priority during the school year. After COVID closures, shifts have taken place, as we try to find a new normal. For example, book clubs had been in person and members took turns to provide snacks, but on Zoom, everyone can bring their own snacks.
According to Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD): “Teacher book clubs help members learn more about literacy. They encourage teachers to experience professional development not as passive consumers of programs or approaches but as engaged learners inquiring into and reflecting on literacy goals. Further, they give teachers opportunities to engage in deep conversations, to layer personal experiences with literacy learning, and to probe instructional issues on an extended basis. Most important, metacognitive thinking fills in the gap that exists between teaching and learning.”
General benefits of TACAR:
- Provides space to discuss books that those may not normally select
- Discusses non-professional texts with colleagues
- Engages with other CPS school colleagues
- Have fun!
The first book for this year’s TACAR session is a graphic novel, Good Talk by Mira Jacob. As in previous years, all groups read and discuss the same book for the first session and then the groups select the texts that they want to read. They can decide on various genres such as nonfiction, classic fiction, bestsellers, or young adult books.
Previous selections:
- Call Me American – 2021
- Lab Girl by Hope Jahren – 2020
- Salt Houses by Hala Alyan – 2019
- Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi – 2018
- Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz – 2017
Current awardees or alumni who are interested in joining a TACAR group may contact Daphne.
