My Literacy Profile

I am a reader, but it has not always been this way.  When I was in elementary school I struggled tremendously.  I had a reading disability which made reading very frustrating.  As I over came my disability, reading became more enjoyable to me and is something I love.  As I read, I love comparing myself to the characters and putting myself into that situation.  The anticipation in books makes me keep reading and wanting to read more.  This is how I know I have a good story in my hands.

I can remember my mom reading to me every night when I was little till the end of elementary school.  As I began to learn how to read, I would read to my mom, but I did not like to read at school.  I always felt embarrassed that I read slower than others and did not always know the same words as my classmates.  I feel I struggled with reading and vocabulary because I was taught “whole-language”.  I had trouble with the letter-to-sound relationship (phonics) and I feel if I had been taught a little bit of phonics I would have had more success.  I don’t remember too many books that I read in middle school.  In high school, I read The Secret Life of Bees, The Scarlet Letter, The Great Gatsby, To Kill a Mockingbird, Animal Farm, The Grapes of Wrath, The Lord of Flies, The Glass Castle, A Separate Peace, etc.  When I have free-time to read now, I love to read just about any genre.  I love finding meaning in poetry and even trying to write my own.  I read a lot of Jodi Picoult, Nicholas Sparks, Mitch Albom, etc.  One of my all time favorite books is Breakfast at Tiffany’s.  Just like many others, I have enjoyed reading the Twilight series.

            I am majoring in Elementary Education with a minor in reading.  By taking this course, even though geared for an older age group, I feel I am still able to adapt to the same strategies with a little tweeking.  I may also have more advanced students who could be at this level.  I want to give my students an enjoyable experience with reading since reading is an essential part of our lives.  Reading is everywhere.  I do not want my students to experience what I went through.  I do not want them to be embarrassed and shut down when it comes to reading.  I will use the strategies I learn to make every child succeed through differentiation and introducing different genres.  I want to be the teacher that motivates my students to read and enjoy reading.  I feel the greatest thing a teacher can accomplish is making an impact and difference on someone’s life.