Being a third year student at Colorado State University has afforded me with so many amazing opportunities. Of these opportunities, the greatest has been the ability to interact with and forge relationships with students. Recently, I have conducted an interview with an eighth grader named Chrissa. I met Chrissa through a practicum course I have taken this semester and she is by far one of the coolest people I have had the opportunity of meeting. I sat down with her about a month ago to ask her about literature instruction, how we can make it more inclusive, the differences she would like to see, and overall how to be, well- better.

             First things first, Chrissa really wanted me to know that collaboration is incredibly important. When I first met her, they were doing small book clubs and she absolutely loved it. She could not stress enough how important it is for kids to be able to collaborate. She said that everyone in class walked away with something more than they ever did reading on their own. She also wanted me to know that a majority of her classmates like reading, sometimes it's just hard for them to find books that they are interested in. She said that their library can be daunting and the way it is organized makes it incredibly hard to find things that intrigue them and also to be able to explore on their own. Finally, Chrissa also felt like her and her classmates were really not being challenged. Especially when they were reading one book as a class, a lot of the students were far ahead and began to disengage despite the fact that they love to read.

             What I gained from my interview with Chrissa was insurmountably and immeasurably important. Chrissa really got to the root of a lot of contemporary educational issues- teaching in isolation, not allowing for collaboration, and a lack of differentiation. Students are at the heart of everything we do. We cannot afford to not make their time as meaningful, impactful, rich, and worthwhile as possible. Here are some tips and tricks to do just that.

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Don't teach in isolation:

• Incorporate small book clubs

• Give space for collaboration

• Incorporate Project Based Learning

• Implement interactive reader's notebooks so there is always a conversation going

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Differentiation:

• Pay attention to all of your students, not just the vulnerable readers

• Your high flyers deserve to be challenged and have the opportunity to expand their thinking

• Confer with your students on a regular basis

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How you organize your books matters!

• Collaborate with your students to organize your classroom library in a way that is meaningful to them

• Ask them what their favorite books are

• Keep lists for suggestions

• Implement a book love wall

• Incorporate book talks

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 Keep on teaching on, colleagues!

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-Danielle Parker