Dear Jen...

So far, I really really like Children's Literature and what we are doing with it. I don't really know what I was exactly expecting out of it, but I think that if I had any thoughts before the semester began they have been matched with what/how we are learning. I was really excited to learn new things about children's literature and have a soothing Monday night just talking about it with others who are love to talk about it as well.

I think a big part of me loving this class so much and loving what I am getting a chance to read is the fact that I am in Practicum right now. Everything that we are learning I am applying back and forth to our class and to my Practicum students. For example, my students know how to identify different types of covers of children's books (wraparound was a big one; they are always looking to see if the covers are wraparound). As I watch them learn from the books myself or my CT read, I think about the things we discuss in class and what makes children in general so excited about having stories read to them, or even reading them on their own. Taking these classes together was one of the best decisions I have made yet while being in the College of Education.

As I get ready to graduate, I really am looking forward to taking everything I have learned in this class and using it, one way or another, in my classroom someday. I fully intend to recommend The Misfits and my students will DEFINITELY read Love that Dog. I guess that the one thing I have really recognized in this class is that children's literature doesn't have to be so one dimensional. When I was a student in elementary school, it seemed that the books we were directed to read were the same format. The books we have read as a class are making me think about the selections I am making individually. I want to select books that are out of my element, books that I normally might just ignore while browsing the shelves of the library. Because based on my prior experience, it seems that the books that I am nervous about reading are the ones that I enjoy the most.

I love this blogging thing. I feel like I can just write thoughts and ideas openly on here without being restricted to the dimensions of a paper of any kind. This definitely feels more open and free, and I love getting a thought from what I am reading and using the Internet right away to help my thoughts web out even further. I think something I am going to try to do is really look for a slue of different books before the semester ends. I had ideas about what I wanted to do, but those ideas continue to change with each passing class. I can't wait to see what else I can find when I go to the library, and hopefully it will shape me as a teacher more and more as I approach graduation and the end of this class.