Blog Post #2: Literacy Experiences during my Secondary School Years

     My literacy experiences during my secondary school years were sometimes positive and sometimes negative.  They were positive when I was able to follow what the author was writing and relate to the story in English class or the history literature in History class.  It is important to note that there is a lot of literacy involved in Science and Math class.  Since I am a Math teacher and Math was always my favorite subject throughout school, I will say that my Math textbooks and especially my Algebra textbook from 8th Grade impacted me most during my secondary school years.  My 8th Grade Algebra teacher impacted me most during this time because she encouraged me to understand that students should study and "read" their Math textbooks just like they read other textbooks.

    My 8th Grade Algebra teacher also helped me to realize that textbooks are important to read and study to have success in classes.  This helped me throughout my high school and college career because I focused on reading and studying, especially in the Accounting classes during my undergraduate college career.  In English class through my secondary school years I viewed most of the books we read as necessary to read to have success in the class.  I was able to pull out life lessons from the themes of the books, and this has helped me so far during my life.  I enjoyed my Math textbooks because I am a numbers person, and enjoy Math.

To make my classroom a place where literacy is a positive word, I will encourage my Math students to read and study their Math textbooks and view their Math textbook as a book just like a novel is a book.  Some students will prefer English over Math, or Math over English.  I believe that if I do what my 8th Grade Algebra teacher did for me, then I will encourage students and help them establish positive study and reading skills that will help them have success in high school and college.  When people think of literacy, they most often think of English class, but all courses in school involve forms of literacy.  I also think that all teachers are reading teachers, and that it is important for all teachers to think of themselves as reading teachers because all subjects involve reading.