Reader-educators can’t cry!
Why as an educator, you might want to make the enemies of reading and books
your allies.
Traditional learning environments have relied heavily on the book and the skill of reading to impart their solemn idea of “knowledge,” which is primarily derived from the Western Canon (to unpack, see Plato to 19th-century history of thought of the West online or, better yet, read on them in books and journals). Despite being burdened with such a tough job, the book and the habit of reading have managed to stay with some of us after our formal education in schools and colleges were over. However, for a large number of people, these fell off the wayside as they “grew up”. Some reasons our grown-up compatriots offer for not reading may sound like these: ‘I don’t have enough time,’ ‘I lack interest’ or ‘I prefer the TV, the net, the social media for information’. In fact, it is the last reason that sticks as odd for those of us who still read. We think, “But a book is more than a source of information, is it not?’
As readers who are also educators, however, we must stop ourselves from judging our non-reading intimates, familiars and students, we must not forget that reading and books have historically not been presented in the formal learning environments as tools for joy, for intuitive learning, for deep meaning-making or for imaginative empathy thinking. As educators, our role is to not rue the lack of reading habit among our students but to devise ways to precipitate a widespread reading epidemic!
While on this mission, we must first identify our allies-cum-enemies:
Textbooks: These often cut a sorry figure of a book as they are compelled to present curriculum themes in a steadfastly unimaginative way. Yet all is not lost. Let’s see, what can we do? What can we do? Well, how about designing our own textbooks on a PPT? Or, bring a non-fiction on the theme to be taught in the class and read the book aloud before getting on with the textbook?
Boring Libraries: They often come stocked with books of yesteryears and aide books, in addition, they show evidence of fear of keeping any reading material that remotely challenge and expand a learner’s circumference of comfortable knowledge. Faced with such a library, we must pick our pencils and make a quick list of must-have books and launch on a mission to pester our management to buy them. Then, we read those recommended books and speak as often of them to students, colleagues, parents, family members, friends and strangers as is possible.
We may also think of building creative ways of sharing books, this is exactly what Todd Bol did! Read a piece on how he spread an epidemic of reading and book exchange with an adorable and heartwarming idea: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/26/books/little-free-library-todd-bol.html
Also, watch our blog and social media channels for notes on our work in Bal Bharati, Rewa, a school where Flow along with the management, teachers and students have precipitated a yearlong Reading Marathon.
