Book club success

I love book clubs.  I have been a part of many through the years.  I love the feeling of community and the feeling of being on a journey with others.  

The first time I taught my SPAN 2312 class I was overwhelmed.  As an adjunct I taught 1411 enough times to feel comfortable with it.  Then I added 1 section of 1412.  That semester was a challenge--I had to stay 1 step ahead of my students.  Whew.  I think I learned about as much as they did that semester.

When I moved into full-time, I found out I had the job the Friday before classes started Monday.  

I would be teaching at the college face to face, online sections for the first time and dual credit in a high school face to face.  Yikes.  It was a lot.

I had never taught dual credit students in a high school setting before.  And, I was teaching a class I had never taught in a book I had never even seen.  Added to this, the instructor I was replacing had no contact with me.  I had his syllabus.  That was it.

This sounds like the pilot episode of a bad sitcom.  I'm proud to say I survived and learned a tremendous amount.  

All 5 students in that class were heritage speakers of Spanish.  I'm not.  Yes, that was awkward and imposter syndrome was definitely an issue for me.  

My SPAN 2311 is very grammar-based and many of my students that semester knew what we were studying just by hearing it all their lives.  I remember them not believing me when I told them about irregular verb forms.  They thought I was making parts of the language up.  Awkward.

When spring rolled around I chose to do a literature circle with this group.  Of everything I did with this group of students (who went online in March of 2020) this was the best decision I made.

Yes, grammar is important and so is vocabulary, but literature allows students to soar.

I chose a book:  Esperanza Rising.  I had read it with my son, a 6th grader at the time.  He was in Duke's Talent Search program and there was a book club.  I read all the books along with him.  Note:  I enjoyed that more than he did.

It's a beautiful book written in English at about a 3rd grade reading level.  It explores themes of rising up through adversity, the hope of the American dream and injustice.  It's also a coming of age story.  I was moved to tears the first time I read it.  It's also translated into Spanish and it deals with the differences between Mexican culture and that of southern California around the time of the dust bowl.  

I got online and ordered a teacher book to lead the discussion.  The teacher book is for about junior high level, but it gave me the tools I needed to facilitate discussion.

I kept my expectations light.  I asked the students to locate a copy of the Spanish version.  Amazon had an ebook for $5.  I gave them reading assignments and we discussed the book in class.  I didn't give comprehension quizzes, but I gave a few essay assignments.  They did a remarkable job and enjoyed this element of class much more than grammar or vocab assignments.  

At the end of the unit we did a fishbowl activity.  I assigned the students into teams for pro and con about labor strikes.  The discussion was fantastic.

This semester I had planned to teach 2312 again face to face.  Due to low enrollment it moved online.  Boo.  I have 2 sections of online 2312 making up 15 students, dual credit and non-dual credit.

I chose to make the book club optional.  I sent an announcement to all of my classes:  1411, 1412 and 2312.  I also sent it to Hispanos Unidos (Spanish Club).  2 students responded.  Hooray!  There was interest!

The library ordered 3 copies of Esperanza renace and we began meeting.

We discuss completely in Spanish.  I use the teacher's guide to ask questions but I also encourage a free sharing of opinions and ideas.  

I love this.  Sharing thoughts and connections to literature is one of my favorite things in this world.  Doing it in Spanish is even better.  Guiding students as they

1-bravely do this is a language they're not 100% comfortable in &

2-share thoughts and ideas that may not be easy to discuss

is really fulfilling.  This is why I teach.  Yes, I have to grade, lesson plan, manage tons of student information, etc, but this is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.