1/8 When I was a middle school ELA teacher, I was reprimanded for letting my students self select books & for setting aside most of 1 day a week for silent sustained reading. My detractors used words like "rigor" & "canon" & "literary merit."

2/8 I did have a strong ally, though--the school librarian. She explained that my students were the only ones who regularly used the library, who were actively discovering what they loved.

3/8 I saw so much growth throughout the year. Discoveries & delight & personal revelations. It wasn't magic. Some still struggled. But I felt it was the best I could do in the time allotted.

4/8 The dept heads who criticized? They finally stopped. Know what did it? My classes scored highest on that standardized test they love so much. This was never my overall goal, but I wasn't surprised. And this side benefit allowed me to teach the way I taught best.

5/8 I'm tired of reading being thought of as medicine we prescribe or a procedure with skill levels we can scientifically measure. I'm tired of the shame we heap on those who choose books that some feel aren't "literary" enough or challenging enough.

6/8 To me, reading is a personal relationship one has with stories and writing. Only readers truly know their own needs and what will meet them. We can and should gently guide & suggest, but that's all. The rest they have to do on their own.

7/8 Don't we want lifelong readers? If we stop prescribing WHAT young people read all the time and simply ensure they keep reading, the rest will follow. They will become more proficient. They will more readily agree to try things outside their comfort zone.

8/8 I hope that more people follow & support the efforts of #DisruptTexts & #WeNeedDiverseBooks. Let's help readers find their love of reading, see themselves on the page, and come to understand that so much of the world is available to them, neatly & beautifully bound.