Return to the Forest of Reading

 I spent a good chunk of this weekend rapidly reading. I consumed nearly four novels in two days. It's not exactly pleasure reading, but it IS a pleasure. I was reading books so that I'd be prepared to properly run the Ontario Library Association's Forest of Reading.

Last year, I didn't run the Forest of Reading like I usually do. There was nothing "usual" about the last school year. I was a classroom teacher and I was too busy planning and marking to be able to devote time to it. My Grade 5-6 students and I read the Blue Spruce nominees for "I Read Canadian Day", but we couldn't do our typical school-wide program.

Our school-wide program, as it was run in the past, was an incredible sight to behold. In fact, it was featured in ETFO Voice magazine back in 2014. 

I'm back in the library for the 2021-22 school year, but it can't be "business as usual". We've had to make some serious adjustments.

Book Acquisition

In the past, students would swarm the library at whatever opportunity they could seize to search the "silver box" and "red box" for titles they had not yet read. Now, they can only peruse the physical copies during their scheduled library times (or when I arrange specific swap times with classroom teachers). Thankfully, people are working very hard to obtain legal online copies for students to borrow. I'm also not quarantining the books for a week like I do with the regular library books. (I put the books in a bin partly to assuage the concerns of the community, but also to give me a chance to keep up with doing all the shelving on my own.) 

Chat Organization

Before the pandemic, the students would take the initiative to go to a classroom teacher's room to see what books that adult has read and/or sign up for a time to chat. We can't mix the cohorts, or have students wandering the halls in areas they aren't supposed to go. Instead, we have three large displays in three different areas of the school (the main downstairs hall, the library, and the upstairs hall) listing the books read by different school staff members. 

Conversation Locations

Chats would happen all over the school prior to 2020 but this is unadvisable now. We figured out ten spots (many outside) that students could agree to meet teachers and talk. These locations and the teachers associated with them are posted in the main downstairs Forest of Reading display.

Virtual Students

We did not want to leave out our virtual students. I'm still in the process of setting up a Zoom link that students and staff can access so they can use a breakout room and have an online discussion. In the meantime, I've been jumping onto their regular Zoom link and the classroom teacher has created a breakout room for us to use. 

Final Celebration

Every year, we'd look forward to participating in the Forest of Reading Festival. (It used to be called the Festival of Trees, but it wasn't clear what it was all about, so it got renamed.) Our teachers and students adored going down to Harbourfront to meet the authors, attend workshops and hear the announcement of the award winners. We also loved participating in the Silver Birch Quiz Bowl and Red Maple Marketing Campaign, two local events organized and planned by Scarborough teacher-librarians. Harbourfront is on pause until COVID is more under control; the winners are announced virtually. We may be able to do Quiz Bowl and Marketing Campaign online; I just have to see how many other schools are interested. 

What hasn't changed is the support for the Forest of Reading by my colleagues. When I mention how almost every single educator signs up to read at least one, if not more, books, other teacher-librarians react with awe and envy. For some schools, it's all up to the teacher-librarian. Technically, as the school program coordinator, I am required to read all of the books (50 in total), but it helps so much that I have other adults who have read the books and are available to chat with students.

I wondered how well the program would be received, especially by some of our students who have never had the experience of strutting around the halls with their passports hung on home-made lanyards, collecting signatures like some kids collect Pokemon cards. I had nothing to fear. Teacher enthusiasm was contagious. When I promoted the program (which is not a club but is optional), one of the Grade 5s (J) said, "My older sister told me I should sign up. She did it when she went to this school and she said it was a lot of fun."

Another Grade 5 boy (E) obtained his book on Thursday and by Friday arranged a chat with me and gathered his first signature! His teacher reported that he was so excited and has even started to arrange a group chat involving him and two other classmates for next week. 

There is nothing quite like the experience of sitting with a student and having a genuine conversation about a book that both of you have read. Even if one of the speakers hated the book, it can be such an enriching, engaging talk. I love the moments when people are finishing each other's sentences, or grabbing the book to flip to the section they remember. 

It's so nice to be "back in the forest".