Jenny Sharpe
Read Aloud Defense
10/27/15
Pigeon Makes a
Difference
She would read me
aloud to the students and their eyes would glaze over and I swear one kid was
asleep! Mrs. G, do you mind if I call her that? Okay great. Anyways, Mrs. G
read my book every year to her first graders. I was tired of being read aloud.
She made me seem so boring and eventually I started to believe it myself. Books
around me always drooled over me because I have some sort of award. They all
tell me that I have potential to “make a difference.” I usually just laugh in
their face because there’s no way I can do anything like that. Just look at
Billy drooling in the back of the class when Mrs. G read me aloud last year.
Come on, you can’t tell me that I was “wonderfully created.” I have other books
you know. They’re actually supposed to be pretty good too but no one ever cares
to read more about me so I just sit here wanting to drive the bus my entire
life.
Each year I would get so excited that maybe
this year would be different. Maybe the students will actually like me. Maybe I
could even get a chuckle or be thought about later in the day. Maybe even the
students will want to see how I used to want a puppy! (That was scary; maybe
I’d rather just want them to see me find a hot dog). But this year, I got way
more than I ever could’ve asked for. The day that I was supposed to be read out
loud to the students, Mrs. G was sick. Out with the flu! Poor Mrs. G, but not
poor me! The sub, Miss Sharpe was going to read me to the students today. Mrs.
G left me on her desk with the plan for the day. Ha! Like that was ever going
to go right! Her note said, “Read this.” Miss Sharpe then opened me up and read
me like a book. Ha! Get it?! She examined my pages and my facial expressions,
kind of made me feel uncomfortable. This has never happened to me before. Mrs.
G only ever looked at the words. Miss Sharpe read me once and then read me
twice. That was a record for one day! She was actually paying attention to me. It was all about me. I think I like this woman. I think
this is going to be a good day. Please let this be a good day! Please!
The students walk
in and for the first time I get nervous! Come on, birds don’t get nervous! They
just beg for stuff like hot dogs and puppies. The kids seem normal like every
other day and then they see Miss Sharpe. They are confused because Mrs. G never
misses school. (Though we always wished she would). So the students gather
their things up and sit down at their desks to do morning work that I can tell
they love to do. NOT! Come on let’s just skip that part and read me! But it’s
on the sub plan so Miss Sharpe chooses to obey.
The time has come.
It’s Pigeon Time! Miss Sharpe has the first graders gathered at the carpet.
Their eyes are glazed over and all. They look like they usually do during a
read aloud, tired and unamused. I think to myself, “great, just like every
other year.” But then Miss Sharpe speaks. She speaks loud and enthusiastic. She
speaks with life and now it’s show time! The students’ eyes pop right open and
something has clicked in their brains, I can see it! Miss Sharpe reads as if
she knows everything I am thinking. She somehow captured my voice. (Did I
accidentally talk to her? Is she imitating me? Oh no, she definitely has
figured me out). Next thing I know, the students are yelling. They’re
responding to my words (Wadsworth, 2008)! They’re laughing at my faces! But you
just wait, we get to the part where I lose my mind and then the kids lost their
minds! They laughed so hard that I couldn’t believe it! Nothing like this has
ever happened in my entire life. I was alive. I was real. I was loved!
Then that stupid
Bus Driver came back and the book was over. I hate that guy. He’s a fun sucker.
The students chant, “Again, Again (Wadsworth, 2010)!” I wanted to join in but I
had to remain calm and shut my mouth. Apparently I’m not actually
real…whatever. Miss Sharpe decided that it would be best to talk about me
instead of read me again. (Probably a good choice because I would’ve shouted
with joy at the students’ love for me!) The class talked about times where they
wanted something really bad but couldn’t have it. Seems to be like my entire
life. Turns out, the students are just like me! They want things that they
can’t have too! The equivalent of Billy from last year is named Ronnie and
Ronnie told Miss Sharpe about five different things that he wanted but couldn’t
have. I was shocked! I predicted Ronnie to be out cold the whole time I was
being read aloud.
After Miss Sharpe
read me to the students, she also talked about the words begging and bribing
(Kindle, 2010). Apparently I do that. The kids learned what these words meant
and then pretended to beg and bribe people all day long to get what they
wanted. Probably not the smartest thing of Miss Sharpe to do because those kids
are going to be bribing their parents now! They sound just like me!
Throughout the day
I popped into the students heads. Whenever somebody thinks about me, apparently
I jump right into their brains and can see what their thinking. This was weird
and it was something I’ve never experienced before thanks to Mrs. G. Ronnie was
intimidating my voice all day long. You could hear him from all the way down
the hall! Christina kept saying, “C’mon!” I quickly realized how annoying I could
get. Johnathan kept bribing five bucks that he didn’t have and then had to say
no when his classmates would accept his bribe (Kindle, 2010). Silly kid! I was
so tired and exhausted but I didn’t think this would ever happen again so I had
to keep going. Spotlight was on me and I wasn’t going to let that escape before
the kids went home. And it didn’t.
The students went
home that day and I was still hard at work. Students were bribing and begging
and parents were getting frustrated and giving in. Way to go, kids! LaTrel went
home and decided to use my voice to read a story to one of his younger siblings
at home. LaTrel’s younger brother wanted to read the book now that he realized
that he was holding the book upside down the past month! Also Selena told her
sister about me and her sister wants to read the book for herself! You hear
that? Someone else wants to read me! This is nuts! I’m getting everything I’ve
ever wanted!
Mrs. G came back
the next day and noticed her students were still going crazy with my voice and
started to bribe her as well. Her monotone self was denying their bribes all
day long but was concerned with what had happened the day before. Miss Sharpe
left Mrs. G a note that said, “Students loved the book! Sorry about the begging
:) .” Mrs. G was confused. No students have ever reacted to a read aloud before.
She knew she had to do it so she did but she always thought they were a waste
of time. (I overheard her talking with another teacher. C’mon it wasn’t my
fault!). The students asked for Miss Sharpe back and also asked for more books
to read. This was incredible! Like, c’mon you’re telling me that kids actually
like books now (Wadsworth, 2008)?
Mrs. G noticed the
students constantly talking in a voice and realized that it was me that they
were talking about. Mrs. G knew that there were more books with me in them and
went on the hunt for me. Did you hear that? Mrs. G went looking for more of me!
The students want more! Mrs. G decided to take the students to the library.
Usually this time is boring and I just sit on the shelf in there like I do in
Mrs. G’s class. But this time, I was fought over. The kids fought over me like
I was a hot dog or a puppy! The students had an hour to read whatever they
wanted. I was read for the entire hour (Ediger, 2002). The students even looked
through my books about the hot dog and puppy! The librarian showed the class who
my creator was. She told them that he wrote other books about other things (not
as cool as me but whatever). My friends Elephant and Piggy got to share some of
my glory too. But it’s still my glory not theirs.
In the library, a
student named Aaron was having trouble reading my book about wanting to drive
the bus. He was getting frustrated because he couldn’t remember what my voice
sounded like (Marchessault & Larwin, 2013). I was confused how you could
forget a voice like mine but whatever. Another older kid in the library saw his
frustration and came and read to him. Aaron looked relieved and just smiled and
listened to his new older friend read him the story (Marchessault & Larwin,
2013). He was now able to listen to my voice and remember it again! Oh, how I
love people loving me!
After the library Selena
came up to Mrs. G and asked for me. She wanted to bring me home. I was going to
leave this dreadful classroom shelf and go to a home. Pinch me I must be
dreaming! She told Mrs. G that her sister Rachel wanted to read me. Mrs. G
agreed and gave her my book to take home. Later that night, Selena read my book
to Rachel and Rachel laughed so hard! Selena’s mom was so happy because Rachel
had been having a tough week. I was able to make Rachel laugh when she hasn’t
been happy (Wadsworth, 2008). Did you hear that? I made a sad person laugh!
This life just keeps getting better. I want more!
You want to know
what the best part of this whole experience was? Christopher. Christopher hates
school. And I mean he really hates it! He hates it so much that he just sits
there with his eyes shut and ignores everyone and sometimes scares me with how
he looks at people. He probably needs a hot dog! But the best part of Miss
Sharpe coming and reading my book was seeing Christopher crack a smile. I’ve
never seen Christopher smile in my entire life! I don’t even know if
Christopher has ever smiled in his entire
life! I think something about his home rubs him the wrong way but I won’t go
into that. It just makes me sad and makes me want to give him a puppy that I
don’t have. I won’t go into that either (bad memories).
Every time
Christopher would get grades back, I could tell they weren’t the greatest
because he would usually rip it in half. No wonder he didn’t like school. Who
would when you have Mrs. G as a teacher who constantly gives you bad grades? I
hear Christopher talk to friends though and he’s a smart kid. I usually don’t
have the attention span to listen to him for too long because he uses big words
and I have the attention span of well… a pigeon. He’s so smart that he usually
gets stuck with boring smart people books that Mrs. G gives him. But when he
got to listen to my book read by Miss Sharpe, he cracked that smile and I knew
what had to be done (Wadsworth, 2008). Give that boy a good book like mine! Yep
I said it, I’m in a good book and I can make a difference!
Mrs. G saw Miss
Sharpe later in the day when she walked by Mrs. G’s room. Mrs. G called her
inside her classroom and decided to have a little chat about the previous day
with her substituting.
“What did you do
that has my kids begging and bribing and so excited?” Mrs. G said (Kindle,
2010). Miss Sharpe told Mrs. G that she just read the book like she was told
and Mrs. G asked her to read it to her. So Miss Sharpe did the exact way that
she read it to the class, though a little weirded out, and something clicked in
Mrs. G’s head because this was new to her. She didn’t even know me! She didn’t
know who I was supposed to be probably because she never paid enough attention
to me. She just knew I was a good book so she read me to the class like she
does her silly romantic drama novels to herself. Mrs. G took advice from Miss
Sharpe that she didn’t even know she was giving.
The next day, Mrs.
G decided to read another book called The Adventures of Beekle to her
class. This time she examined Beekle and made him feel uncomfortable. Beekle
told me all about it and he said it was the weirdest thing he had ever
experienced and he’s been around some weird
imaginary friends! Mrs. G read Beekle’s adventures to the class in the best way
that she could and had some fun with it herself. She never realized children’s
books could be so imaginative. All I could think to myself was, “Duh, Mrs. G,
where have you been the past 50 years?”
Mrs. G saw her
students light up before her eyes. They were shocked! Shocked I tell you! Christopher
had his eyes open! And he was listening (Ediger, 2002)! The students didn’t
know Mrs. G had it in her and quite frankly Mrs. G didn’t know she did either.
Over time of reading her students books, their grades skyrocketed (Kiefer,
2010), they checked out more books at the library (Ediger, 2002), and they
talked about the books all day long to their families and friends.
You want to know
what the actual best part of this whole story is? I bet you can’t guess who
owns me now? C’mon, guess. Seriously, guess already! Okay, I’ll tell you. It’s
Christopher’s son, Jack! I know, I can’t believe it either! Christopher told
his son that my book, yes my book, was the reason he started to enjoy reading.
Christopher received Don’t Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus! from Mrs. G as
a gift for turning into such a “fabulous reader.” Christopher then passed the
book down to his son and read it to him just like Miss Sharpe did. Christopher
told his son that he never had anyone that wanted to read to him and spend time
with him so he wanted to be there for Jack. He imitated my voice perfectly! All
because of Miss Sharpe reading me and knowing who I was. I can make a
difference! I did make a difference! Did you hear that? The real me made a
difference! I deserve a puppy!
References
Ediger,
Marlow (2002). Reading Aloud to Aid Pupil
Achievement. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED468079.pdf
Kindle,
Karen J. (2010). Vocabulary Development during Read-Alouds: Examining the
Instructional Sequence. Literacy Teaching
and Learning, 14, 65-88. Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/?q=EJ888269&id=EJ888269
Wadsworth,
Reba M. (2008). Using Read Alouds in Today’s Classrooms. National Association of Elementary School Principals, 5(3). Retrieved from https://www.naesp.org/resources/2/Leadership_Compass/2008/LC2008v5n3a4.pdf
Marchessault, J.K., & Larwin, K.H.
(2013). Structured Read-Aloud in Middle School: The Potential Impact On Reading
Achievement. Contemporary Issues In
Education Research, 6(2), 241-246. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1073207.pdf
Kiefer,
B. Z. (2010). Charlotte Huck’s Children’s
Literature. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
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