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The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies,

Issues and Ideas
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University-School Connection: A Reading Circle for Teachers

Jeanne M. McGlinn , Laurie B. Calvert & Pauline S. Johnson
Published online: 02 Apr 2010.

To cite this article: Jeanne M. McGlinn , Laurie B. Calvert & Pauline S. Johnson (2003) University-School Connection: A Reading Circle
for Teachers, The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 77:2, 44-49

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 University-School Connection
A Reading Circle for Teachers
JEANNE M. McGLINN, LAURIE B. CALVERT, and PAULINE S. JOHNSON

for most teachers, guilt is the nagging relative you
wish would go home. She lurks in the shadows in a
quasi—sleep state only to kick us awake if we ignore her
for too long. After two years teaching eighth grade lan-
guage arts, guilt took up residence in my classroom.
Redistricting and populations shifts altered the demo-
graphics of my school district, and the books I had cho-
sen had lost their relevance. I felt guilty because novels
such as Where the Lilies Bloom and 2001, A Space
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can literature we had read in college was esoteric and
inappropriate for middle school. We could not imagine
teaching Native Son or Beloved to students more inter-
ested in skateboarding and discussing whether Tupac’s
death was faked. Collectively, we groaned because we
needed to discover, read, and evaluate multicultural
books and determine their value. What teacher had
time for that? When we did have some time to read and
plan, we often found ourselves sitting in ineffective,

Odyssey did not satisfy my new African American,
Hispanic, Native American, and Russian students. These
readers needed more books and better books. They
longed for texts written for students like themselves,
complete with characters and situations familiar to them.
In
short, my new students needed books I had not read.
One Teachers Story: The Spark
At first, I ignored the nagging notion that I needed to
make a change because I was relieved to have finally
completed two years of teaching. I did not want to
rethink my entire reading program after finally figuring
out what I was doing. This problem is too big for me, I
said, chalking it up to the inadequate training many
teachers receive from universities. It was not my fault I
had read only thirty-three adolescent novels.
I also knew that I was lying, trying to shield myself
from the responsibility of solving this problem. I also
realized change would be difficult. I could not do a
Coogle search and print out a lesson plan. I reached
out to colleagues, only to find them as perplexed and
troubled as 1. Although most teachers openly acknowl-
edged the problem, no one had an answer. We were all
been bred on the same canon. The little African Ameri-
mandated in-service programs—workshop after work-
shop on "assenive discipline" and "thinking maps." We
were stumped, tired, and feeling guilty.
But something happened in the summer aher my
third year that helped me see a way through the guilt.
While attending a conference on multicultural litera-
ture, I received several lists of good multicultural books.
I had not read most of the books on the list. I could no
longer avoid the inevitable—I needed to read the new
books. Over coffee between sessions, I ran an idea by a
university professor who taught adolescent literature
and was also attending the conference. I wanted to cre-
ate a monthly reading circle for teachers. The meeting
would allow teachers to discuss new books for their
classroom, and get credit for doing so. A few weeks
later, we met with our district curriculum coordinator.
She liked the idea too and became pan of the informal
planning committee for our first eighth grade teacher
reading circle.
SeNing Up the Reading Circle
Initially, we had to tackle logistical issues, such as
where the reading circle would meet and what we
would read. In our first strategy session, we picked

Jeanne M. McClinn is an associate profe5Sor of education and director of humanities

at the Univer5i] Of North Carolina in Asheville. Laurie B. Calvert is an eighth
grade language arts teacher at the Buncombe County Schools, also in Asherille.
Pauline S. Johnson is the coordinator for the Teaching American History Project and
is based in Mars Hill, North Carolina.

44
 Vol. 77, No. 2 Reading Circle for Teachers
meeting days (the second Tuesday of every month, for
consistency) and decided the meetings’ duration (one
and a half hours each). We agreed that most teachers
would prefer to meet outside their school since the
neutral space frees them from classroom duties. The
university instructor reserved a i‘oom at the campus
library where teachers could sit .mound a large table,
face to face. Although we felt the group needed to
determine the reading list, we did not want to bog
down the teachers in the first meetings with the task of
selecting titles. So, the planning committee chose the
first three books: Bud, Not Buddy (Christopher Paul
Curtis), A Girl Named Disaster (Nancy Farmer), and
Tears of a Tiger (Sharon Draper). We also developed a
cursory list of multicultural books from which the
group could later select other novels. All of the books
were initially selected by simply brainstorming titles
we had heard of or read, referring to various ”best
books“ lists, and searching online.
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Our last issues were critical to our success: deciding
who to invite and getting the word out. We limited the
book club to eighth grade teachers only because our
purpose was to read books the teachers could use
immediately. This decision enabled us to target books
that suited eighth grade students’ reading levels and
interests, and fit the curriculum. It also avoided a pos-
sible ronflict with sixth or seventh grade teachers who
might want to select these titles for their own classes,
thus precluding their use in the eighth grade. With
some reluctance, we opened the circle to include eighth
grade teachers from any subject area, not just language
ans teachers. This was a fortuitous decision. In the
three years since the reading circle started, the broad
range of teachers from various disciplines, including
media specialists, physical education teachers, and
teachers of the academically gifted, has led to rich
cross-curricular connections. To get the word out, the
language arts coordinator distributed a flyer to all
eighth grade language arts teachers in the area. "the rest
of us personally phoned or sent messages to interested
parties and asked them to continue spreading the word
to other eighth grade teachers. Teachers who wanted to
participate sent in a registration form, and we returned
a confirmation and the first book. Soon teachers
recruited each other to the group. One teacher from a
middle school would tell her colleagues about what
she was reading and why, and soon a new teacher
would join the group.
Key Components of the Reading Circle
At our initial planning session, we laid out the essen-
tial components of effective staff development. Staff
development meetings are usually lectures about the
latest educational innovation, given by an outside
expen who has no idea about the particular schools,
students, teaching environments, or the professional
45
expertise of the teachers. Teachers have become so
iaded by this type of staff development that many
school districts now reson to penalizing absent teach-
ers. Our first absolute principle was to make atten-
dance voluntary.
Second, we decided to offer two incentives: continu-
ing Education Credits (CEUs) and free books, when
possible. The school district staff development officer
set up the CEUs, determining the required number of
meetings and credit hours. Teachers could choose
whether they wanted the CEUs or not, depending on
their own needs. In the beginning, many of the teach-
ers did not choose the credit; they attended simply
because they wanted to read more adolescent novels.
"the state’s University/Schools Partnership initiative
awarded us a grant to purchase some of the books each
year. The free books were helpful because busy teachers
often lack free time to out and get a book, even when
they want to read it.
We decided to rotate the role of discussion leader
each meeting because we wanted book club partiri-
pants to have an equal stake in the learning. Teachers
interacted with curriculum specialists and the universi-
ty professor as equals, sharing their knowledge and
expertise. This rapport had two immediate benefits:
First, the collaboration demonstrated a rich variety of
teaching styles, and second, diverse points of view pro-
vided insights into teaching and literature for adoles-
cent readers. Teachers determined the issues that were
important to them. For example, if a teacher were deal-
ing with reluctant readers, she would try a reading
strategy with the group. Another teacher concerned
about censorship would describe her approach, and
the group gave her feedback. The discussions were
often eclectic, but the teacher-leaders always set the
agenda and tailored it to teachers’ needs.
Typical Meetings
The reading circle meets each month at the local uni-
versity to discuss a work of adolescent literature chosen
Key Components of the Reading Circle
• Attendance is voluntary.
• Teachers choose the reading materials and
direct the discussions.
• Teachers, curriculum specialists, and
university professors interact as equals and
share expertise.
• Teachers exercise leadership in the planning of
the seminars.
 46 The Clearing House
by the teachers. The reading I ists are compiled at plan-
ning meetings a semester in advance, giving teachers
ample time to read the texts. Each meeting begins with
some socializing. Teachers unwind after the teaching
day by sharing snacks and conversation. This valuable
time establishes relationships so teachers feel comfort-
able sharing stories about their own teaching.
The discussion leader starts the session using the
approach he or she has planned. Some teachers start
by identifying traditional and Web resources. Others
ask group members to write and share a journal
response or lead an activity similar to one they might
do with their students, such as reader’s theater. Often,
all a leader has to do is pose one provocative question
and the discussion is off and running. Group
members share opinions, point to passages in the
novel, or tell how their own students responded.
Teachers often sug- gest related books, teaching
strategies, and additional resources. A variety of
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pedagogical issues are consid- ered: reading
strategies, developing comprehension, increasing
motivation, dealing with censorship issues,
promoting parent-school relationships, making more
interdisciplinary connections, encouraging adolescent
reading, choosing appropriate literature for eighth
graders, and using Web resources.
Three Years of Reading Circles
Over the first three years, the reading circle’s content
changed, reflecting decisions made by the teachers.
After reading multicultural books the first year, teach-
ers wanted to expand beyond reading mainly realistic
fiction and problem novels. Many of their students
read fantasy, a genre few teachers enjoyed. They were
also interested in connecting social studies to language
arts by teaching historical fiction. They decided to read
fantasy and historical fiction, alternating between the
two genres each month. They asked other teachers and
students for recommendations before making their
selections. Near the end of the second year, discussions
about reading assessment led teachers in a new direc-
tion. They wanted to meet the needs of readers, partic-
ularly boys, who excelled in nonfiction and also work
on the skills of at-risk readers. Accordingly, the group
decided to read nonfiction the following year. Teachers
compiled an extensive list of nonfiction works and
chose the first book, fnto Thin Air, by Jon Krakauer. A
committee then met and identified a list of possible
selections. After, the whole group chose the books they
were to read for the year.
Impact of the Reading Circle on Teachers
Professional staff development for teachers must be
judged by its impact on students and their learning.
This reading circle influenced the way teachers design
curriculum, adapt new methodologies, and acquire
new materials for eighth grade students. The reading
November/December 1003
circle used only the books and resources consistent
with the eighth grade curriculum. The materials were
appropriate for the age group’s developmental and
cognitive levels. \Ve read a wide variety of genres dur-
ing the three years of the program. The discussions
always focused on how to “teach” the book in our
classrooms. 1 n the first year, the discussions were
limit- ed to the needs of the English/language arts
classroom. However, in the last two years, teachers of
various dis- ciplines joined the circle, helping us incl
ude interdisci- plinary literature as well. The differing
perspectives and pedagogical expertise of history,
science, and other teachers broadened our ideas for
classroom or “middle level teaming” use.
Learning how to teach a panicular novel in a new
way was the most valuable result of the circle’s discus-
sions. This opportunity was valuable staff development
because teachers learned about innovative techniques.
At one meeting early in the second year of the program,
one teacher mentioned “jigsaw” as a method for teach-
ing one of the novels. Another teacher had us write “a
found poem” as an initial response to a novel. These
strategies were new to many. l.istening to other teach-
ers helped us realize the multiple ways to approach the
teaching of reading and literature.
Finally, we learned about new materials, fiction and
nonfiction books we can use in our classrooms. As
members of the circle, we dedicated ourselves to read-
ing new books that we might not have read otherwise.
As a result, we have enriched our teaching with these
works. After participating in one session, one teacher
purchased an entire classroom set of Bud, Not Buddy
with her own money. Another teacher read aloud
Leon’s Storf along with To Kiff a Mochingbird for her
English class to compare and contrast. Others have
added titles to book sets, asked media coordinators to
purchase classroom sets, and incorporated parts or
chapters of the books to their English, history, science,
and other disciplinary area classrooms.
Teachers also learned about quality novels and non-
fiction works. They found adult novels that required
higher-level thinking to process, but were also appro-
priate for adolescents. The works we read addressed
eighth graders' need to develop abstract learning and
reasoning skills and added to our store of multicultur-
al literature and diverse genres. Middle school students
benefited from this choice of challenging, yet appro-
priate, literature, especially with the recent changes in
the End of Grade Reading (EOC) tests. We discussed
and incorporated many of the strategies our students
would need in order to show proficiency in the EOCs.
Student academic achievement was just one of the
goals the teacher reading circles addressed. We discov-
ered valuable professional and intrinsic effects as well.
Since Continuing Education Units are awarded for
completion of the year series, the circle enabled many
 Reading Circle for Teachers 4T

of our colleagues to complete the Professional Devel- sonal relationships. We celebrated the marriage of a
opment Plan required for all public school teachers in member and extended congratulations to one whose
our state. Some teachers used the reading circle as a
daughter was newly hired as a teacher. Because the
substitute for the staff development required by their
group is voluntary, it is composed of high ly dedicatecl
home schools' School Improvement Plan. Collabora-
individuals who share similar interests and concerns
tion with the university instructor gave our group the
about the education of their students. Our members
opponunity to learn about new J›edagogy and the lat-
are not a group forced to do the reading or attend the
est adolescent literature. In addition, the university
meetings. In fact, many of us sigh regretfully when the
instructor was able to apply the circle’s practical teach-
academic year is completed and there are no more
ing strategies to the training of preservice teachers. All
books scheduled for reading. We have become a pas-
the members of the circle have been greatly enriched by
sionate rommunity of lifelong learners and educators
the give and take of the monthly discussions.
striving to expand our own learning and ways of teach-
I ronically, the teacher reading circle began from my
ing. The teacher reading circle is the type of dynamic
sense of frustration and guilt but developed into a
staff development that can change the lives of ieachers.
nur- turing, supponive, and cooperative group of
educators. The collegial feeling of this group extends not
Key u urd.s: multicultural literature, pro]essionul
only to classroom and educational concerns but also
development, reading circles
to per-
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APPENDIX A
Eighth Grade Book Club Multicultural Fiction Selections

Titles/Autht›rs Themes Response Activities

Bud, N‹›t Buddy Family. love, friendship, Bud has a suitcase filled with important things that he takes with him
Christopher Paul Curtis IOS% wherever he goes. Create your own suitcase fi lled with ‹objects spetial
u› you. In a letter to a friend, explain why you value these particular
objects.
Bud creates “Bud Caldwell’s Rules and Things for Having a Funner
Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourselt“’ that he rel ies on when
he gets in a tc›ugh spot. Create your own list of rules that help you get
through the challenges of a typical day in your I ife.

A Girl N‹iin‹•d Family, chiming of uge, Read a section of Nhamo’s self-talk. Brainstt rm typical problems you
Disa.strr sell-rel iance, cultural encounter as a middle school student. Imagine you are in a ditticult situ -
Nancy Farmer customs. power of ation or trying to meet an unusual challenge. Write out a mon‹ilogue ot
self-talk what you w‹iuld say to yourself to help you get thrt›ugh the ‹ibstac les in
this situation.
Tragic accident. guilt, Create a scrapbook for rune ot the characters in this novel, detailing this
Team.s ‹›f u Tiger loss, friendship year in I he lives of the Hazelwood High students.
Sharon Draper
Challenges facing Consider the novels’ authenticity. Conduct web-based research on the
Childreit of the ii seer immigrants, holding history ‹if Cambodian refugees and their move to the United States.
Linda Crew onto tra‹lilional values. Read a review’ critical of Crew’s portrayal of the immigrants. Present
facing the impact oi your ‹›wn arguments ahout the authenticity or lack of authenticity of’
new culture and the novel. including evidence from the novel and your research.
custtims. tamil y, guilt Analyze the symbol of’ the river. What does the river mean to the ma in
character" Everyone has a story relitted to water.
Write a story about yourself. using water as an important element ter
symb‹›l.
Emigration, illegal On a map trace the journey ot‘ Lupita and Sa1vadt›r. Describe h‹iw they
Luf›it‹i Maiianu aliens, courage. are changing as a result of events.
Patricia Beaity sacriVice An opening paragraph ter chapter often reveals important information
about the characters and events that are to follow. The lead can set the
tone for the story. Describe what you can tell about Lupita’s character
from the opening chapter.

(Apj›eii‹li. ‹’‹›tiIinu‹ .s )
48 The Clearing House November/December 2003
 APPENDIX A—con

The Brave
In this sequel to The Contender, the main character struggles to control his monster, anger. Create aIdentity, taking
postcard, withcontrol, coming
a picture of age,
or collage true York
of New courage
on one
Using the novel, create a map of Josh’s journey to find his way. Robert Lipsyte
Mark important places in his process of “going backward” in order to move forward.
Construct a map for yourself describing how you would go about learning more about yourself. What are the places you will need to stop and what will you d

Song Sf›ell
Renewal, healing, cultural roots, magical realism, community and customs,
Phyllis Naylor

APPENDIX B
Eighth Grade Book Club Fantasy and Historical Fiction Selections
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Titles/Authors Response Activities

The Chosen
Describe your father. How are you alike or different? How does this affect your ability to talk to each other?
Charm Potokyour friends. How are they alike and different from you? How do these qualities affect your relationship?
Think about

The Golden
Each Compass
of the characters has a demon. Describe your own personal demon and tell why it matches your personality.
Philip Pullman

Choose one of the historical periods The

described
Glory Field
in the novel and do Web research. Create a collage of the important events and issues of this period, using images and words
Walter Dean Myers

the importance of each member of the community.

GatheringEach
Blueperson should argue their importance to the village before votes are cast. Analyze the class responses as a group. What b
Lois Lowry

Imagine you are Rachel, sailing from

TheBoston
Fifth oftoMarch
Philadelphia. Write a journal entry in which you think about the events that have occurred in the past year and how you h
Ann Rinaldi

The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm Create a reader’s theater of a key scene in the novel.
Nancy Farmer Write a journal entry about the value of traditions in your life.

Harry Potter and theWhat kinds of secrets do you have to keep? Which ones must be
Chamber of Secretsrevealed?
J. K. Rowling

VOI. flfl, JO+ 2

Reading Circle for Teachers 49

APPENDIX C
Eighth Grade Book Club Nonfiction Selections

Titles/Authors Brief Reviews

Dava Sobel
Longitude: The True Story of
a Lcne Genius Who Sol ed
the Greatest Scientific
Problem of His Time Inic› Thin Air
Jon Krakauer
I Read It, But I Can’t Get It
Cris Tovani
M y Bridges of Hope.’
Searching Jor Life and
Love after Au.schwit‹-.
Livia Bitton-Jackson
Never Cry Wolf
Farleu Mowat
The Dream Keeper and
Other Poems
Langston Hughes
The Harlem
Retiaissatice (African-
American Achievers
series)
Veronica Chambers
Walk in the Woolfs:
Rediscovering America on
the Appalachinn Trail
Bill Bryson
Leon's Story
Leon Walter Til1‹ige;
photographs by Susan L. Roth
The most difficult scientific problem of the eighteenth
century was how to determine longitude. Many thou-
sands of lives had been lost at sea due to the inability to
determine an east-west position. A clockmaker, John
“Longitude” Harrison, solved the problem that Newton
and Galileo had failed to conquer, yet claimed only half
the promised reward.
This book is a personal account of a disastrous ascent
on Mt. Everest in 1996 which claimed the lives of nine
climbers.
Chris Tovani offers concrete strategies to guide strug-
gling adolescent readers through a process that has
become inaccessible to them.
In this continuation of the memoir, / Have Lived a
Thousand Years, the author recounts her story as a
14-year-old survivor of Auschwitz. The book adds
important information to the ongoing attempt to under-
stand the Holocaust and its consequences.
Mowat is dropped alone onto the frozen tundra, where
he begins his mission to live among wolves and study
their ways.
Harlem became the center of a great l920s black cultur-
al revolution that enriched the nation. Chambers weaves
together accounts of the leading artists, writers, musi-
cians, and intellectuals—Langston Hughes, Countee
Cullen, Zora Neale Hurston, W. E. B. Du Bois.
Bryson and his friend walk the Appalachian Trail. They
set out from Amicalola Falls State, Ga., describing the
mountain scenery and history of the trail.
Distilled from taped interviews. Leon's autobiographical
story is a moving account of an African American grow-
ing up on a farm outside of Raleigh, N.C., part of the
segregated south.