Episode Summary

In this Saturday Stories episode, I continue the Leadership Kit focus on imagination with the skill Read Lots of Books. Through the story The Story That Changed It, I explore how a student who wasn't even looking for a book discovers one that gives him a completely different way to think about a challenge in his own life.

I share how books can do far more than help students practice reading skills. Stories can introduce us to people, places, experiences, and perspectives we may never encounter otherwise. They can help us understand other people, solve problems, become curious, and sometimes better understand ourselves.

I also provide discussion questions teachers can use throughout the week to help students reflect on how books influence their thinking. The goal is to help students see reading as more than an assignment and begin noticing the connections they make between stories, characters, ideas, and their own experiences.

Ultimately, this episode is about helping students develop imagination through reading. Sometimes we choose a story because the cover catches our attention, but every once in a while, a story gives us exactly the idea, encouragement, or perspective we needed at that moment.

Show Notes

• Continuing the Leadership Kit value of imagination
• The skill: Read Lots of Books
• How stories can change perspective
• Helping students connect books to their lives
• Discussion questions for the classroom
• Encouraging students to recommend books
• Reading for discovery, empathy, and imagination

Key Takeaways

• Books can expand students' imagination and perspective.
• Stories can help students understand themselves and others.
• Reading can inspire persistence and new ways of thinking.
• Meaningful book connections deserve to be noticed and celebrated.
• Students should experience reading as discovery, not only an assignment.
• Sometimes the right story reaches us at exactly the right time.

This is Mr. Funky Teacher with BeAFunkyTeacher.com. I'm coming to you with another Be a Funky Teacher podcast.

Welcome back, everyone.

Today's episode is called Saturday Stories Leadership Kit: Read Lots of Books — The Story That Changed It.

Before we jump into today's story, I want to ground myself in gratitude.

First, I'm thankful for heated seats in a vehicle on a really cold day.

It's one of those little comforts that I probably take for granted in the one vehicle that has heated seats.

But I love it.

And even on a chilly morning in the summer, if you can throw a heated seat on, it's so nice.

The second thing that I'm thankful for is school custodians.

They do so much work behind the scenes to keep schools clean, safe, and ready for students and teachers every single day.

And the third thing that I'm thankful for is board games.

I love that something so simple can get people around a table, talking, laughing, competing, and spending time together.

Well, it's Saturday, which means it's time for another Saturday story from the Leadership Kit.

Our last episode, we began talking about imagination.

In fact, we talked about thinking differently, being creative, and being willing to share an unusual idea.

Today, we're going to talk about one of the greatest places imagination can grow.

Books.

Because when we read, we don't just learn words.

We enter places we've never been.

We meet people we've never met.

We experience lives that are different from our own.

And sometimes a story can change the way we see something in our own lives.

So let's step into the story.

This episode is part of the Leadership Kit.

The value we're focusing on this week is imagination.

The skill students are practicing is Read Lots of Books.

And the story you're about to hear is called The Story That Changed It.

The characters in this story are Aaliyah, Jaden, Sophia, Mateo, Leo, and Eli.

Now I'm going to read the story all the way through with no interruptions.

I'm going to have you listen, and then we'll talk about it.

So let's get into the story.

The Story That Changed It

Jaden wasn't looking for a book.

He was looking for the clock.

Five more minutes.

That's how long the class had left in the library.

Sophia already had two books tucked under her arm.

Aaliyah was reading the back of another one.

Leo had disappeared somewhere between the shelves.

Mateo was flipping through a graphic novel.

Eli was studying the illustrations in a book he'd pulled from a display.

Jaden had nothing.

He walked past another shelf, then another.

He wasn't really looking.

Until a cover caught his attention.

A kid stood alone in front of what looked like an enormous mountain.

Jaden picked it up.

He read the back.

The story was about a kid who wanted to quit something because he was convinced he wasn't good enough.

Jaden opened the first page.

Then the second.

"Time to go," the librarian called.

Jaden looked up.

"Already?"

He checked out the book.

The next day, during reading time, he opened it again.

The character kept failing.

Trying.

Failing again.

At one point, the kid in the story almost quit completely.

Jaden frowned.

"Just keep going," he whispered.

Mateo looked over.

"Are you talking to your book?"

Jaden laughed.

"Maybe."

But he kept reading.

Eventually, the character realized something.

Getting better didn't mean never failing.

Getting better meant continuing after you failed.

Jaden stopped.

He read that part again.

Then he thought about something he had been struggling with himself.

Something he'd almost decided he simply wasn't good at.

For the first time, he wondered:

"What if I'm just not good at it yet?"

The next morning, Jaden returned to it.

Not the book.

The thing he almost quit.

He tried again.

Nobody told him to.

Nobody even knew why.

But Jaden knew a story had given him another way to see his own problem.

Later that week, Sophia noticed the book on his desk.

"Was it good?"

Jaden looked at the cover.

"Yeah."

He paused.

"Actually, I think I needed it."

Sometimes we choose a book.

And every once in a while, it feels like the book somehow chooses us.

Well, that's our story.

The skill focus here is Read Lots of Books.

Books can entertain us.

But they can also stretch our imagination.

They can introduce us to people, places, experiences, and ideas we might never encounter otherwise.

A book can help us understand someone else.

A book can help us solve problems.

A book can make us curious.

And sometimes a book can help us understand ourselves.

That's one reason reading matters.

The more stories and ideas we have an opportunity to encounter, the bigger our world can become.

So you take this story and read it to students.

Then, when you get into the discussion piece, start with a reflection question like:

"Have you ever read a book or story that stayed with you after you finished it?"

Then you can get into some noticing questions.

Why wasn't Jaden interested in finding a book at first?

What made him pick up this particular book?

Why did the character's struggle connect with Jaden?

And then the final noticing question I think could be great is:

What changed after Jaden read the story?

Those are great noticing questions to really get things connecting with this story.

Then later in the week, you can bring in some other questions.

You can ask:

"How can books help us imagine experiences we've never had?"

You can ask students:

"Can a fictional story teach us something true about life? How?"

You can have students explore this question:

"Why might reading many different kinds of books be important?"

And then ask students:

"Has a character ever helped you think differently about yourself or another person?"

See, this week is really about helping students see reading as more than an assignment.

Notice moments when students become absorbed in a story.

When they make a connection between a book and their own life.

When they recommend books to classmates.

That's huge.

When they discover a new topic through reading.

And when they talk about a character or idea that made them notice something, name those moments.

You can say:

"Hey, that book really got you thinking."

Or:

"Hey, you made a connection."

You can say:

"That story helped you see something differently."

Encourage students to share books with one another.

And ask:

"What book do you think somebody else needs to discover?"

Students need to understand that reading isn't only something we do to become better readers.

We read to discover.

To imagine.

To understand.

And sometimes to change.

If you want the printable version of this story with teacher questions and a student handout you can use with students, you can find it at BeAFunkyTeacher.com.

It's free for classroom use.

Now, as you head into the week, here's the leadership focus.

Pick up a book.

Try something you wouldn't normally choose.

Meet a character who isn't like you.

Travel somewhere you've never been.

Learn something you didn't know.

Because you never know which story might give you an idea, help you understand someone, or change the way you see something in your own life.

Sometimes you choose the story.

And sometimes the story changes you.

Well, head over to Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts and leave a five-star review.

Let me know what you think.

If you enjoyed this podcast, it helps more teachers find this space.

And as you go into your week ahead, I want you to remember to inspire greatness in young people.

And don't forget to be a funky teacher.

Bye now.