My students haven't had the same privilege of access to great books the way that I did. They are bright, energetic, funny, and intelligent 8th graders at a charter school in Colorado. Most importantly, they are good kids -- they say thank you and please, they hold the doors open for others, they help their peers out without being asked, and they try to do their best in school. My school, though a charter school, serves an area with a high level of poverty and crime. The majority of my students qualify for free or reduced lunches, many of them have single parents or are living with other family members. They don't have access to a car to get to the library, computers to research new books or topics that interest them, or any other way that one could imagine gaining access to a book. As a result of this, many of my students hate reading. It's an emotion I could not imagine experiencing at their age.
About my class
My students haven't had the same privilege of access to great books the way that I did. They are bright, energetic, funny, and intelligent 8th graders at a charter school in Colorado. Most importantly, they are good kids -- they say thank you and please, they hold the doors open for others, they help their peers out without being asked, and they try to do their best in school. My school, though a charter school, serves an area with a high level of poverty and crime. The majority of my students qualify for free or reduced lunches, many of them have single parents or are living with other family members. They don't have access to a car to get to the library, computers to research new books or topics that interest them, or any other way that one could imagine gaining access to a book. As a result of this, many of my students hate reading. It's an emotion I could not imagine experiencing at their age.
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