What I Learned by doing a Goodreads Reading Challenge

I'm so excited to share I made my first ever Goodreads Reading Challenge goal for 2017!  I was very hesitant about setting a goal for the first time and worried more about putting a number to it but as I watched friends make their goals I decided to be brave.  I was going to set a low obtainable number but that seem like a challenge and this was going to be a reading challenge.  I decided to push my worries away and decided to read 100 books in 2016.

These are somethings I learned by doing this challenge.  I liked being faithful to Goodreads and recording what I read.  I loved seeing the number of books get recorded and updates if I was on track for making my goal.  I loved seeing what other friends were reading and appreciated when someone liked something I wrote in a review or a book I read.  I tried to update my reading progress as I read but it began to feel like a daily reading log.   When my progress didn't move or change, I felt like I was failing a bit as a reader.  I was doing well recording my reading until this fall and the start of a new school year.  

I did a quick scan to learn about what I like to read.  I read six professional books, two young adult books, seven nonfiction self help books, many picture books from different genres and early chapter books.  I use to think picture book reading wasn't really me reading but it is.  I need to read them to be a better teacher but I truly enjoy picture books and always have.  I discovered sometimes readers might read about a topic they don't want to share with others; its personal.  I didn't record those titles but just recently discovered I could keep track of them for me and keep them off my feed.  I'm sure I missed recording some picture books I read at school so maybe I surpassed my goal.

I decided to join the Goodreads Reading Challenge again for 2018 and keep the same goal. I'd love to read more young adult books in 2018.  It's a way for me to connect and have something to talk about with my daughters.  I have quite a TBR pile of professional books and adult books to read.  I'd like to make a dent in both of these collections.  I do enjoy reading early chapter books  and picture books for my classroom, I want to include them in my reading this year.  I liked having a way to connect with other readers and I think I could be more engaged in the Goodreads community than just posting what I have read.  

My feelings as a reader from this challenge are already carrying over into my teaching.  This week we will start each independent reading with a Status of the Class share.  I believe it's the physical real life version of the Goodreads feed.  I believe this helps motivate and create a culture of readers.  I had my students start to record finished books last week in their reading notebook.  In the past I've created forms but I thought this way might be a bit more organic and I wanted to see how they take ownership for recording books they've read.  I hope to guide them through their own reading reflections at various points this quarter.  I don't know how long we'll keep this list going but I think I can show them how to use it to help find authors and genres they like.  I think both of these actions will help them create their own reading identity which is really important with second grade readers.