Understand and explore what students are interested in, value and care about
In this section, explore the value of removing stigma about reading below perceived grade level, and how we can do so!
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What is "This is Me"?
What is "This is Me"?
A student interest survey to get to know students’ interests, aspirations and concerns better.
Why use “This is Me”?
Why use “This is Me”?
“This is Me” gives teachers a better sense of who their students are, beyond what we see in the classroom. Hearing from students through this survey helps us gain a better understanding of what makes them tick, from their point of view. Only when we do this can we see how we can help them make space for reading in their lives and recommend relevant reading material to students.
When should “This is Me” be used?
When should “This is Me” be used?
“This is Me” can be used at the beginning of the school year, with a class, or any time in the school year with a group of students or individual student new to a teacher or librarian. It should be used when more information is sought about students’ interests.
How is “This is Me” best enacted?
How is “This is Me” best enacted?
The survey is most effective when students realise that teachers/ librarians are genuinely interested in them as people and in what they’re interested in. After administering the survey, teachers could make reference to some of the returns of the survey (that are not too private) in informal contexts to let students know that their voices have been heard.
Teachers could administer this survey through the SLS platform for an easy tally and documentation of findings.
Based on students’ responses to the survey, some reading recommendations could be shared with individual students or groups of students with similar interests in particular areas.
Students could also be grouped into communities within the class based on similar interests, so that they can further these interests. Even if their focus is not reading, there will inevitably be relevant reading that can support them in pursuing their interests (e.g., recipe books for students who enjoy cooking)
In this way, reading does not necessarily have to be an end in itself; it could be an integral part of the process of students pursuing their respective interests.
Sample Student Interest Survey
Sample Student Interest Survey
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