Last year's Diverse Reads Campaign gave good results but demonstrated there was great potential for growth. Although we saw a great number of books read, some grade levels didn't participate. At the beginning of the year, we surveyed teachers and they liked the spirit of the campaign but found it difficult to share photos or fill out the Google Form. So instead of framing the campaign as a competition, this time I created a Reading Log for the Staff Members trying to simplify the process and increase participation. Weekly time was allotted during Advanced Academics to include a Diverse Read Aloud. The goal was to log at least 9 Diverse Books per grading period in order to qualify for a reward. The log was simple, Date, Title, Author & Category. The teachers that achieved the goal received a new book for the library. Win, win!
So far campuswide, we've read about 350 books. Teacher participation has been stable. We've won a few recruits to the cause! I am sure there are more books being read than the ones recorded. Several teachers have told me "I read, I just don't have time to log them." One way or the other, I believe our campus has grown in awareness of diversity. Personally, since I've been logging my reading I've made adjustments based on these observations. For example, I've been very intentional about including stories with strong Black and Hispanic characters and women, but I realized my library was lacking books that represented other voices like the Asian, Arab communities, or other realities. I hope other teachers have made also these discoveries, and I am sure our students are benefitting from them.
Next year, I want to try a more "advertising" approach featuring teachers and their favorite read-aloud. Maybe a more personal touch would result in more windows, mirrors, and doors opening.