RAE’S READS

recent posts

about

This year (2025) finds me with 53 years of teaching “under my belt.” I have taught all levels from pre-K “(library lady” or “book lady”–volunteer) to juniors, seniors, and graduate students enrolled in my Advanced Writing class at the university where I have just completed 34 years. My first paying teaching job was junior high, and I spent 13 years with ages 12-13, the “difficult years.” I had some of the “funnest” experiences with this age group. When I was no longer the “young, fun teacher,” I taught in an elementary school setting before sixth graders went on to junior high, teaching language arts blocs, an assignment that was a “dream-fit” for me. After completing graduate school in my 40s, I went on to community college, then university teaching. This past fall I accepted a part-time teaching job at Apogee Gulf Coast Schools in its first year at the Alvin campus. After my Better Half died n 2022, I achieved a lifelong dream: opening a bookstore of my own, Rae’s Reads. A year later, I sold the house we had lived in for 47 years and moved into the bookstore. My goal is to circulate and repurpose books. Just as teaching is “in my blood,” so is a passion for reading, writing, libraries, and everything bookish. This blog will be open to anyone who loves books, promotes literacy and wants to “come out and play.”

2020 READING CHALLENGES UPDATE

Looking back, I had planned to simplify my 2020 Reading Challenges by taking on only two big ones, whittling down my TBR shelves and accepting Dollycas’s 2020 Alphabet Soup Challenge, author edition.ALPHABET-SOUP-2020-AUTHOR-EDITION-BE-820 As far as the two shelves go, by March, I had read or passed along all but 15 books and I deemed the first challenge completed. Then, I bought books from Amazon, Thrift Books and anybody who was selling because the library closed, and I went into hoarding mentality.  Once again, I have books and books and books to look over and read on a shelf in my book closet and a shelf in my office. I will not even think about weaning out these books until the new year starts.

The Alphabet Soup Challenge for 2020 has gone better–until I started grading on line and giving assignments on line, and generally keeping up with and holding the hands of panicked students who “didn’t sign up for this”! If I had only taken on one class as I usually do; 23 students are manageable; 46 are not. Teaching has become an individualized effort, and I defy anyone to show me a prof who can teach writing better on line than in a face to face classroom! Anyway, because of limited reading time, I am only on the letter “J,” and the year is nearly half gone.

I also challenged myself to read 20 books I had seen mentioned or read reviews on on Blogging friends’ posts. So far I have read approximately four or five, so that needs to be spurred on as well. I continue to read Books about Books and try to read some non-fiction, something I only rate “Needs Improvement” on. I did observe, in a limited way, National Poetry Month and National Autism Awareness Month in April–but not nearly on the scale I had planned. Covid-19 took out my Celebration of Poetry prospects at the local public library, and there just wasn’t enough reading time for a serious look into autistism. Oh well, there’s always next year…sigh!

Posted in

2 responses to “2020 READING CHALLENGES UPDATE”

  1. carhicks Avatar
    carhicks

    I’m sure that teaching online to 46 students is extremely time consuming. Something will have to give. Our University here recently announced that all classes for the fall semester will be online. Face to Face classes will not resume until January. That will be tough for so many, students and teachers/professors. You are doing okay with your challenges Rae, it is 1/3 of the year, not half, lots of time, don’t stress.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Rae Longest Avatar
      Rae Longest

      Thanks for the encouragement.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

Leave a comment