MS: Writing professionally has been a dream of mine since middle school. Before that time, I wrote to maintain my sanity. I didn't have a rough childhood (compared to some others that I've heard about), but I did feel that I had a lot of venting to do in those pre-teen years. So, I found writing to be a great outlet.
2. SR: Was there a special teacher or other adult in your childhood who encouraged you as a reader and/or writer?
MS: Mrs. Beth Carlon, my 6th grade language arts teacher, allowed me to share my writing with my class almost every Friday, after we'd completed our creative writing assignment. She put me up on that pedestal and I never wanted to get down.
3. SR: Do you have a favorite book from childhood?
MS: My favorite was Judy Blume's Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret
4. SR: Your short stories a great and even the most reluctant reader would enjoy them. Are any of these stories inspired by your own personal experiences?
MS: No, they're all very much the product of an overactive imagination!
5. SR: What advice do you have for teachers of reading in intermediate and middle schools ? (B) How can they best help the reluctant readers in their classes? (C) How can they motivate them to read?
A: MS: Read! I know how hard it may be to do, but in the words of Malcolm X: "We can't teach what we don't know, and we can't lead where we won't go." B. MS: Teachers can best help reluctant students by first creating authentic relationships with students. I don't believe I've ever come across a first or second grader (poor reader or not) who isn't excited about books and reading. But once poor readers hit fifth grade, they start to see recognize the fact that they're not reading as well as their peers. Kids drop out mentally and emotionally long before they drop out physically. Those who teach reluctant readers have to first develop a relationship with kids in order to bring their hearts back to reading. You can only develop that relationship with active / involved teaching strategies (i.e. small groups, hands-on activities, reading materials that reflect student interest). Passive teaching strategies - basically strategies that don't require a teacher to get out from behind a desk, let alone encourage authentic interaction - don't work with struggling readers.
