A Role for Bibliotherapy in Teacher Education

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A

A Role f o r Bibliotherapy in

T each er

d u ca tio n

Cynthia M. Morawski In order to engage ef effe fect ctiv ivel ely y in their ongoing decision an a ag ge em m en e n tt,, l ear earn n in in g difficulties, m a k i n g a b o u t classroom m an parental concerns, language instruction a n d c ur ur ri ri c cu u llu um d e sign si gn,, te teac ache hers rs n o t only need to a cq cqu u i r e re rell ev evan antt p r a c t i c a l a n d t h e o r e t i c a l k n o w l e d g e . T h e y must also learn to c ri t i c a l l y ex amine a n d r e c o n s t r u c t t h e i r p e r c e p t i o n s of t h e i r o w n perfor ma n c e . T h e p r o c e s s of s e l f - e x a mi n a t i o n n e e d s to be a c t i v e l y acknowledged a n d addressed in t h e development a n d im plem pl emen enta tati tion on of t h e t e a c h e r ed educ ucat atio ion n curriculum.

Bibliothe rapy, view viewed ed he here re as the guided re read adin ing g of writ t e n m a t e r i a l s to h e l p the r e a d e r grow in se self lf-a -awa ware rene ness ss (H (Har arri riss a n d Hodges, 1995) can play an instrumental role in helping both beginning a n d experienced teachers think about their profes pro fessio sional nal pract practice ice through crit ical i n q u i r y . The purpose of this paper is to present an approach to integrating bibliother edu u c a t i o n c o u r s e s at both th thee pr pres eser ervi vice ce a n d a p y i n t o t e a c h e r ed

i nse r vi ce levels. The paper i n c l u d e s t h eo eory ry rele relev v an antt to b i b l i o ther th erap apy, y, w h i l e em emph phas asiz izin ing g pra c tic a l a p p l i c a t i o n s for enga engag g i n g teachers i n s el el ff- a ac c tu tu a all iz iz a att iio o n through bibliotherapy. educati cation on biblio bibliothe thera rapeu peu-Recommended readings for tea tea ch cher er edu

tic experiences a r e included in t h e appendices.

 

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Biblioth Bibl iotherap erapyy for teachers hers

When u s e d in concert wi th other forms of s up p o r t , bib liotherapy can play an instrumental role in both personal a nd professional development. Bibliotherapy has been success fully applied to a variety of educational areas such as family counse selling (Sheridan, Baker, and de Lissovoy, 1984; Manning a n d M a n n i ng , 1984), social skills d e v e l o p m e n t (NickolaiMays, 1987; L en kowsk wsky and and L enkows ky, 1978), a n d curricu l u m planning for the g i f t e d ( H e b e r t , 1991; A d d e r h o l tt-E Elliott and Eller, 1989). Teacher education is another im impo port rtaant area where the instructional potential of bibliotherapy has been recognized.

Employing a phenomenological framework for viewing

teac te ache herr ed educ ucat atio ion, n, Hunsburger (1985) recommended the use

of novels to unders tand what children experience as they learn to read. Authors, by whatever mixture of memory, in sight and imagination, allow us to see through the eyes of ce c h hii lld d re re n n,, r ev ev el el at at io io n nss others, a n d since all authors were o n ce

of child life abound ((p p. 11). The various instructional s i t ua tions that Scout Finch encounters in To Kill a Mockingbird were used by Huns burg er to illustrate the insights about chil

dren's literacy development that teachers can gain from this

practice.

The use of juvenile literature for educating mainstream teachers abou outt stud udeent ntss with special nee eed ds was advocated by Hildreth (1992).

S h e stated that,  Books written about chil

dren and adolescents with learning disabilities examine the cause of the learning disability, experiences of academic fail ure, remediation, affective development, and family reac tion. other (p. 25) Suof ch rela inlate foted rd mk atnio ow n lecdag ne croegar mardi plding em enstpeacnidal red eiu n force re eg ng edu forms cation that teachers obtain from inservice su supp ppor ort. t.

 

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In h e r c o n t e n t a r e a r ead ead ing ing c ourse, Daisey (1993) p r o vide ide d o ppo rt uni t ie s for [her] preservice s t u d e n ts to consider r e ad ing ing as ther apeutic by comparing the comfort prov provid ided ed by

r e a d i n g a n d s t u d e n t s ' content area experiences. (p ( p. 438) Reading aloud selected content area passages, and sh shar arin ing g per sonal feelings and reactions to special books were two specific procedures that she employed to engage s t ud en ts in the pr pro o cess o f bibliotherapy. Colvin (1994) introduced a n ac acti tivi vitt y in w h i c h s h e used

images from literature to guid e n e w teachers t h r o u g h various

stages of composing a more formal teaching philosophy. In partic rticu ular, lar, this activity enabled the... teachers to reflect often on t h e b a s i s for t h e i r pr a c tic e a n d the w a y s in w h i c h t h e i r ac tio ti o n s are are infl influ u ence enced d in the c la ssroom (p. 683).

As part of an affective c o m p o n e n t for d e v e l o p i n g the in structional potential of teachers in t h e content areas, Morawski (1995) proposed t he u s e of biblio bibliothe therap rapy. y. Through v i c a r i o u s i n v o l v e m e n t w i t h b o o k s a n d o t h e r w r i t t e n m a tte e rrii

als, t e a c h e r s can g a i n s i g n i f i c a n t knowledge about their s t u In p a r t i c u l a r , b i b l i o t h e r a p y can dents as well as t he m s e l v e s . n o t o n l y h e l p teac he rs c o n t e n d w i t h the demands of teac teach hin ing g readingread ing-disa disabled bled stude students, nts, b u t it can also p r o vi vid d e assistance to teachers w h o a r e c o p in ing g with their o w n i n s ecu ecu rit itie iess rela relate ted d to

the readin reading g pr proc oces esss (M (Mor oraw awsk ski, i, 1995, p. 338). This paper proposes an approach to bi bibl blio ioth ther erap apy y that will d ev ev e ell o op p fu urr t h he e r its application to teacher education at both the pres preser ervi vice ce a n d inservice levels. The a p p r oac oac h ta k e s into account both t he most relevant psychological theory a n d includes reading th e re c co og gn n iiz z e d stages of b i b l i o t h e r ateacher-initiated p y . It aloud, instructor-initiated readings, readings, guid gu ided ed in inde depe pend nden entt reading, a n d collaborative in inqu quir iry. y. Each o f these elements is d e s c r i b e d a l o ng n g w it i t h g ui ui d e ell i n e ess f o r

 

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enga en gagi ging ng te teac ache herrs in critical self-exploration an and d ac acti tion on withi ithin n cont ntex extt of bibl biblio ioth ther erap apy. y. t h e co

Psyc Ps ycho holo logi gica call theory supporti supporting ng bibliotherapy Accordi rding to Adle Adler' r'ss Indi Indivi vidu dual al Psychology, in indi divi vidu dual alss

are i nd ndiv ivis isib ible le,, social, de deci cisi sion on-m -mak akin ing g be bein ings gs whose behav

ior is goal-oriented and purpo rposive ive (Corsini, 1973). Although people all exist in the same world, each person (for a variety of reasons) tends to perceive it differently (Adler, 1930, p. 6). In particular, individuals' perceptions, based on their subjec tive i nt e rp re t at io n s of life events, affect the choices they make. In the case of teachers, the se p e r c e p t i o n s are bound to influence part partic icip ipat atio ion n in teaching and learning.

For example, one teacher who misperceived herself as re a r e ea ad dii n g an inef ineffe fect ctiv ivee reader avoided t h e u s e of content a re

strategies for instructional purposes. Another teacher who mistakenly viewed himself as incapable of meeting the needs of students with kinesthetic learning s t y l e s , r e s i s t e d t h e no t i o n of mainstreaming for his class. In

essence,

behavior

is a f u n c t i o n o f perception

(Din Pe Di kmey Criti ex i(D n ainkm t ikmey o n eye ofer,pePew, r sw, on aan l da nDin d nkm proeye feessr,io1979, nal pp. e r15). ce p t iCr o nitica s cal wli texam h iam n a supp su ppor orti tive ve social context such as an inservice course, can help tea ch tea chee rs to reach a more conscious understanding of their ac tions in the e d u c a t i o n a l s e tt i ng . As a r e s u l t , t h e y will be in a

b e t t e r p os iti o n to id e n tif y a n d co ns ide r a l te r n a t e p o i n t s of view a n d behaviors needed to contend with t h e many chal

leng le nges es of t e ac hi hin ng.

Stages o f sel selff dev develo elopme pment nt i n bibliotherapy

Three interdependent s t a g e s of self d e v e l o p m e n t , (i)

iden id enti tifi fica cati tion on,, (ii) cat catha harsi rsis, s, a n d (iii) insi insight, ght, h a v e b e e n consis tently

associated

with

the

bibliotherapeutic

process

 

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(Adderholdt-Elliott a n d E lle r , 1989; Ci Cian anci cio o lo, lo, 1965, Hebert,

1991, Ho Hoag aglu lund nd,, 1972; Lenkowsky a n d Le Lenk nkow owsk sky, y, 1978;

Russel elll a n d Ru Russ ssel ell, l, 1979). Manning a n d Manning, 1984; Russ Th e s e stag stages es can provide some structure for t h e b a s i c i s s u e s to

be addres addressed sed to pa part rtic icip ipan ants ts in bibl biblio ioth ther erap apeu euti ticc discu iscuss ssiions ns.. Iden Id enti tifi fica cati tio o n.

Affiliating some some real or fictional c h ar a c terr with oneself or associate te tess (C (Cia ian nciolo, lo, 1965, p. 898) would be an im imp portan rtantt step in confronting a personal or professional issue b y w a y of a written w o r k . Mo st of o u r actions a r e t h e

consequences of thinking processes that we don't recognize a n d often prefer n o t to know b u t that, nevertheless, have a def init e influence on o u r actio tions (D (Dink inkmey meyer, er, Pew Pew, a n d

D in k me y e r , p. 27). Ex a min ing the be ha vi o r s a n d r e l a t e d mo

ot h he er in nd d iv i v id i d u al a l c a n a c t a s a tr a n s itio n i nt o t h e e x tives o f a n ot

p lora lorati tio o n of o n e ' s o w n perceptions a n d actions. To facilitate identification, teachers s h o u l d be e n c o u r a g e d to recall rele vant va nt incidents from their own lives such as early recollections of learning to read (Morawski a n d Brunhuber, 1995).

Catharsis.

A valua ble h e lp in self-examination, w hi c h

may be mainly intellectual but may also strike at a deep emo

tional level, is the r e a d i n g of books [and ot h e r works] w r i t t e n

by compassionate people who have made some progress in their own painful struggle to know themselves, (Jersild, p. 83) and others. As the character, works through a problem and an d rele releas ases es emot emotio iona nall tens tensio ion, n, (Cia (Cian nciolo, lo, 1965, p. 898) iden tifi tificcatio tion beco ecomes mes furt furth her esta stablis blish hed. Cons Conseequ queently ntly,, tea teache chers a r e more receptive to profit from t h e e mo m o ti ti on on al a l c on o n te t e nt nt o f a

re a d i n g. A d d r e s s i n g the feelings as sociated w i t h t h e i r rele

vant incidents recalled du duri ring ng the identification stage would h e l p t h e m to expe experi rien ence ce a n d b e n e f i t f r o m c a t h a r s i s in r ela ela ti tio on

to their own personal and professional lives. For example,

many ma ny teachers may associate feelings of satisfaction with their

 

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early literacy experiences while some others may recall appre hension a n d an anxi xiet ety y (M (Mor oraw awsk skii a n d Brunhu Brunhuber, ber, 1995).

I n s ig h t . After h a v i n g b e e n freed from s ome of the ir o w n emotional tension, i ndi vi dual s are more o p e n to approach a problem lem on an intellectual level (Cianciolo, 1965).  Through emphathizi ng with a character, the plot, the relationship, or a piece of information of the readings, [they] come to a better understanding of [ t h e i r ] o w n motivations o r achieve a n awareness of something applicable to [ t h e i r ] o w n life. (Ho agl und , 1972, p. 391) The reasons b e h i n d at t it ud es an and d be haviors, inclu ding the history of their formation, can then be addressed

In the case of teachers, seeming o ppos ition to recent or renewed edu educat cation ional al pr prac acti tice ces, s, such as l i t e r a t u r e - b a s e d in struction a n d inclusive e du du c ca a ttii o on n, ca an n b e examined. A lack o f

exposure to children's classics or misperceived inequality in early sibling relationships are some specific examples of ex planations that could be uncovered here.

When t h i s le v e l o f

self-understanding has been reached, teachers are better pre pare pa red d to re resp spon ond d consciously and productively to educational changes such as the introduction of new practices and theo

ries

Reading aloud

For many years, recogni tion has b ee n g i v e n to the im port po rtan ance ce of re chil ildr dren en a n d ado adoles lescent centss (B (But utle ler, r, read adin ing g al alou oud d to ch 1982; Robinson, 1992; Trelease, 1995). More recently, the value of reading aloud to adults, particularly teachers, has been ac knowle kno wledge dged d (Ri (Richa chards rdson, on, 1994; Wood, 1994). Va Vari riou ouss as aspe pect ctss

of teachers' ongoing literacy development, such as awareness

of tex textua tual rhy rhyth thm m and and knowledge of symbolic mean eaning ing, can can be enr ich enr ich ed by listen ing to d iff e re n t k in ind d s of fictional a n d nonfictional pieces. In p a rt i c u l a r , w h e n a w r i t t e n w o r k is shared

 

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a lou d, it begins to live in ... [people's] lives a n d exten tends be y o n d the b o u n d s of the book. In the o u ts id e w or ld , we notice th in g s t h a t we h a d n 't noticed before. (W ( Wood, 1994, p. 348) R o u t i n e o r a l reading of relevant w o r k s to t e a c h e r s , t h e n , would be a n important p r a c t i c e for i n v o l v i n g them in t h e thre th reee st stag ages es of bibl biblio ioth ther erap apy. y.

Instruc Ins tructor tor-ini -initia tiated ted readings readings I n o r d e r t o facilitate self-actualization, instruc tor-initi

ate d re a ad d i n g s need to be pertinent, consistent a n d efficient. Selected works, r elat elated ed d i r e c t l y to t h e t o p i c s of study, should

be i n c l u d e d at specific times on a r e g u l a r basis. In g e n e r a l , r e a d i n g by the i n st r u c to r s h o u l d be limited to one or t w o brie f re b o oo o k on s i b l i n g rela selections such as a children s p i c t u re tionships o r an individual s e ar ar ly ly m e m mo o r ie ie s of learning to wr i te . It is cr uc ia l that w o r k s r e p r e s e n t a v a r i e t y of p e r s p e c tives. For e x a mp l e , a class on c o m p u l s i v e - h y p e r a c t i v e behav ior c o u l d b e g i n w i t h a p o e m by a child w i t h ADHD a n d e n d with a o n e - p a g e e x c e r p t from a b o o k by a school psychologist. Instructor-initiated reading should be a t i m e for quiet re flection a n d cr itical di disc scus ussi sion on.. Teac Teache hers rs need to be provided with different options for responding to t h e m a t e r i a l a n d sharing their thoughts a n d feelings. T h e s e options c a n t a k e such f o r m s as a c t i v e l i s t e n i n g , j o u r n a l w r i t i n g , a n d discus

sions. For e xa m ple , at the conclusion of each r e a d i n g , te ac h e r s c a n write about their r e a c t i o n s in a j o u r n a l , w h i c h t h e y maintain throughout the course. These r e s p o n s e s can be used perio riodic dic smallsmall-gro group up discussions. as t h e working ma mate teri rial al for pe At other tim es, s i m p l y l i s t e n i n g to a moving piec e is suffi cient. Mo r e structured practices such as the r e a d e r as prob

lem-ma lemmake kerr (Leggo, 1991) a n d   stud studen entt-ma made de qu ques esti tion onss (Ash, 1992) can a s si s t t e a c he r s to d e v e l o p f u r t h e r t h e i r r e p e r t o i r e of responses

 

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Instr Ins tru uctortor-in init itia iate ted d re read adin ing g is especially effective for in tr trod odu ucing cing teaches to the bibliotherapeutic process. Du Duri ring ng the the

early earl y stages, th thee instructor ca can n ac actt as a role-model, sh shar arin ing g th thee reasons for selecting a work as well as conveying her or his o w n related responses.

Teacher-initiated reading

Aft fteer th theey hav avee exp xper erie ien nced the be ben nef efit itss of bib ibli lio oth theera rapy py,,

teachers can be i n vi te d to take m ore responsibility for its im

plementation in the course. It is important to note that many teachers approach readin ing g tasks with ith confidence whi hille ot oth hers may not feel comfortable p ar t i ci p a ti n g in the process (Morawski a n d Brunhuber, 1995). T h eref erefor ore, e, teac teache hers rs should

be pro vid ed with a variety of possible activities to encourage

their active involvement in t h e bibliotherapeutic component

of the course. Examples of such activities can range from the selection and reading of an essay to the compilation of an an notated bibliography of relevant works. Even showing an an

i m a t ed ve r s i o n of a c h i l d r e n ' s classic or s h ar arii n g a s e lf - m a d e o r commercial audio ca ssette of a s t o r y would be appropriate choices, especially for a relu reluct ctan antt reader.

dv f atet aictheprr-oinviitdiaetse.d reSaedeiinngg isthtehier alternOan tievemarjoolre-am oadnetlaingge ot h classmates actively involved in bibliotherapy may give some teachers the courage to take a more visible role in the process. Further mo moti tiva vati tion on can emanate f r o m t h e support offered b y

collaborating with a classmate. For example, one teacher could r e a d a p e r t i n e n t excerpt while an o t he r could s ub se quently guide his/h his/her er classmates through a short debriefing session that focuses o n t h e examination o f t h e i r responses

a n d related meanings.

 

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Guid Gu ided ed independe independent nt reading

In addition to including shorter pieces of reading aloud,

a ss ig n in g l o n g e r w o r k s s u c h as novels, short stories a n d auto

biographies for independent reading would be valuable for engaging teachers in critical self-exploration by w ay of biblio useeful becaus usee they therapy. Longer works are particularly us provide a more-in-depth investigation of specific problems over a longer period of time.  Freedom to linger, or hurry, as we choose, to pause and reflect if we wish, makes a distinct

difference from listening to oral language in which the speak sp eaker erse sets ts the pace (Hunsburger, 1985, p. 11). Guiding questions.

Providing teachers with a list of

guiding questions at the outset of thei heir rea eadi ding ng would greatly

assi as sist st th theem to explore critically the the significance of the the work work for for thei th eirr own personal and pr prof ofes essi siona onall dev devel elopmen opmentt.  What is impo im port rtan antt about this list is not the specific questions on it, but

the nature of the questions, the attitude about literature that is

fostered by the questions (Myers, 1988, p. 65). Specific ques tions would be aimed at clarifying the teachers thoughts, ex

amin am inin ing g th thei eirr emotions, an and d encouraging th thei eirr consideration

a n d e v e n t u a l u s e of a l t e r n a t i v e actions .

On c e t e a c h e r s be

come familiar this procedure, thefnutubreegread in ad to their with own questions as they they respocan nd to re formulate ings.

To exemplify the kinds of questions that can be used to

stimulate critical self elf-inq inquir uiry, the following set has been in

cluded. These questions, which are intended to facilitate the study of Somebody Else s Kids (Hayden, 1982) in a graduate educa ucation ion cour ourse, se, were dev developed ped in consulta ltation with ith exist i n g r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s (Cianciolo, 1965; Reid, 1972) for dis cussing books.

1) Identify at least three critical incidents (positive or

negative) that occurred in this book and explain the

 

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significance of each one. Consider th thee emotions, images, an and d thou th ough ghts ts that that yo you u associated with with ea each ch incident. Explain. your cur cur 2) Within the context of each incident, address your rent perceptions and practices related to learning and teach ing. Di me?? Exp Explain. Did d th they ey change? Did th they ey remain th thee same 3) If you could change one incident in this book, w h a t would it be? Explain how this change would have affected

t h e ch ar act er s a n d e v e n t s i n t h e b o o k .

4) M a n y i m p o r t a n t is s ues r e l a t e d to d i ff e r e n t k i n d s of

lear le arni ning ng an and d teaching practices are are addr addres esse sed d thr hrou ough ghou outt th thee book.

E x a m i n e o n e o f t he h e se s e i ssss ue u e s i n relation t o d i f f e r e n t c o n

texts in your own life (e.g., your teaching situation, your cur

r e n t and earlier learning experiences). C o ns ide ide r class discus

sions sio ns,, pres presen enta tati tion ons, s, and and recomme mmended readings. What at was yo your ur general reaction to re read adin ing g thi hiss book? 5) Wh

Collaborative inquiry

 Each reader brings individual experience and u n d e r  Ea standing to the story and takes away what seems significant (Hunsburger, 1985, p. 16). However, discussion must must take place within a community of learners if teachers are to derive the full benefits from their guided inde indepe pend nden entt reading.  The

group gro up set setti ting ng offers members th thee opportunity to develop ne new w p e r c e p t i o n s of t h e i r a p p r o a c h to the basic tasks of life (Dinkmeyer, Pew, and Dinkmeyer, Jr., 1979, p. 142). Within

this forum, an ongoing interchange of thoughts and emotions enco en cour uraages ges teac teache hers rs to re-examine thei theirr cu curr rreent pers perspe pect ctiv ivees as well as m o d i fy t h e i r r e l a t e d actions.

For example, hearing a classmate struggle with her own

self elf-doub doubtts abou aboutt being a teacher of autistic children helped

to face his With own fears abou orhis kinggroup wit ith h lanother ear earning ning classmate disa disabl bled ed students. the suab ppout ortt wof members, he came to realize that his constant striving for per

fection was limiting his options for growth as an educator. In

 

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response to his realization, he decided to volunteer in the school ool's re reso sou urc rcee pr prog ogra ram, m, which wa wass in inte tend nded ed to assist those stude st udents nts who who were were experiencing va vari rious ous academic difficulties.

Although many teachers may welcome the chance to learn from th thee self-exploration of others, they they ma may y no nott always feel comfortable with revealing their own thoughts and feel ings in the pr pres esen ence ce of pe peeers. Th Theerefor oree, it is essential that dif ferent forms of collaborative groupings, specifically whole class, small group, and dyads, are used for critical discussion of a book or other longer work. A larger group may be appropri ate and necessary for addressing issues of a more general na ture. However, a small group provides repeated opportuni ties for ... i n d i v i d u a l s to s h a r e id e a s actively as t h e y q ue st ion , answer, elaborate, and revise informally (Reid, 1972, p. 26).

Addressing the the assigned questions wit ith h a part partne nerr or several

other classmates before the beginning of a whole class discus

sion could provide teach eacher erss wi witth the courage to ex expr pres esss them hem sel elve vess in such a la larg rger er si sitt u at atii o n.

Groups can be formed an and d maintained thro hrough gho out the course in a number of ways. For instance, at the time that a novel can lishedisfoassigned r the purto poth see whole of discclass, ussinsmall g the g nroovueplsoca nn a be peestab riodic basis.

Toward t h e e n d o f t h e course, a f ull ull - c l a s s discussion

could then take place. Alternatively, class members can be given the option of selecting on onee of several novels, the num ber of which will depend on the class size. Membership for groupings will be based on the chosen novel with two or more sub-groups for each novel. Sub-groups, whi which will meet individually to discuss the novel at specific intervals throughout the duration of the course, will later combine for more extensive verbal interaction a t t h e course s conclusion.

 

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Of c o u r s e , other po poss ssib ibil ilit itie iess exis existt for t h e ex expl plor orat atio ion n of novels a n d longer w o r k s . For e x a m p l e , a t e a c h e r w h o h a s an interest in f a m i l i a l relationships that i n v vo o llv v e s iib b llii ng ng s a n d learning difficulties m a y want to read a n d r e a c t to a book as part of h e r or his i n v e s t i g a t i o n of t hi s subject. A l t h o u g h t h e vall u va ua ab bll e l e ea a rrni ning ng that could take p l a c e in a community of le a r ne rs w o u l d n o t b e available, t h e c o u r s e i ns n s ttrr u uc c tto or co ou u lld d

dialogue w i t h t h e teacher using bri brief ef conf confer eren ence cess a n d journal entries

Before using a w o r k , it is i m p e r a t i v e that th thee in inst stru ruct ctor or k n o w s t h e se sele lect ctio ion n we well ll a n d h a s decided  t  th h a t it provides a fair p i c t u r e of t h e p r o b l e m (Lehr, 1981, p. 77 . The pa part rtic icul ular ar n e e d s o f th e tea ch ers in

the course m u s t be d eter min ed

as

well. Administering a brief brief questi questionn onnai aire re at t h e beginning of t h e c o u r s e would help to ascertain this information. This ques qu esti tion onna nair iree co coul uld d co cont ntai ain n open-ended and/or sp spec ecif ific ic ques tions which w o u l d d e p pe en nd d on t h e sp spec ecif ific ic cour course se a n d its i n he q u es es t io io n s used tended learning o u t c o m e s . For e x a m p l e , t he for a methods course o n r e a d i n g c o u l d r a n g e in focus f r o m t h e teachers previous coursework in r ea ea di d i ng n g e du d u ca ca ti ti o on n to their o w n perceptions of themselves as r e a d e r s . L e h r (1981) a n d D a v i s o n (1983) o ffe r ad addi diti tion onal al g uide uideli line ness o n selecting proper bo book okss and re rela late ted d ma mate teri rial alss for bib ibli lio oth ther erap apy. y.

Considerations for implementation

Effective im impl plem emen enta tati tio o n of a bib bib li lio o th thee r a p eu eutt ic c o m p o nent i n v o l v e s the use of t he or et i c a l a n d pr prac acti tica call knowle knowledge dge r e la te d to a v arie ty of a reas s u c h as c oun se ling a n d lib libra rary ry sci ence. T h e r e f o r e it is important that in inst stru ruct ctor orss ta take ke advan ta ge of the r e sou r c es a n d expertise that are a ss oc i a t ed with with the a n d in se r vi c e tea che r s. For e x a m p l e , educ pres eser ervi vice ce sed elucat ecatio tioion n nofofmpr ate ter ria ials ls can be supported by the e d u c a ti o n librar i a n o r brookstore associate w h o c an identify appropriate works a n d suggest specific sources for further consultation.

 

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2 55

Information about group process a n d se self lf-a -act ctua uali liza zati tion on can be obta ob tain ined ed f r o m a co coun unss el elin ing g in inst stru ruct ctor or w h o c o u l d also act as a guest f a c i l i t a t o r for a s e s s i o n on b i b l i o t h e r a p y ( M o r a w s k i , 1995, p. 342). A s s i s t a n c e c a n even be found among t h e class members w h o w o u l d very l i k e l y p o sses ssesss d iffe iffere ren n t levels a n d types o f relevant skills. F o r i n sta sta n c e , a teacher librarian c a n give book t a l k s on pertinent n o v e l s w h i l e a p r a c t i c t i n g guid a n c e c o u ns e lo r c a n a c t a s a co-facilitator fo r a w h o l e class d is

cussion

For thos thosee in inss tru tru cto cto rs w h o are cons consid ider erin ing g the the u s e of b i b l i o t h e r a p y for t h e fir st ti me , it is best that t h e y i n t e g r a t e t h e p r a c t i c e i n t o t h e i r c o u r s e s on a gradual basis. Co Con n ce cent ntra rati ting ng ea d a l o u d o n o n e course a n d selecting o n l y s h o rrtt e r w o r k s to r ea a t sp spec ecif ific ic ti times mes throughout its duration would be o n e w a y of initiating t h e p r o c e s s . A s s i g n i n g a short story as part of a unit o n a particular topic such as giftedness would b e another nc or or p por ora a tte ed in ntt o a means b y w hi hi c ch h b iib b llii o tth he err a p py y co ou u lld d be i nc co u rs e o n a s m a lle r scale.

Providing time for observation a n d ac actt i v e re refl flec ecti tion on

would be es se ntia l, es peci al ly for r e fi n i n g a n d ex expan pandin ding g the usage o f bibliotherapy in t h e t e a c h e r education classroom. T h e an anal alys ysis is of various outcomes, including a tea tea cher cher'' s unfa v o r a b l e r e a c t i o n to a story o r t h e large amount of debate that w a s sparked b y a poem, w ou o u lld d p rro o v iid d e i nv n v al al ua u a bl b l e m at a t er e r ia ia l for t h e r e v i s i o n of f u t u r e i m p l e m e n t a t i o n s s u c h as t h e guided independent readings of aut autobi obiogr ograph aphies ies..  onclusion

 A t e a c h e r is a human being with nee needs, ds, abil abilit itie ies, s, beli belief efs, s,

goals a n d a heart. Teachers must be able to use t h e i r o w n p e r sonality a n d t a l e n t s to help their students as w e l l as them se lv e s g r o w (Thorpe, 1987, p. 247). He nc e , pe pers rson onal al a n d p r o fessional

transformation

is

a

critical

fa cto r

in

teacher

 

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READING HORIZONS 1997 volume 37

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education, where intrapersonal awareness and growth need to artt of the ongoing construction of knowl become an integral par edge and practice. In part partic icul ular ar,, teachers need to gain an un derstanding of their perceptions as well as the influence that

th e se p e r c e p t i o n s can h a v e on t h e i r a t t i t u d e s a n d ac tions in

the ed educ ucat atio iona nall se sett ttin ing. g. The approach pr pres esen ente ted d in th this is article

can provide preservice a n d in inse serv rvic icee te teac ache herr e du du ca ca to to rrss w iitt h

specific theoretical and practical means by which this goal could be actively and con consc sciious ouslly ac achi hiev eved ed through the inte

grat gr atio ion n of biblioth theerapy into their courses. References

Adderholdt-Elliott, M., & Eller, S. (1989). Counseling students who are gift gi fted ed through bibl biblio ioth ther erap apy. y. Teaching Exceptional Children 22 26-31. Thee education of children Chicago: George Allen & Adler, A. (1930). Th Unwin

Ash, B. (1992). Student-made questions: One way into a literary text.

English Journal 81, 61-64. Butler, B. (1982). Reading begins

at home. Theory into into Prac Practi tice ce 21 308-

314.

each chiing an andd tea each cher er Carter, K. (1993). The place of story in the study of tea education. Educational Researcher 22, 5-18.

Cianciolo, P. (1965). Children s literature can affect coping behavior. Personnel   Guidance Journal 42, 897-903.

Cipolloni, D. (1993). A n extraordinary silence Westport CT CT:: Bergin & Garvey. Colvin, C . 1994 . Using images from literature to compose a philosophy fo forr

teaching. Journal of Reading 37, 682-683. Current ent psy psycho chothe therap rapies ies.. Itasca IL Corsini, R. (Ed.). (1973). Curr IL:: F.E. Peacock. Daisey, P.  1993 . Th Thre reee wa ways ys to promote the values and uses of literacy at a n y age. Journal of Reading 36, 436-440.

iblioth iother eraapy: py: Why and how. how. Reading Davison, M. (1983). Classroom bibl World,   3 103-107.

Dinkmeyer, C, Pew, W. W.,, &Dinkmeyer, D ., Jr.  1979 . Adlerian counseling and psychotherapy. Monterey CA CA:: Brooks/Cole.

Harris, T.L. & Hodges, R.E. (Eds.) (1995). The literacy dictionary: The vo cabulary of reading and writing Newark, DE DE:: International Reading Association.

Hayden Hay den,, T. (1982). Somebody else s kids. NY: Avon. Hebert, T.  1991 . Mee Meeti ting ng th thee af affe fect ctiv ivee needs of bright boys through bib liotherapy. Roeper Review 13, 207-212.

 

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Hildreth, B.  1992 . A li lite tera rary ry pe pers rspe pect ctiv ivee on learning disabilities (Report No.. EC 301-370). Baltimore MD: Ann No Annual ualCo Conv nven enti tion on of the Council for No.. E D 347 Exceptional Children.  ERIC Document Reproduction Service No 754).

Hoaglund, J.  1972 . Bibliotherapy: Aiding children in personality devel

opment. Elementary English 49 390-394. Hunsburger, M . (1985). Teaching reading methods: H ow do preservice teachers understand the experience of learning to read? (Report No. CS 0088 128). Chicago: Annual Meeting of the American Educational 00

Research Rese arch Associati Association. on. (ERIC Doc Docume ument nt Reprod Reproductive uctive Service No No.. ED 260 3 8 3 ).

Jersild, A. (1955). When tea each cher erss fa face ce themselves. NY NY:: Teachers College Press

Leggo,C  1991 . Th Thee reader as problem-maker: Responding to a poem with questions. English Journal 80 58-60. Lehr, F. (1981). Bibliotherapy. Journal of Reading 25 76-79.

B., &Lenkowsky, (1978). Bibliotherapy for for the LD adoles Lenkowsky, cent. Academic Therapy 14,R.179-185. Manning, D., &Manning, B. (1984). Bibliotherapy for children of alco

holics. Journal of Reading 27, 720-725. Morawski, C. (1995). Developing the ins instr truct uctiona ionall potenti potential al of teachers in thee co th cont nten entt areas: An affective com compon ponentin entin rea readin ding g tea teache cherr edu educat cation ion.. Reading Horizons 35, 329-346. Morawski, C, & Brunhuber, B. (1995). Teachers ear early ly recol recollec lecti tions ons of

learning to read: Applications in reading teacher education in the con

te tent nt area areas. s. Reading Re Ressearc earch h and and Instruction 34 315-331. Myers, K.  1988 . Twe Twent ntyy (b (bet ette ter) r) questions. English Journal 77 64-65. Nelms, E. (Ed.). (1993). Teachers and teaching in novels, biographies, film, and an d song song.. English Journal 82 96-98. Nickolai-Mays, S. (1987). Bib Bibli liot othe hera rapy py an andd the so soci cial allly isol isolat ated ed ad adol oles es cent. Th Thee Sc Scho hool ol Co Coun unse selo lor, r, 35 17-21.

ladd dder erss fo forr human relations. Washington Reid, V. (Ed.). (1972). Reading la D.C.: American Council o n Education.

Richardson, J. (1994). Great read-alouds for prospective teachers and sec ondary onda ry st stud uden ents. ts. Journal ofReading 38 98-103. Robinson, L. (1992). My father. English Journal 81 70-71. Russell, A., & Russell, W. (1979). Using bi bibl blio ioth ther erap apy y with emotionally

disturbed distu rbed ch chil ildr dren en.. Teaching Exc Except eptio ional nal Childr Children en 11 168-169. Sheridan, J. J.,, Baker, S., & de Lissovoy, V. (1984). Structured group counsel

ing and explicit bibliotherapy as in-school strategies for preventing problems in youth of changing families. The School Counselor 32 134  4

Thorpe, C (1987). The growing teacher: How to become th thee te teac ache herr you ve always wanted to be. Individual Psychology 43 246-249.

 

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Trelea Trel ease se,, J. (1995). The read-aloud handbook. NY: Peng Pengui uin n Books. Wood, od, K. (1994). Hear Hearin ing g voices, telling tales: Find Findin ing g the power of r ea ead d in g aloud. Language Ar Arts ts,, 71, 346-349.

  ynthia M Mo Morawski is a faculty member in the Education Department at Univ er sity of Ottawa in Ontario   anada

Appendix

Read adiings ngs abou aboutt Teac Teachi hing ng Recommended Re

C oo oope per, r, S. (1995). S a rah rah ' s st ory. The Reading Teacher 48, 633. A kind kinder erga gart rten en tea each cher er's 's reflection on her resp respon onse se to a Do Down wnss syndro syndrome me gi girl rl's 's memb member ersh ship ip in her class, from initial rel reluc ucttanc ncee to pers person onal al growth as an educ educat ator or.. Te Teac ache herr selfelf-aw awar aren enes esss a n d de deve velo lopm pmen ent. t. Oral read readin ing. g. Dejjong, M. (1954). The wheel on the school. NY: H a r p e r Trophy. A De Newb Ne wber ery y Awar Awaree bo book ok ab abou outt an elem elemen enta tary ry school teac teache herr who, in insp spir ired ed by one of his stu tud dents ents,, even eventtually involves the whole fishing village in sign signif ific ican antt lear learning ning expe experi rienc ences es surrounding co coll llab abora orati tive ve effo effort rtss of attrac att ractin ting g a crane to a r oof top. Curriculum inno innova vati tion on.. For si sile lent nt reading.

Hayd Ha yden en,, T. (1980). On Onee child. NY: Avon. Ha Hayd yden en pr pres esen ents ts an insigh ghttfu full acco ac coun untt of her per persona sonall and professional stru strugg ggle le to reach one of her st stud uden ents ts — a six-year-old gi giffted ted girl wh whos osee ba back ckgr grou ound nd,, filled wi with th negl ne glec ect, t, abu abuse, se, a n d desertion, thwarted the re real aliz izat atio ion n and actual act ualiz izati ation on of he r full l ea ea r n i n ng g p o t e n t i a l . C h i l d a b us e . Silent reading.

Hayd Ha yden en,, T. (1995). The tiger s child. NY: Avon. In the sequel to One child Hayden init initia iate tess cont contac actt agai again n afte afterr seve seven n year yearss a n d reco recoun unts ts the con tinu tinuin ing g s trug ruggle gle to reach this girl as an a dole sc e nt with with de finite interests, values, and memo memori ries es of her past. Self-acceptance via iden identi tity ty formation. Hayden s othe otherr boo books ks address ch chil ildr dren en of wa war, r, mu muti tism sm,, auttism, cu au cullt vict ctiimizat atiion, an and d tee een nage pregnan anccy. Silent read readin ing. g. Land La ndau au,, E., Epstein, S., and Stone, A. (Eds.). (1972). Child development through literature. Englewood Cliffs NJ: Prentice-Hall. This book is divi di vide ded d into te ten n thematic sections, each with intr introd oduc ucto tory ry essays, ficti fiction onal al pi piec eces es,, and and di disc scus ussi sion on qu ques estio tions ns conc concer erni ning ng re rele leva vant nt to topi pics cs such such as jealousy, de deat ath, h, tru truth, and discipline. Child development. Silent reading.

Land La ndau au,, E., Epstein, S., and Stone, A. (Eds.). (1978). The exceptional child through literature. En glewo od Cliffs NJ: Prentice-Hall. Similar to the previo pre vious us text text,, this his bo book ok co conc ncen entr trat ates es on as aspe pect ctss of ex exce cept ptio iona nali litty su such ch as

 

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le lear arni ning ng di disa sabi bili liti ties es,, beha behavi vior or difficulties, gi gift fted edne ness ss,, and familial

intera inte ract ctio ions ns.. Ex Expl plor orin ing g ex exce cept ptio iona nali liti ties es.. Si Sile lent nt re read adin ing. g. Natc Na tche hez, z, G. (1975). Gideon: A boy who hates learning in school. NY: Basic Books. Th Thee complexities of a ch chaalle len nged read reader er's 's dail daily y st stru rugg ggle le to

perform and maintain a positive self-image in a thir third d-gra -grad de setting, is

sens se nsit itiv ivel ely y port portra raye yed d in th this is fictional wo work rk th that at addr addres esse sess te test stin ing, g, parental collboration, alternative education, and professional selfintrospection. Reading assessment and in inte terv rven enti tion on.. Silent reading. Paley, V. (1990). T h e b oy w h o would be a helicopter. Cambridge MS: Harv Ha rvar ard d University Pres Press. s. The The inte integr gral al role role that that storytelling play played ed in the de deve velo lopm pmen entt of a pr pree-s -sccho hool oleer' r'ss self-expression and in inte terpe rpers rson onal al com co mmuni munica cati tio on is crit critic ical allly exam examin ined ed in this this book ook — his his teac teache herr's reflective di diar ary. y. Sto Story as a le lear arni ning ng vehicle. Sile Silent nt rea reading ding.. Robi Ro bins nson on,, L. (1992). My father. English Journal 81 70-71. A hig high sc scho hool ol English teacher s recollection abo about ut her father and the influence th that at he had ha d on the the de deve velo lopm pmen entt of he herr te teac achi hing ng practices, part partic icul ular arly ly th thee regu regu lar lar us usee of re read adin ing g al alo oud to st stud uden ents ts.. Reflective te teac ache herr ed edu uca cattion ion. Or Oral al reading.

Roth Ro then enbe berg rg,, M. (1978). Children with emerald eyes. NY: Pocket Books.

Case st Cas studi udies es of ch chil ildr dren en ex exhi hibi biti ting ng se seve vere re be beha havi vior or an and d co comm mmun unic icat atio ion n diffi fficulti lties are th tho oughtfully presented by th theeir teacher, a very gifted ted and an d re refl flec ecti tiv ve pr prac acti titi tio one ner. r. Cr Crit itic ical al in inq qui uiry ry.. Silen ilentt re read adin ing g. Unge Un gerle rleid ider er,, D. (1996). Reading writing an and d rage. Encino CA: RWR. In

this bo this book ok a read readin ing g co cons nsul ulta tant ntcchronicles a youn young g man' man'ss lifelong batt battle le with wi th re read adin ing g an and d wr writ itin ing g difficulties, focusing on his endle endless ssda dayy-to to-d -day ay challenges suc such h as pare ren nt-c -ch hil ild d re rellati tion onsship ipss, remedial cures, and de meaning re rema mark rks. s. Mu Mult ltid idim imen ensi sion onal al causes of li lite tera racy cy di diff ffic icul ulti ties es..

Silent reading. with schoo hool problems. NY: E.P. Dutton. A very Vail Va il,, P. (1987). Smart kids wit

informa inf ormattive ive boo book cont contai aini ning ng pers person onal al stori tories es and and a we weal alth th of theo theorretic etical al and pr prac acti tica call in info form rmat atio ion n conc concer erni ning ng in inte tell llig igen entt students who expe experi rien ence ce diff di ffic icul ulty ty in le lear arni ning ng.. Lear Learni ningdis ngdisab able led d and and gi gift fted ed.. Oral Oral read readin ing. g.

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