Franklin Reading Specialist Presents Three Sessions at NCTE

Superintendent Lucas Giguere is pleased to share that Horace Mann Middle School Reading Specialist Erin O'Leary presented three sessions during the NCTE 2024 Annual Convention held recently in Boston, sharing perspectives on English education and reading in line with the event's theme of "Heart, Hope, Humanity."

The four-day conference held by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) is the largest event of its kind for literacy educators, drawing hundreds of teachers to share ideas and discuss successful practices for inspiring the next generation of learners, thinkers, readers and writers. The event, which took place at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, was highlighted by a keynote speech delivered by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Horace Mann Middle School Reading Specialist Erin O'Leary presents a session at the NCTE 2024 Annual Convention called "BLAST: Bringing Libraries and Schools Together." O'Leary shared how she introduced a collaborative in 2018 at Horace Mann Middle School to provide students with a part-time certified librarian on loan from the local public library. (Photo courtesy Franklin Public Schools)

The sessions presented by Reading Specialist O'Leary and the conference on a whole offered encouragement for teachers to become bold, ambitious and innovative in their efforts to share the life-changing power of literature with the next generation of readers.

"There are a lot of teachers out there with good ideas," said Reading Specialist O'Leary. "The difference between those being able to execute them and those who don't is often fear and lack of administrative support."

Reading Specialist O'Leary presented alongside Mary Giuffre, a West Bridgewater elementary school principal and her counterpart from the "Crazy Reading Ladies," a spirited duo of teacher-trainers promoting the uplifting power of reading.

From left to right, Horace Mann Middle School Reading Specialist Erin O'Leary presents a session at the NCTE 2024 Annual Convention, interviewing authors Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin, along with Mary Giuffre, a West Bridgewater elementary school principal and O'Leary's counterpart from the “Crazy Reading Ladies." (Photo courtesy Franklin Public Schools)

Their partnership as the "Crazy Reading Ladies" dates back to 2012, when the two both taught at Horace Mann Middle School. The pair started an interactive book club program called "All In!" at a time when a feature film based on "The Hunger Games" novels was about to be released in theaters, culminating in a field trip to the movies attended by 221 students.

The Crazy Reading Ladies, who are aficionados of young adult and middle-grade literature, presented a session called "Books Build Bridges," which expounded on the concept of social-emotional learning through young adult literature. Using an evidence-based social-emotional learning framework to guide a personalized approach to matching students with books to read, the program was introduced at Horace Mann Middle School after receiving a special grant in 2019. The grant allowed the Crazy Reading Ladies to spend $5,000 on books that are still being used today as part of the initiative.

"We've always known that children who are emotionally available to learn do better in school," O'Leary said. "What we didn't know was how to support the development of those critical skills. Let the books do the work. In our Massachusetts middle school, we have found that books are the best way to support social and emotional learning. The highly-individualized approach uses contemporary young adult literature to teach students about themselves and the world around them, developing their social and emotional competencies in a safe and comfortable environment."

O'Leary and Giuffre also presented a session on Bringing Libraries and Schools Together (BLAST), a collaborative introduced in 2018 at Horace Mann Middle School to provide students with a part-time certified librarian on loan from the local public library. Now, BLAST has spread to four of the district's other schools.

And the Crazy Reading Ladies also presented a session called "When History Meets Humanity: A Conversation with Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin," speaking with the co-authors of a recently published historical fiction called "The Bletchley Riddle." This session stressed the importance of reading regimens that include a healthy dose of both nonfiction and historical fiction, with Sepetys and Sheinkin sharing how their works of historical fiction are meant to open up a world full of secrets and fascinating facts.

From left to right, author Ruta Sepetys, Mary Giuffre, a West Bridgewater elementary school principal who formerly taught at Horace Mann Middle School, author Steve Sheinkin, and Horace Mann Middle School Reading Specialist Erin O'Leary. The four took part in a session called "When History Meets Humanity" at the NCTE 2024 Annual Convention held at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. (Photo courtesy Franklin Public Schools)

"Their books are exceptionally well-researched, but they are also beloved," O'Leary said. "They turn students into readers and readers into thinkers, giving young people the courage to question historical events and decisions while nestled safely between the pages of a book."

Reading Specialist O'Leary offered a special thanks to Horace Mann Middle School Principal Rebecca Motte and Assistant Principal Jennifer Santosuosso, for supporting her work to promote a culture of literacy at Horace Mann Middle School.

"Not everyone is so lucky," O'Leary said. "Theirs is the kind of support educators dream about. They have consistently upheld and prioritized the culture of literacy I strive to build, and made me feel valued as an educator. They are thoughtful collaborators who offer the insight that helps me both reach and refine."