Teachers Reflect on the Magic of Reading, Thanks to MuggleNet Fundraiser

Mary Wojcicki: My name is Mary Wojcicki. I am the senior journalist on the MuggleNet News Team, and I am here interviewing Kristen, who is one of the recipients [of] the Magical Books for Muggle Teachers campaign that we had conducted about a year ago in 2019. Kristen, if you want to start by giving your name - first name is fine - and a little bit of information about what grade and/or the subjects you teach, as well as your pronouns.

Kristen: My name's Kristen. I'm she/her. I teach third grade in Preston County, West Virginia. I teach general ed. so I teach all the subjects. Reading, math, social studies, science, writing, grammar, everything. I teach everything. [laughs] I do it all.

Mary: Alright! My second question is, how did you find out about Magical Books for Muggle Teachers? How did that come on your radar?

Kristen: I have been a MuggleNet fan [for] as long as I can remember. 10... 11... My aunt gave me the first one when I turned 10 or 11; I can't remember. And I was like, "Well, I need to learn as much as possible about Harry Potter ASAP." We got a computer, and I found MuggleNet. So the way I found out about Magical Books for Muggle Teach is I follow MuggleNet on Facebook, Instagram, I get on the website all the time, and I saw that they were looking for teachers and I was like, "I'm a teacher! That's me!" So I applied, and I forgot about it because of school and life, and then I got an email during quarantine, and you guys were like, "Hey, we want to send you these books!" And I was like, "Oh my gosh, I completely forgot about this!" [laughs] So it was a really nice surprise. It was just really nice because we had been in quarantine, and the world was ending, and that email just really brightened my day. And then one-day the books showed up, and I was just so excited, and my husband was like, "What is wrong with you?" [laughs] And I was like, "Stop! Let me fangirl!" [laughs]

Mary: [laughs] So it was like getting a letter from Hogwarts, essentially, except it was Harry Potter books?

Kristen: Yeah! I was just so excited. The first day of school, I told my kids all about it, and they were just so excited. They haven't had anything to be excited about since March, so they were thrilled to get the book in their hands, and they were really excited about it, and then that made me excited about it. So it was kind of like getting my Hogwarts letter. It really brought some light to my darkness.

Mary: I'm glad! That's so nice to hear. So was Harry Potter something that you had been wanting to include in your curriculum? Was that something that you had wanted to include?

Kristen: Yeah! Previously I taught fifth grade; two years ago. That my first year of full-time teaching, and we listened to Sorcerer's Stone on Audible because Jim Dale just did such an amazing job. I wanted to do more with it, but it was my first year teaching and I was just trying to get through that. Then last year, I taught third grade. It was my first year teaching third grade. We listened to Sorcerer's Stone, Chamber of Secrets, and Prisoner of Azkaban during our hibernation time, which is just a quiet, wind-down time after recess where they could just listen and relax and color and just wind down from being outside and playing. They wanted to know more after we had listened to the first one; they wanted to know more about the author, so we did a little mini author study on Rowling. When I got the books this year, I was thrilled because then the kids could actually look at the words while they were listening.

Mary: How did you choose to incorporate Sorcerer's Stone into the curriculum? You said you had done this quiet listening time, so did you put any specific lesson plans around Sorcerer's Stone, or was it more so the kids could have the books while they were listening?

Kristen: At the moment it's just so they can have the books while they're listening because I really wanted to do a whole lot more with it this year, but because of all of the COVID restrictions our days are packed. We have two recesses, and they have specials and lunch, and it's so hard to fit in reading and math. So they're listening, but we're using the... what are they called? They're on MuggleNet...

Mary: Oh! The Harry Potter At Home?

Kristen: Yes! We're doing some of those little chapter things that go along with each chapter. We just finished Chapter One because we just got the books out and started listening. So we just finished Chapter One, and they all drew what they thought Professor McGonagall looked like sitting in Little Whinging, sitting on the brick wall. So we're doing those as we go through the chapters. I think if we weren't in the middle of a major pandemic, I would be incorporating it more into my literacy standards. Right now, I'm really just using it as a read-aloud and trying to get them interested in reading. I teach in a really low-income area, and reading is huge because they can't read. So just getting them interested in reading has been a struggle. So I'm thinking if I can give them something that they actually want to read, maybe they'll think, "Oh! Other books might be like this too!" I mean, of course they're not, but... [laughs] I just really want them to be interested in reading.

Mary: Yeah, for sure. And I think for a lot of people, even [those] who are slightly older at this point - even myself - Harry Potter was such a gateway into reading and into experiencing other books as well. So I think that element of it as well is really important. You've touched on this a little bit already, but what has the reaction been from your students or from their families?

Kristen: The kids... it's just joy. They're just so excited. They come up to me, and they're like, "I went home and watched a Harry Potter movie!" [laughs] And I'm like, "Yeah, that's great!" I'm like, "Maybe you can read the book and see how it's different from the movie!" They're just very excited. The parents, they haven't said much.

Mary: That was my other question because the series has been faced with controversy over the years, and there have been calls to ban it and things like that, so I was curious, too, if you've faced any challenges.

Kristen: Not this year. When I taught fifth grade I had a grandma tell me she didn't want her granddaughter reading Harry Potter, but I think she softened to that after the little girl had gone home and told her grandma more about it. Like, "This is actually what's happening in the book." But this year, I haven't had anyone say anything. All the kids in the school know that Harry Potter is my jam, so they will come up to me and say stuff like, "I read the first book!" or, "I'm reading this book now!" It's kind of nerdy; I could turn my camera on and show you.

Mary: Oh my God, please do. If you're going to nerd out, you might as well.

Kristen: I have four of my original Harry Potter covers up here on my wall, and I have three pages that I've torn out and put on my wall, and I have a broom that I've made.

Mary: Feel free to show me if you want. Honestly, I'm not bothered at all.

Kristen: Should I turn my camera on? Am I doing it? I don't know.

[Kristen and Mary discuss technical difficulties as Kristen attempts to pull up her camera]

Kristen: I can take a picture and send it to you!

Mary: That would work! Because I would love to see what you've done to make things a little bit more immersive.

Kristen: I just want them to know that I love Harry Potter so much that these are my original book covers, and look how disgusting they are because of how hard I read them, and then I don't even... Those books are put away because they're falling apart, and then I have a chest that has all the new books that I won't read because they have to stay in there, and then I have another set.

Mary: Oh my gosh!

Kristen: I tell the kids this because I want them to know that books are important. When kids see an adult reading, then they think, "Oh, well, maybe I should read too!"

Mary: Then there's that factor of it's not uncool or whatever to be reading and to be enjoying it.

Kristen: Right! Yeah. Especially here. This county is so backward; I'm not from this county, I'm from the southern part of the state, but they kind of don't value education or reading. And that's fine for them, but I really want to impress upon the kids that reading is fun, and you can escape when you read. You can escape your reality a little bit, and you can go somewhere else for a little bit, and you don't have to be in your own space.

Mary: I think, as well, the fact that there is a pandemic right now and things are so varied with online learning and in-person learning and hybrid learning and all of this and so many terms being thrown around that really weren't part of the vernacular before now and this element of just being immersed in a fictional universe for a while... It's very appealing.

Kristen: Yeah. And I just want to show them that reading can take you [to] other places besides here. A lot of my kids probably haven't left West Virginia, and I know that. I just want them to see that by reading, you can go [to] other places; you can escape for a little bit. Especially during this pandemic. We can't go anywhere, really. Get a good book out and go away for a little bit.

Mary: This doesn't seem to be an issue from what I'm hearing from you but do you plan to continue to use Harry Potter in your curriculum going forward in future years?

Kristen: Yes, definitely. And I really want to include it [in] my curriculum more. More than just a read-aloud, because you can do so much with Harry Potter. So much. Jo does such a good job with everything. And it's a really good model for kids to see, and to even take apart and put back together. It's really good writing, and when kids see really good writing, they can then... not duplicate it, but use that to do their own good writing. So yeah, I definitely plan to keep using Harry Potter. And it also just teaches such good life lessons about friendship, and love, and kindness, and character. So yeah, I totally plan to keep using Harry Potter forever. As long as I'm a teacher.

Mary: That's great. I'm not in classroom teaching, but I feel that I would be very much the same way of trying to incorporate it in just about every element. To finish things up, four teachers who might be wanting to include Harry Potter in their lesson plans in some way, or in their overall curricula, what would your advice be to those teachers who are maybe hesitant about using Harry Potter or who want to use Harry Potter but don't know exactly how to implement that. What would you suggest?

Kristen: Just start small. Start with a read-aloud or start with small groups. You could do small group readings where you just have a couple of kids, and they're reading the book, and you're reading it with them, and you're doing small group activities with it. Just start small, and then you can make it as big or whatever you want. I think kids need Harry Potter. They need a way to escape from their daily lives. They need it as a model for good writing, and then that character piece too. There's just so much you can do with Harry Potter, so I would definitely just say start small, and then once you're comfortable, just take baby steps to get bigger, which is what I'm doing.

Mary: Thank you so much for your time! I think that concludes the end of the interview unless there's anything else that you would like to add. It's been great chatting with you!

Kristen: Yeah, thank you!

Mary: I'm so glad that you're so enthusiastic about MuggleNet and about the Harry Potter series. It makes things so much more enjoyable to chat with folks who also value the series so much. The shirt that I'm wearing right now is also Harry Potter themed.

Kristen: That's wonderful! I drank my coffee out of one of my Harry Potter mugs this morning.

Mary: Oh, yeah. I've got a Harry Potter mug with some iced coffee in it right now as well! It sounds like you've really put the books to use, and you've really found different ways to incorporate the series into your curriculum, and barring pandemic-related complications, you would like to do even more with it! Which sounds fantastic.

Kristen: My husband teaches high school, and I"m trying to talk him into teaching Ring Theory to his high schoolers, and he's like, "I don't know..." [laughs]

Mary: I think there might be some podcast episodes on that. I can't remember which. I feel like there are definitely at least two podcast episodes that MuggleNet has done on alchemy.

Kristen: Well, I know there's the three Ring Theory ones that I've listened to, and then I know they were starting the one on Patreon. The exclusively Ring Theory one. So I was like, "You should have your students listen to these! And then you should go back with your students and do it!"

Mary: I love it! I haven't even listened to those personally, so I'm going to have to go back.

Kristen: You will! It's such a mind-blower and I'm blown away by it. So that's my thing now, is trying to do that for myself. But thank you so much and I'll definitely send you that picture.

Mary: Yeah! That sounds great. I'm sure MuggleNet readers would love to see as well because we're all massive fans here. It's sort of our thing.

[Kristen and Mary laugh]

Mary: I'll let you get on with the rest of your day, but it was really nice to chat with you, and I'm so glad that your students are enjoying Harry Potter!

Mary Wojcicki: My name is Mary Wojcicki. I am the senior journalist on the MuggleNet News Team. We began [the Magical Books for Muggle Teachers campaign] around this time last year as part of our 20th-anniversary celebrations, and now we're doing a follow-up! My first question for you is, could you give us your name - first name is fine - pronouns, and a little bit of information about either what grade or the subject that you teach?

Jen: My name is Jen. Pronouns are her/she. I teach fourth grade; all academics.

Mary: Alright! So second question. How did you find out about the Magical Books for Muggle Teachers campaign?

Jen: I follow the fan page on Facebook.

Mary: So you saw it on Facebook and decided to apply?

Jen: Yes!

Mary: Knowing that you are a MuggleNet fan, as seems to be the case with the interviews that I've done so far, was Harry Potter something that you'd been wanting to include in your curriculum?

Jen: Yes. We cover the fantasy genre, so before I read Harry Potter myself, I jumped from book to book, none that I really loved. But once I read it, I knew I would want to read it with my students, and I have every year tried to read it to them, and they always were looking for the books themselves to follow along, so this was really great for them to have that book in hand. And they are loving it. They've already asked me to start Book 2, which will be next week.

Mary: They've already moved on from Book 1, they're going to Book 2! My other question is, how have you incorporated the books into the curriculum. Is it just a quiet reading time sort of thing?

Jen: No. We do a focus lesson every day with the book, so it's my mentor text. For our unit, it was fantasy. We are looking at how can you suspend your disbelief to enter fantastical worlds. We look at the symbolism; we are tracking the characters through their quests and overall that good versus evil in the theme of the story. But we do a lesson every day, and then they have to read, independently, their own fantasy book. So we do follow along with that genre.

Mary: So it's entirely fantasy, Harry Potter plus additional books, that the kids are reading?

Jen: Yes.

Mary: Alright. My other question is, the Harry Potter series has been faced with controversy on occasion. There has been pushback over the years related to the books, related to some of the themes and things like that. Have you faced any challenges in that regard at all?

Jen: I have not in my classroom. I have had more feedback about parents saying that their kids love it so much that they've had to go out and buy the entire series.

Mary: [laughs] That's great, though! Have you had to adapt your lesson plans at all in response to the pandemic?

Jen: Yes. We are [a] hybrid model, so half of my teaching is online. We also incorporated for the kids when they're at home, if this is too high of a level for some of the readers, we used the celebrity recordings that J. K. Rowling had put out on the Wizarding World site. We would stream through those, and they could follow along with the book in their hand and listen to somebody read it out loud. So that was one way that we tried to still maintain the pace of our fantasy unit but not have to change out the book to a lower-level reading level.

Mary: Just a comment on that; I think the Harry Potter At Home stuff, the readings are great, and it's actually something I heard yesterday talking to Kristen as well, was that Harry Potter At Home was something that they had been using in their classroom as well. I think that's great that the timing has worked out on that as it has. My other question is, beyond the fantasy unit this academic year, do you plan to continue to use Harry Potter in your curriculum? Is that something that you plan to continue to use?

Jen: Well, since they're all asking me to read the second book, I do have a copy that I will bring in for myself and I will use that as more of just a fun read-aloud rather than for curriculum content. But as the books progress further, they do get a little [heavier]; it would be as far as I go. We did a Harry Potter Kahoot today. In other times, I would normally do a Harry Potter movie day. We would make Butterbeer with the kids. But I don't know if I can do that part of it this year. Chamber of Secrets will still be our next go-to, it just won't be a curriculum, it'll be for the love of reading. And hopefully, more kids will want to go out and continue to read the series on their own at home with permission from parents.

Mary: Have the kids reacted well to reading the series in class, and have they wanted to pick up the other books? Is that something that you've really seen?

Jen: Yes. There were a few who had already seen the movies, but now there are differences, and they want to see what the other differences are. And then there are kids who hadn't read or watched the movies at all, so they promised me that they would go through book-by-book before they watch the movie. Now I do have a couple who said that their families are going to pick up wherever we leave off, and they're going to do it at nighttime with mom or dad reading to them.

Mary: That's great, though, that they're so involved and that they want their parents to read it with them, and making it into a whole family thing. I think that's great.

Jen: I've had kids last year, a kid whose family had to go to Universal to go to Wizarding World because she just dove headfirst, read all the books, and absolutely loved it. And I got an email over the summer, "We just booked our trip to Wizarding World!"

Mary: That's great, though! The theme parks are so immersive, and to have gotten that much out of class and to then be so invested in the series, that's great.

Jen: It has been a really great tool, just for the love of reading.

Mary: Yeah, and I think that that's something that I had touched on with Kristen yesterday as well, but just this idea that the Harry Potter series is such a gateway into other books and to other stories and to understanding other works of literature and things like that. So it's a good jumping-off point.

Jen: Amen.

Mary: My other question in regards to this is, what advice would you give to other teachers who are looking to use Harry Potter as part of their curricula?

Jen: I mean, I think I would be 100% behind pushing for seeing how it can really make the kids involved and engaged and eager to keep going and that it really is great to look at for character development. So even without all the fantasy pieces that we were focusing on with our genre study, it's just so great to see how the characters come through these difficult times and how they struggle and their motivation to get through it and how the friendships form and develop. I think there's just so much character ed. involved with this series.

Mary: I think that's another thing, is there'[ve] been multiple studies just about the novels and the effect that they have on children and things like developing empathy and things like that that have come out besides that this is a children's or young adult's book series. That there are tangible benefits to that, which I think is definitely important. Is there anything else that you would want MuggleNet readers to know about, either in the way in which you've implemented Harry Potter in your fantasy curriculum, or anything in relation to the Magical Books for Muggle Teachers campaign?

Jen: I don't know what they need to know, but I can say that Harry Potter is not just found int hat one series. I'm in my classroom right now, and I have Harry Potter decorations throughout, but things for like what we were just saying with the character ed. I have growth mindset posters that are based [on] Harry Potter that are all quotes from the books. I have gifts that I have been given from students that are quotes from the book framed. I just think that it has been such a tremendous help in engaging my students that I'm just so thankful that you guys were able to help put that book in their hands when we weren't sure we would even be able to use our libraries. Our school library is closed due to all of this COVID stuff. So the fact that they got a book on their first day that they could use when we were saying no book shopping this year was just a huge help.

Mary: My other question, on that note, is, if there were to be another fundraiser for Magical Books for Muggle Teachers, either this year or next year, or into the future, is that something that you would be strongly behind? Is that something that you feel other teachers would benefit from?

Jen: Oh, absolutely. Yes. That was my favorite email that I got this summer.

Mary: Yeah! Everything sounds great. It sounds like your class has really chosen to dive in. I see now that I'm not in the minimized view; I can see the house pennants over there behind you!

[Jen shows her classroom]

Jen: They get their House points that they get at the end of the month. Which House earned the most House points for their good behavior and stuff. So it's embedded throughout the whole classroom.

Mary: Oh, that's great! Just the fact that they have that other little bit of, "Oh, they've got to compete for House points," and that translates a little bit into what it is they're reading and that sort of thing as well. That's fabulous.

Jen: I have the Sorting Hat the kids put on, and that's how they get their seats for their groups. How they sit is based [on] how the Sorting Hat puts them. They love that.

Mary: That is great! And I'm sure in non-COVID times as you had mentioned, Butterbeer and things like that. MuggleNet has our recipe section. All sorts of things like that. I'm sure there are so many possibilities that also because of social distancing requirements and all of that that haven't been able to be implemented.

Jen: Yeah, that has taken away some. But finding ways to make other things work in its place!

Mary: And it sounds like things have been going well, and it sounds like the students have been getting a lot out of it.

Jen: I agree, definitely. They have.

Mary: I don't think I have any more questions unless there is anything else you would like to add.

Jen: I think that's it. Again, thank you so much for the donation! It really was such a great point of the school year so far. It was a great way to kick things off.

Mary: I'll definitely let my managers know that you really appreciated that, especially with the difficulties with the library situation. I'm sure that was a real hassle for you, so I'm glad that those books got to you and that they were able to still be used and everything. Thank you so much for chatting with me and giving me an update [on] how things have been going for you!

Could you give us your name (first name is fine), pronouns, and a little bit of information about what grade (and/or the subject(s)) you teach?

Amanda Furman, she/her
I am an elementary school librarian at a medium[-]sized school (500ish students, grades pre[-K–]4). I offer daily instruction on a variety of library topics, but my basic focus is just sharing the love of books and reading.

How did you find out about the Magical Books for Muggle Teachers campaign?

I honestly cannot remember! I'm sure it was either the MuggleNet [I]nstagram or [F]acebook page.

Was Harry Potter something that you'd been wanting to include in your curriculum?

Of course!

How did you choose to incorporate Sorcerer's Stone into your curriculum?

Because of our schedule (M/Tu, Th/F in[-]person learning, W digital), plus our 100% virtual students (and now all students being 100% virtual due to Covid-19), I wanted to make sure it was something that all students would be able to access. I plan to offer a Harry Potter Book Club on Wednesdays starting in January. We'll read, do HP[-]themed crafts, and hopefully be able to have an in-person culminating activity. I am only going to open it up to 3rd[-] and 4th[-]grade students, though.

The series has been faced with controversy on occasion. Did you face any challenges at any point?

As a teacher and librarian, we try to keep our personal thoughts and feelings out of our teaching. That being said, if a parent or student brought up anything, I'd be more than willing to have a discussion. I honestly struggled with, and continue to struggle with, separating the art from the artist. However, many "classic" and well[-]loved books have been written by authors [who] are no stranger to controversy (Dr. Seuss, Roald Dahl, Laura Ingalls Wilder, etc). I plan to teach the book, not the author.

What has the reaction been from students and/or their families?

We have not yet started, however, Harry Potter continues to be a popular checkout.

How have you had to adapt your lesson plans in response to the pandemic?

I will offer this online so that our "in person" and "virtual" students can participate.

Do you plan to continue to use Harry Potter in your curriculum?

Yes

What advice would you give to other teachers looking to use Harry Potter as part of their curricula?

Remember why you love Harry Potter, and use that enthusiasm to guide you. Don't teach it, or use [it] as a read[-]aloud because "[I]t's popular, so kids must like it", or "I loved it, so I'm going to do it because I can." Teach it because you found it magical. Share that magic with your students. However, know your students and their emotional capacity—it might not be the best series to read to kindergarteners!