Jessica Holloway works with Thomas Grider on reading comprehension during class Thursday morning at Hixson Middle School. Holloway received $1,000 from UNUM’s Strong Schools Grant Program which she used to purchase books that the students are currently reading.
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Books about shiny vampire love and post-apocalyptic teenage gladiators are all the rage right now for the under-18 crowd, but Jessica Holloway wants more than that for her students.
A teacher at Hixson Middle School, the 29-year-old Holloway sees reading as a portal into another world; a time-traveling device to visit other eras and cultures without leaving the living room. She wants her students to see it that way, too.
“There’s nothing like sitting down with a book,” she said. “It’s like having an experience and going somewhere without leaving your house.”
The students themselves sometimes prefer torrid tales about lusty teenagers and magic wands. But by working with parents to establish reading times at home, Holloway pushes the students to learn a little something about history and science, and along the way they create the mental tools they need to carry them through to a successful life.