Lauren Schraut- Reading Importance

When I read there are two different “sides” of me that can be present. This “side” of me relates to if I am reading for pleasure or for an assignment. Reading for an assignment is usually quite tricky for me. I usually end up highlighting the wrong things and I most likely will realize I have been reading without comprehending any of it; in that case, I will have to go back and reread what I have already read. At this point I will think to myself if I am really fully engaged in the reading, if not (which is usually the case) I will set the book down and come back to it at a later time.
A lot of the previous paragraph has to do with interest. To be honest, if I was reading something I was not too passionate about I would simply skim through the pages and just go straight to the bolded words. But, if I find the writing techniques to be “catching” and the topics to be interesting, I will most likely stay engaged in my reading throughout the chapter.
When reading I tend to focus on the bolded, italicized words because they must be important, right? I will usually read over sentences containing these “important” words or phrases a few times and most likely highlight them. Freshman year I wrote a lot of notes in margins of papers and since I do not like clutter, I quickly realized that was a bad idea. I also try to relate what I am reading from past experiences in the classroom either as the teacher or as the student: when I do this, it allows me to easily comprehend what I am reading.
I usually skim a lot when I first look at a chapter of a textbook for instance. I will flip through the pages to see what the topics are and important words that are going to be presented. After this, I will then go through and read the chapter or section needed.
As I read through a text book I have this internal thought process as mentioned earlier. I try to figure out how I could implement or use a certain piece of information in my classroom and I try to relate to the topic at hand. I also realize if terms or topics are repeatedly brought up that they are important to understand.