“Any student can walk in and find something that’s meaningful to them. That they’re going to enjoy, that is going to capture their imagination and is hopefully going to help them enjoy reading more than they ever have before,” said Van Zee.
“One day on a lark, I subscribed to a comic, I brought it to class and I said, ‘Hey, I got this, who would like to read it?’ Then a short line formed at my desk.”
Until then, Van Zee noticed some students had rarely even finished a book. That changed with comics and offered students a sense of motivation.
“I would see these students walk up to the shelf and pick a different book every day for independent reading and they were stuck reading material that meant nothing to them. I was always looking for ways to reach those students,” said Van Zee. “With a comic they could finish reading something in one sitting and then they have that feeling of finishing, which is a great motivating feeling. Their next question was always, ‘Well, where’s the next one?’”
The idea is, when students enjoy reading, they will read more, even if that first step is a comic book.
“I have to be honest, I was a little surprised,” said Assistant Principal Cindy Bennington. “I mean I read novels, I don’t read comic books. But he was so right, it’s so much better than reading nothing at all.
Bennington says it’s fun to watch Mr. Van Zee connect with students over reading.
“I’ve known Matt for 17 years and I still think he is probably the most incredible teacher for how earnest he is and how hard he works to get kids to read. He just honestly loves to read and he thinks everyone should love to read.”
Van Zee is one of 14 Anoka-Hennepin employees to receive their Above and Beyond Award for his work to engage English language learners and struggling readers. Employees were recognized for innovation, creativity, caring and commitment.
He says teaching English is more of a calling than a job.
“It means a lot to know that the work I do and how I spend my time each day is making a difference with students because that’s why I teach,” said Van Zee.
Van Zee says familiar comic book characters help students understand sophisticated vocabulary and complex story lines. He put his classroom library together with help from grants provided by the Anoka-Hennepin Educational Foundation. The dynamic library has proven so successful he’s helped build them in other schools.
