Student Reflection

by Katie Dudek

The Harry Potter Hype

The moment that all Harry Potter fans have been waiting for has finally arrived.  The much-anticipated part one of the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, is now playing in theaters across the country.  As of 10 AM Monday, November 15th, the Savoy 16 had sold out their eight theaters for the midnight showing on Thursday.  J.K. Rowling’s books about “the boy who lived” are books that my generation has grown up reading.  I still remember when I received my first set of Harry Potter books.  It was Christmas morning when I was in fifth grade.  I picked up a box that I thought was going to be filled with clothing, however my arms dropped with the unexpected weight of the gift.  Quickly, I tore off the wrapping paper and lifted the lid of the box to find the first three books of the Harry Potter series.  I was elated.  From that moment on, I have been a devoted Harry Potter fan.  I have read every book over three times, own all of the movies on DVD, and though I was not able to attend the midnight showing of the second to last film, I will be rushing to the theater as soon as I get my hands on a ticket. 

What I love most about Harry Potter is that people of all ages can read and enjoy the story about the boy wizard who is relentlessly trying to find a way to defeat the evil Lord Voldemort and protect the entire wizarding world (yes, I am a huge fan).  Because I volunteer in Ms. Bucio’s fourth grade classroom during the part of the day that they are studying grammar and literature, I have been able to share my love of the books with the students in the classroom.  My role in the classroom is to work with them on their reading comprehension.  I am ecstatic when the student I am working with decides to choose one of the Harry Potter books to read.  Not only am I helping them to better understand the book as they fill out their comprehension worksheets, but I am learning things as well.  While the names of the Hogwarts houses are the same, I am learning new words in Spanish that I have never encountered before.  “Varita” means wand, “juego de redomas” means set of flasks (for their potions lessons at Hogwarts), and “lechuza” means barn owl, which is a word mentioned quite often, as it is the main form of communication between wizards or “magos.” 

I have had so much fun reading these books with the students and talking to them about the new movie based off the book, Harry Potter y las Reliquias de la Muerte.  We all cannot wait to see how the movie is going to portray one of the best books in the series, and how it is going to be divided into two different movies.  I have really enjoyed the fact that I have gotten to know the students so well, and they now feel very comfortable having me in their classroom.  Being able to bond over our love for Harry Potter has helped with this.  I cannot wait to hear what they all thought of the movie.  It will definitely be a topic of discussion when I return to Ms. Bucio’s classroom after the Thanksgiving break.

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