ELEM: Babysitting??

[Deborah Marie Collier <collie@TENET.EDU>]

Folks: I have just had a MAJOR (to me!) problem come up & need fellow
librarians' sympathy, suggestions, etc.

My aide & I will be responsible for babysitting (officially: "storytime")
combined classes of Early Childhood/Pre-K, or Early Childhood/Kinder kids
for 40 min. every day during lunch while their teachers & aides have
lunch & planning periods. There will be 2 groups coming from 11:15-12:30,
during which time the LMC will HAVE to be completely closed to everyone
else. The EC kids include 2 units of Autistic children, one 5-yr-old
functioning at an 8 month level, Down's Syndrome, various seizures, a
parapelegiac on breathing apparatus, "crack" toddlers, & assorted other
disabilities (screamers, head-bangers, biters & hitters, kids that run
away at any time, etc.).

I have absolutely NO TRAINING in these types of behaviors. The head of
Special Ed. demonstated the "basket-hold" type of restraint to us to use
when EC kids "lost it". Some of these classes have THREE AIDES during the
day, while my aide & I are expected to handle these kids by ourselves.
How am I supposed to do a storytime with 22-25 Pre-K's or Kinders PLUS
5-10 EC kids at one time? Videos are not allowed as they are not "book
experiences". Most of these kids can NOT sit still for 15 min., let alone
40.

In previous years I have done storytimes with these kids, but aides have
ALWAYS been present to handle problems, so I could just tell the story.
Sometimes teachers have stayed too, when some kid was having a bad day.
And storytimes were limited to 15 min., with book checkout another 15. I
could handle that pretty well, although I did think my time was somewhat
wasted when kids were rolling around on the floor, wandering the LMC with
an aide behind, or being restrained & forced to listen.

What do I do?? I am also worried about the legality of it all & my lack
of training. Frankly, I am scared to death. Plus I am not able to service
the rest of the school during their lunch--which in previous years is
when most kids come to the LMC for computer time or exchanging books, &
teachers come to check out stuff they've suddenly found out they need. In
my opinion, this is going against everything I have been trained to do as
a librarian (i.e. service the school population).

I guess I just needed to vent, or see if some of the wiser, more
experienced librarians out there could offer me help, suggestions or
whatever.

TIA

******************************************************
*   Debbie Collier          Orange Grove Elementary  *
*   Librarian &             Houston, Texas           *
*   "Resourceress"          COLLIE@TENET.EDU         *
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