Hit: Elem starting new job

[Carol Ebel <CAE505@AOL.COM>]

Thanks for all the suggestions and good wishes. There were a few requests for
a hit, so here goes.

Carol Ebel
Parkside Elementary School
Fond du Lac, WI
cae505@aol.com
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Someone on LM_NET suggested this as a beginning of the year intro--I did, and
the kids enjoyed it.

Introduce yourself, and tell them you are going to give the class(works best
for gr.3-5 perhaps) some T/F questions to answer about what they think you
were like when you were that age.  Here are a couple that I used.

Mrs. King had a brother whom she loved dearly and they never ever fought. (F)
Mrs. King won a hula-hoop contest when she was 9 (T)
Mrs. King went to a sixth grade dance held during a class party and read a
book all the way through it.(T.)
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When I started as a K-5 librarian, I dressed in a costume everyday until I
had met all my scheduled classes.  I tried to tie my lessons/read-alouds in
with whatever costume I had on that day (ie top hat and tails for ringmaster,
read circus books).  Teachers came in to see me, students were
all talking, central office got wind of it, and parents made comments... all
very positive.  I was not "the new librarian, what's-her-name," for long!

  I still use costumes (or rather, silly hats and shoes now that I'm at the
middle school level) for research purposes.  If you can remove yourself from
the "I'm too serious to have fun" feeling we sometimes get locked into,
relaxing can be very beneficial to your program.
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Could you please forward any interesting hits you get to your questions on
LM_NET.  I am a media specialist in Menasha, WI and I just started this year
so I would appreciate hearing any good ideas.  To introduce myself to the
students, I brought pictures and object that told about me and what I
like to do and showed three of my favorite books from when I was a child and
then asked the students to share their favorite book with me.
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Hi, Good luck! I just started a new position four weeks ago and I took some
time to tell the students about myself personally and professionally. I had
also made out name cards for each of the 600 plus students and handed them
out. This was very time
consuming (the actual making of the cards, I mean), but it
helped me connect the names and faces. I also read them
all my favorite picture book, "Hey, Al" which is quick and
appealing to all ages.
I'm still adjusting...working very hard. I have an urban school,
30 classes a week, and the library is not automated. Yesterday
I found out that my morning aide has been given a new full-
time position as of Monday AM. Oh, well. Welcome to the real
world. Best of Luck!
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Give out bookmarks to the students that learn your name. (All of them)  Ask
them to "reward" you with a cute handmade bookmark for you when you remember
their name. Provide the markers, construction paper and the TIME  to make
them in the library. Prove that this is a meaningful activity by laminating
their bookmarks and displaying them proudly in the library
with their names on each one until you have learned each of their names. Our
Principal has learned all 500+ names of the seniors by the time that they
graduate from our building. There are about 2,000 students here and he trys
to speak to each of them at least once. For him, this is a very important
part of his day.
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opinion surveys work well with older kids--fav books,what they liked/didn't
like before about library--you'll learn alot about them and often can "give
in" on stuff that really isn't important to accomplish what you want!
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A couple of things I am doing that take very little time for me- except to
promote- and you need the teachers to help with promotionk, is to have one
day the kids wear a button to read, another day wear a shirt that can be
read, another day the principal will read to the kids.  Yet another day they
bring in a stuffed animal to read to, and Friday afternoon will be a "Read
In" when they curl up with a pillow, etc. and read all afternoon.
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I know the feeling. I walked into a school library in the middle
of March one time to replace the librarian on maternity leave. This is what
worked for me.

First, I introduced myself with a little background and apologized for not
knowing all of their names. Got a good laugh from that. Then I told each
class that there would be changes because I did things differently and that
they would have to help out.

Next, I gave them an outline of the things that I would do each time a class
came. This is where I introduced my routine of starting each class with a
poem or story. I did this for K-8. The eigth graders sneered, but by the end
of the year, they looked forward to it.

For the most part, things went well. I also took the time to talk to the
teachers. Again, I let them know that things would be done differently.

Good luck and try to end each day with a smile (It can be a 'dracula' smile
after a rough day, but you still have to smile).
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    Get you a bag and put things in it that are things that you like to do.
Like read, knitting needles, pictures of your family. Picture of yourself as
a little girl.  Plastic horse. etc. I did this on my orientation and it was a
hit.  If I pull out a
paint brush, the kids have to guess what I like to do by looking at the
object.
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Good luck!  Try having the students make a poster celebrating book week!  You
could have them design one with a slogan, or brainstorm ideas with them for
other ideas!  Make it a contest if you'ld like and give new bookmarks to the
winners (special bookmarks, or gift certificate for a free book when the
school has it's book fair....I sometimes cut out a piece of paper to look
like a T shirt and they trace it and cut it out and write/illustrate a
slogan!   Have them list their favorite books and see what book is the most
popular among them.  Have a favorite hat day, "Hats On to Reading" and they
wear their favorite hat at the end of the week!
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Good luck, Carol.  I only do quick and easy things although I am having a
used book swap.  Two other favorites I am doing: 1.  Trivia question.  I ask
a question over the loud speaker every morning for grades K-2 and one for
3,4,5.  Teachers allow anyone who thinks s/he knows the answer to bring it on
a scrap of paper to put in a jar.  Since there are lots and
lots, I draw a correct one and give a prize the next morning when I do that
day's questions.  I also bought two glass snowman jars and M &Ms &
Butterfinger beebees to fill them.  I';m going to let the children guess how
many and award the jars to the winners.  Hope you have fun.
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How about a bookmark contest?  Give each child a blank bookmark and have them
design a bookmark that could be photocopied.  I usually figure about 5/page
of copy paper.  You can choose best of each class, or just copy all of them,
cut and use in the library or at the public lib.  (well, maybe not--I can do
it at our little local lib, but FDL may not go for it--but
maybe the childrens room???)  Be sure the originals are a bit smaller than
you want as there is a little growth in the copy process--and kids will go
right out to the edge with their designs.
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Congratulations on your new position!  I was in that same boat a couple of
years ago and felt so very excited but so very overwhelmed as well.  Thus I
offer you my "survive the first week" strategy....

For younger kids, read one of *your* favorite picture books.  That way you'll
be comfortable and enthusiastic.  Allow for discussion.

For the older kids (4&5...maybe 3) I used chart paper and asked them what
activities they liked to do best while in the media center.  They had had a
string of long-term subs over a couple of years so I asked them to select the
things each one had done (no name, of course) that they liked best.  It was
*very* interesting!  Another approach would be to ask them
what they would *like* to do whether or not anyone else had ever done it.
 They had some terrific ideas!

Children's Book Week--- (again in this same "new-to-me" situation) - I did
this w/3,4&5th grades: Using 1/2 sheet of typing paper, duplicate the outline
of the ALA library
symbol.  I don't really know what it's called but it the stylalized one of a
person with a book.  Anyway, I had the children use this outline to create a
character from their favorite book.  They were *amazing*!!  I had my son
9about 6th grade at the time) create a couple of samples so
they could see how it could be done.  Some children chose fiction; some chose
nonfiction.  There were lines at the bottom for the title, author, and the
student artist's name. I hung them *everywhere* and many, many people
commented on them.

For 1st and 2nd, I had them just draw and color a scene from their favorite
book and also displayed these.
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Make a poster introducing yourself to the students (and teachers)-- if
possible a picture of you, your name (spelled correctly), and some
interesting things about you -- your cat's name and habits? your favorite
books?  For those who forget your name, it gives them a reference point for
looking it up, and gives the students a sense you are sharing something of
yourself with them.
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