LM_NET: Library Media Networking
Not too many answers out there on combatting burn-out in Librarians -
either nobody ever feels burned out, or nobody knows what to do about it...
I did receive some good ideas, though, and here they are! I was hoping for
some "chicken soup for the soul" types of ideas, and I got a couple of
those (how to focus on the real reason we're here, how to stay creative,
why Librarians are important, how we change children's lives, etc.). But I
also got a few good "project" type ideas as well. Thanks to everyone who
responded - if you have any more ideas, it's not too late!
=======================================
Sounds to me as if you need a principal with a more cogent view of what
the library media program truly is. Flexible scheduling is #1.
Curriculum integration with classroom activity is #2. You could not be
bored if you were teaching. You might like to read some of the books
written by M. Ellen Jay.
Hilda L. Jay, LMS(Ret.) & Author
=============
A couple of things that I did successfully as an elementary
librarian: Call # Go Fish. I made ~ 40 different colored paper fish
which had various Fiction/NF call numbers and titles on them, being sure
to include bios, fairy tales, dinosaurs...I then laminated them. The
kids would all sit in a circle with the fish pond in the middle. We
would take turns fishing for a "nonfiction book about planets whose
author's last name started with a B." I did this with 2nd and 3rd
graders and they loved it! With older children we played library
jeopardy with teams and questions about various parts of the library
(card catalog, circ desk, ref,...) and library terms (fiction, call #,
periodicals). Just some quick ideas - Silvia
--
Silvia Meder Lilly, LMS
==============
Here are some things I've done in the last few weeks. Maybe they will help
you.
Pull out the Frog and Toad books. Explain that they are EASY to read.
Watch together the Frog and Toad are Friends video. I take a few minutes
and explain claymation (they all seem to know Gumby) and the kids love it.
I also explain that the video is word for word like the book. If you don't
know which video I mean, I wil look at school for you. There are two Frog
and Toad videos, and a Curious George video, all by the same crew. Can't
remember, of course, who did them, though. I do this with first graders.
Do some alphabetical order games. I have a set of index cards each with a
letter of the alphabet written on it in black marker. Hand the cards out.
Talk about alphabetical order - which letter comes first? Have the children
call out the letters in order, and as each child's letter is called, have
them stand up by your chalk board, or on the edge of the story rug, etc. I
do this a second time with index cards with simple words. The kids have to
remember to look at the first letter and listen for it to be called. Then
we do first names of the kids, and last names of the kids, and then we do
the FUN part. Each kid has to pretend they wrote a book. Then I send them
to the picture book shelves. They each have to find the shelf where there
book would stay, as if they really wrote one. It's fun to see how the
bossy kids help the slow ones! I do this with first graders.
I do animal research with my second graders. The whole thing takes three
class periods - one to talk about reference books, one to use a reference
book, and one last week where they are doing three different things. Each
child chooses an animal. No dinosaurs or pets. I have a set called
Amazing Animals of the World. I made an info web worksheet. In the middle
is a circle that says Animal's name. Around this circle are five squares.
They are labeled - What they eat, where they live, animal group, what it
looks like, and how it protects itself. I hand out the papers, and ask
each child which animal he wants. Then I go through the index and tell
them which volume and page., and hand them the correct volume. They find
the page themselves. Then they fill in the paper. We do it one step at
a time. I have found themore directions I give, the less questions I have
to answer. They get so excited!! The hard thing about second grade is some
of them are still beginner readers. I let the ones who are finished first
help the others. Everyone cooperates. Next week I am going to help each
child look up his animal in Grollier's CD-ROM and print a picture. While I
am doing that, I have two puzzle sheets for the others to work on. I made
them both on http://www.puzzlemaker.com. One of them is a word search with
twenty hidden animals, and the other is ten scrambled animal names. Then
when they go to the computer lab they are going to make a cover for their
animal project using Print shop. The computer teacher found a frame with
animals. The kids will type their animal name, and their name, and their
teacher's name, and print it out.
This project is only possible because the computer teacher and I share
classes - half stay with me and half go to the lab. I have no more than 15
kids at a time. We all sit at two tables pushed together, and I sit at the
head of the table.
Right now the third graders are doing a Nifty Fifty State Project. Each
child chooses a state. I made another info web worksheet. The center
circle says State Name, and the outer squares say capital, bird, song,
area, and date of statehood. We talked about all the books they can find
the answers in, but I have them all use my Hello USA books, so it is
easier. Each book has a facts at a glance list on page 66. They fill in
the information very easily once they listen to the explanation. Next week
they have a state map on which they must identify the capital, and five
other cities, and then color. They have a US map on which they must color
their state red, the other states green, and the lakes blue. They also
have a word search puzzle that they can do when the other pages are
complete. I think this will take four class period to complete - one for
the info web, one for the state map, one for the US map, and one for
finishing up and the word search. If you want to know the source for the
state and US map, let me know. Again, it is at school.
I think you could look at your situation, which is very similar to mine, in
another way. If you only have the kids once a week for thirty minutes,
anyone who is a true pain in the neck you don't have to deal with very
much. Imagine if you had that kid everyday for 180 days!! I don't want to
send long term projects into the classrooms, becuase I want things done MY
WAY. And I don't like homework, because I don't like grading papers!
I know this is long, but I thought of one other point. The animal project
I thought up because of a project a second grade teacher wanted to do. She
did a chart with the same topics my info web had. Maybe you could go to
some of the teachers you are friendly with and tell them you wold love to
do a project with their kids that would tie into something they are doing
in science, or social studies, etc. Even if it is something as simple as
looking at maps in an atlas to find where a story takes place, the kids are
getting good exposure, and you are creating a tie between what they are
doing with you and in the classroom.
Look for messages from Patty Melville on your LM-NEt list. She and I often
share ideas. And if you want to ask anything specific, let me know. I
love to share ideas. Maybe the things you are so tired of doing would be
new things for me!!
Hope this all helps!!
Karen
===============
Hi folks,
I use this little meditation when feeling stressed. Try it!
*********************************
Feeling stressed out?
Picture yourself near a stream...
Birds are softly chirping in the crisp, cool mountain air.
Nothing can bother you here. No one knows this secret place.
You are in total seclusion from that place called "the world."
The soothing sound of a gentle waterfall fills the air with a cascade of
serenity.
The water is clear.
You can easily make out the face of the person whose head you're holding
under the water.
Look, it's the person who caused you all this stress in the first place.
What a pleasant surprise. You let them up...just for a quick breath...then
plop...back under they go...
You allow yourself as many deep breaths as you want.
There now...feeling better?
(Not an original - been floating around the net for awhile.
Doug Johnson, District Media Supervisor
==================
My situation is identical!! I'm too tired to write much now but I'd like
to share a few ideas I've used and "borrow" some of yours. I have 27
scheduled classes a week Pk-grade 4 at a private college prep school. I
feel burned-out too.I finally asked for 45 min. with 3rd and 4th grades
so that lessons and activitities ccan be more fun and educational for
them as well as me. Still...
=======================
I know your frustration of time as well. I have devised a schedule for
our library which includes: Author of the month; Genre of the month;
Media skill of the month.
The first week of each month we look at the books of one author, the
creative process which the author uses and some
reading/discussion/activity which is age appropriate for each group. Over
the year I try to feature a balance of male and female authors, some
author/illustrators, some related to the monthly genres each year. I
create a display with information about the Author, gather all the books
in our library as well as supplement with books from the public library.
The second week of each month we look at the one genre: realistic
fiction, biography, animal stories, mystery, fantasy, non-fiction,
poetry, historical fiction, etc. I have the books pulled and put into
tubs (for classes learning to find books on the shelves given the title
and author, their assignment is to find the books to put in the tubs) I
have small groups go through their assigned tub and figure out what they
have in common. We discuss the attributes of the genre. I may do some
booktalking. (I have prepared some laminated lists for each genre to help
students with ideas for reading.)
The third or fourth week or both we do activities related to
library/media skills. We have done story-telling practice. With several
classes we worked on telling cumulative stories; some used flannel board.
We have done reader's theatre (Aaron Shephard's stories are on the net).
We have done stick puppets to stories.
This month we are learning about various methods for pop-up books,
concertina fold books. We have a parent volunteer-run Publishing Company
to help students with word-processing for younger students and with
binding. I try to provide skills which the students can use to enliven
their books written within language arts classes.
Some months I feature lessons on reference skills: encyclopedia, atlases.
One month we look at media literacy issues: advertising, special effects,
TV viewing, ratings and other issues about making choices and
understanding what they view.
For 4-8 grades, we spend some time on multi-media skills; internet; web
pages, etc.
Over the past 6 years we have featured most of the significant authors. I
use SATA for reference or "Meet The Authors and Illustrators" Volume 1
and 2 by Deborah Kovacs and James Preller
Following is my 97/98 schedule for featured authors/genres:
Author/Genre Studies for 1997/98
September Kevin Henkes Realistic Fiction
October Patricia Polacco Memoirs
November James Howe Mystery/Animals
December Jan Brett Fairytales
January Russell Freedman Biography
February Eloise Greenfield Poetry
March Tony Johnston Historical Fiction
April Sid and Paul Fleischman
May Bruce Coville Science Fiction
I hope that this helps get you started. Visit our website:
http://www.discovery-school.org/
Lorna Kropp
Library/Computer Teacher
================
After I read Arthur's computer diaster to my second grade...we sent Arthur and
Email through his website. I read the book one week, we wrote to hime one
week and then he answered one week. The students LOVED it. Now first grade
is doing Jan Brett the same way.
Lyn Crawford
Monica C. McQueen, Librarian
monica@server.fas.pps.k12.or.us
French American International School
Portland, Oregon
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