One way that I've learned how to "show" my administrators (and teachers)
that I was working on projects when I didn't have students scheduled in the
library was to actually have a weekly hour-by-hour chart available on the
circulation desk for all to see. All of the classes that I worked with
weekly and that were booked on their day with the specific times are listed.
Then when the other blocks during the day looked "blank"---or so it appeared
to others that I had "free time"--- I would write those activities that I
SCHEDULED for myself to do. These would then be added to the schedule with
very little time "open" for anyone to question if I was actually working.
For example:
Monday
9:00 - 9:30 ---- Mrs. Smith's 2nd grade storytime
9:45 - 10:15 --- Mrs. Carter's Kindergarten storytime
10:20 - 11:00 --- (normally a "free period) Cataloging Picture
books for Mrs. Carter's class
11:00 - 12:00 --- (normally a free period)
Prepare Bibliography for
Mrs. Jones' Rain Forest unit--due Friday
12:00 - 12:30 --- Lunch
12:30 - 1:00 --- Mrs. Nemo's 3rd grade class storytime
And so it goes...if you can "schedule" your duties on the calendar each week
and actually FIX some of those activities such as selection, weeding, etc.,
by describing them as "activities related to a specific group of students or
a class" then it appears more acceptable to those who don't understand the
process. If you must send a weekly schedule to your principal, it would be
easier to show the changes in activities (for example, the Rain Forest
bibliography won't go on all year, so you can add a new item on a specific
day or hour when it was necessary). However, if you must send one schedule
for the entire year, then you can actually write "Prepare Bibliography for
Reading Units in Grades 3-6--due Dec." as a 1-2 hour class period OR "Select
and Catalog materials for Grades K-3--due by April").
It's an educational system that must be taught and must be learned. While
we are instructing our administrators as to what our jobs are, we MUST
remember to schedule accordingly....I am certain that if you check your
administrator's schedule he / she will have the same program working for him
on his calendar---except it's considered "administrative duties"....we TOO
are administrators, as well as teachers, but until that lesson has been
learned, we must be creative in our time management skills (and
presentations).
Good luck!
~Shonda Brisco
Trinity Valley MS / US Librarian
Fort Worth, TX
sbrisco021@charter.net
----- Original Message -----
From: "Nancy Torok" <nancy.torok@verizon.net>
To: <LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>
Sent: Saturday, December 06, 2003 5:20 PM
Subject: Re: Library Free Time
> I take little solace in the fact that I am not alone in having "too much"
> "free" time.
>
> I don't know how to explain to my principal that sitting in the library
and
> KEEPING IT OPEN for the one period that my aide is at lunch does not
really
> constitute a prep period. All the other teachers can go anywhere in the
> building during their prep periods. She put big question marks in my plan
> book on any other period where I did not have a class scheduled.
>
> I didn't realize that my only time off is my lunch! I think I am going to
> talk to my union representative. Now, I don't have tenure, so I really
> don't want to rock the boat.
>
> When am I supposed to weed the collection, do collection development, plan
> for displays, catalog those materials that we get that are not already
> cataloged (a lot, since we get pretty nice gifts), and prepare for classes
> for 6 grade levels? Not all of this can obviously be done at home, when
my
> hard-working comrades are marking the papers that they don't get a chance
to
> mark when their kids are in the library.... (Library is NOT a prep for
the
> classroom teachers.) I don't know when I can consult with teachers for
> special projects, research, etc. either. Only some would be available
> during my "clerical" period. Oh, yes, it's NOT called a prep.
>
> Nancy H. Torok
> Library Media Specialist
> James J. Flynn School
> Perth Amboy, NJ 08861
>
> 732-376-6183
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Karen Lindsay" <lindsaykp@SHAW.CA>
> To: <LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>
> Sent: Tuesday, December 02, 2003 11:50 PM
> Subject: Re: Library Free Time
>
>
> > To add my two cents, on Friday the same teacher sent a student for the
> > fourth time in a week to "just get a couple of photocopies from the
> > library." I stopped what I was doing and did his clerical work the
> > first three times. On the fourth, I sent the student back with a note
> > to accompany the copies. It said, "The following five teachers have
> > spares during this block (names). The next time you need copies made,
> > please send a student to ask one of them." He came to apologize at the
> > lunch. They just don't think sometimes.
> >
> > Karen Lindsay, Teacher-librarian
> > Reynolds Secondary School
> > Victoria, BC, Canada
> > lindsaykp@shaw.ca
> >
> > On Tuesday, December 2, 2003, at 06:11 AM, Diane Lungaro wrote:
> >
> > > Missy,
> > >
> > > All I can say is "WOW !!!". I think your second grade teachers have
> > > "too much time on THEIR hands" if they can take the time to figure out
> > > when you are "free" !!! Tell them I said to get a life !
> > >
> > > On the other hand, I do realize that many people, teachers included,
> > > simply do not realize that school librarians basically have a double
> > > job. We are performing many of the same duties our public librarian
> > > counterparts do, yet we are also teaching our students. No matter how
> > > you look at it, there simply are not enough hours in the day to do
> > > everything we must do !
> > >
> > > Keep you chin up and I hope your administration supports your efforts.
> > > It is a real shame that this group of teachers behaves like this !
> > >
> > > Good luck,
> > > Diane
> > >
> > > "Galloway, Melissa Kay" <MKG0522@MAIL.ECU.EDU> wrote:
> > > Hi Everyone,
> > >
> > > I thought I would share something that the second grade teachers at my
> > > school have done. They are unhappy because I have too much "free
> > > time." We
> > > are set up on a semi flex schedule where k-3 grades come to the
library
> > > every other week (they go to computer class the week they do not have
> > > library). They seem to think that since I do not have a classes
> > > straight
> > > through from 7:45 until 3:30 that I have too much time on my hands.
> > > They
> > > went as far as to add up every minute of free time that I have
> > > (including
> > > the 5 minutes between classes and my lunch time although everyone at
my
> > > school has a duty free lunch) and gave a list to the principal to show
> > > all
> > > the "free time" that I have. They also included open checkout time
> > > (which
> > > we have from 8:00 - 8:45) as part of the "free time" I have each day.
I
> > > found this quite funny because they had me having between 3 to 5 hours
> > > a day
> > > free time every day of the week! I guess they don't realize the number
> > > of
> > > books that have to be shelved, processed, etc. I wonder how much free
> > > time
> > > they must have to spend it figuring out all of my "free time."
> > > Luckily, I
> > > wasn't the only one being picked on, they did the same for the
computer
> > > teacher which follows the same schedule that I do. I wonder what they
> > > will
> > > think when we go to a complete flex schedule (as the principal has
> > > said that
> > > we will be doing soon).
> > >
> > > Has anyone else had similar complaints?
> > >
> > > Thanks for listeing to me complain about complaining!
> > >
> > > Missy Small
> > > Moss Hill School
> > > Kinston, NC
> > > mkg0522@mail.ecu.edu
> > >
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> > > Diane Lungaro, librarian
> > > dianelu@yahoo.com
> > > Sussex Middle School
> > > Sussex-Wantage Regional Schools District
> > > Sussex, NJ 07461
> > >
> > >
> > > ---------------------------------
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> > Karen
> >
> > "It's a small world, but not if you have to clean it."
> > -Barbara Kruger
> >
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