Hi Everyone,
Thank you so much for all the great new school year suggestions!
I start off with rules and procedures. But use great decorations and hints of fun
things to come.
With fifth grade, I did an "I am poem." With the 3rd and 4th grade, I did trivia
about the library. The fifth graders really got into the end of the year, I did a
poetry jam. I took out the microphone and they had fun, first days of school
too.
Our school has started using a theme each year. Last year it was REACHING FOR THE
STARS. This year we will continue the theme with KEEP REACHING FOR THE STARS. I
incorporate the theme in the media center however possible. Our media center
theme was REACH FOR THE STARS - READ! This year I might do a read aloud at the
beginning of school using a book about stars. My point is, if your school has a
theme for the year, milk it for all it's worth.
I introduce myself to each class in my K-5 school by filling an old suitcase with
various objects that represented something about me, then off I went to each
class...As I pulled the objects out the students guessed what it meant. They
loved it. I decorated the suitcase with "travel stickers" representing various
genres of literature. I told the students we were embarking on a new journey
together.
Alice Yucht posted a hit of "advice for new librarians, aka survival strategies"
on May 18, 2003. Check the LM-NET archive.
Check out Ten Graces for New Librarians at
http://www.well.com/user/ladyhawk/albany.html
I did a library promotion project for a class that was neat. Check out this
website. The article is called Survivor in the Library. I'm sorry Monica, when I
printed out the e-mail I did not realize that the website was not printed on it.
Take it slow! Get to know your media center and then make changes. Some things I
did: the circulation desk now faces the door as the class comes in. They go
around the left side of the desk by the book drop and then to our story/lesson
area. Classes leaving line up by another door so they aren't in each others way.
They can only reserve a book if it is not available when they come in. Prior to
my coming if they forgot to return a book that day they could pick out a book and
leave it for when they did return the book. Inevitably these would be books
others who returned a book wanted.
I'm on a fixed schedule. My classes are 30 minutes for kindergarten and 40 for
1-5. I generally have them check out during the last 10 minutes and devote the
rest to the lesson. Sometimes I'll have the first grade check out after the
lesson and then do the project. I encourage those not taking out books to read
the magazines while waiting for their teacher to come and pick them up.
First week is spent going over rules, fire drill procedures, book care, how to
check out books and a Noise Level Indicator (4=outdoor voice-not acceptable,
3=normal voice used during class discussions, 2=slightly above a whisper or
'library voice' for when they are looking for books or waiting for their teacher,
1=No Talking for during a fire drill and when they have received 3 warnings and
are still too loud.) I also explain my "Jump Start to Reading" challenge. Last
year I called it "Worm Your Way into a Good Book." I hang a thermometer outside
the Media Center to record the number of books read during the first month of
school. I also cut out worms that were put on a special bulletin board with the
name of any child who participated. This bulletin board is in the hall outside
the Media Center. It is 5 yards, 8 inches long and 44 inches high so I have lots
of room. Each grade had a special color (i.e. 5th was red, 4th was blue, etc...)
Another year we tried to read 2001 books since the book that won the state book
award was "101 Ways to Bug Your Parents." We went over the amount. The bulletin
board was made to look like a giant book case. The papers the children filled out
were the spines of the books that we then put on the bulletin board. I sent a
letter home with the primary students explaining the challenge with the sheet
attached that will need to be filled out. I leave a basket outside the Media
Center for them to drop these forms off as they complete them. I leave a pile of
blank forms on the circulation desk for anyone who needs them. This is alot of
work on my part and I've learned to simplify it as much as possible. It counts if
they read to their siblings, it counts if the sibling is in kindergarten or first
for listening.
Second week will be a fun story like Book, Book, Book, Mr. Wiggle or I Left My
Frog in the Library for the primary grades. I would explain how to put a book on
reserve with the older students and then book talk some of the new books that they
could reserve since I needed the books for the other classes that week. I have
volunteers check the books in, out and shelve them for me. They also assist in
helping with the projects with the primary grades when needed. I have them start
the very first day so they can hear what I'm telling the students. The PTO has a
spot on there form for parent to fill out where and when they can help in the
school. Check with the secretary to see if there are any you should consider
using. I ask parents who are interested in working in the Media Center to come to
a special meeting in May so I can explain what kind of commitment is involved. I
check with my current volunteers to see who will be available to come back. I
call all of them in August before school starts to set up the schedule. I find it
helps to have two on at a time whenever possible especially when I have a lot of
classes in a row. Parents generally make a commitment for a morning or aftenoon.
Be careful having them come when their child is there. Sometimes this works fine
but occasionally it doesn't.
I used a bulletin board near where the classes meet to have a calendar that had
author birthdays on it. I had an artistic parent help me create this board which
also had the covers of some of the author's books on it. We would check it weekly
to see if they knew any of the authors. I would try to have the author's books on
display so they could take them out. I would get my Friday afternoon volunteer to
put the weeks author books away and put out the next weeks authors books.
Thanks again for all the great suggestions! Good luck to everyone in the new
school year!
Belinda Best
L.C. Kerr
Clinton, North Carolina
First Grade Teacher
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