I agree with Toni on this one. Only when a principal takes his / her time
to spend their lunch period in the library to witness the reality that you
must deal with each day, will he / she change his / her mind about what
needs to be done. Meanwhile, you will probably need to deal with crowd
control issue rather than the insanity of the situation as it exists now---
administrative ineptness.
As far as I am concerned, the classes should have priority over the
"hang-out" for the 7th graders. If the 8th grade teachers see this as a
part of their curriculum that is being cut because you must baby-sit with
those who don't have another area to "hang" then perhaps they will be the
ones to make the changes. (I would certainly encourage their support in
this area by telling them that you want to help their students with their
assignments / reading, but must do what the principal asks, which is
watching a group that wants to "hang out" rather than use the library's
resources.)
I have the same situation at my school but luckily I get to make the rules--
it's "my house," as the saying goes. My middle school students eat earlier
than my high school students. Sometimes we will have 5-8 grade classes
staggered for library classes during the same time that the high schoolers
have finished lunch and need a place to "hang out." I DO have a schedule
with teachers' names / classes signed up on the schedule which allows me to
physically show that time was scheduled for a specific group to use the
library. This means that I can pull HS students off the computers if I need
to have students from a class use them; I can move students to another area
of the library (I realize that you cannot because of the space), or I can
ask them to leave--which I sometimes do if they are disruptive.
If you don't seem to get the support you'd like from the teachers who are
being asked to stay away from the library during lunch times, I would
evaluate the situation thoroughly and make an appointment with parents (PTA
or PTO) about the issue, asking them for support in your cause which is
helping students utilize the library resources when they need them for class
work, while offering suggestions of other areas that can be used for
student activities after lunch---perhaps building outside picnic tables,
seating areas, or garden areas with structures that can be used to sit on or
hang around; perhaps even rock climbing walls, basketball courts, volleyball
areas, etc. could divert their attention for a while AND provide them with
needed physical fitness activities that they can do between classes. The
PTA--or other groups--might help to fund some type of outside area for the
kids---or you might even ask, "Why not use the gymnasium as a hang-out?"
rather than the library? Can there be club meetings during these times?
Teachers' rooms can hold some students during regularly scheduled club
activities--chess, book clubs, journalism, foreign languages, etc.) Being
pro-active by offering solutions to the problem might help to solve them.
The principal can't say "no" to every idea and might think that your
interest in getting the students into the library for their classwork
assignments WHILE providing the others students a place to be after lunch
shows your genuine concern about all students--rather than just protecting
your sanity (which is also an issue).
If the principal does say "no" to every idea...I might even consider
contacting the school board for the opportunity to speak about the issue.
If parents realize that their children are NOT given the same "equal rights"
to access the library as others are given, merely because of the principal's
inability to work around scheduling difficulties, there might be some
attention given to your situation and the lunch schedules. However, this
would be my last option. I believe that with the teachers support, the
parents' organization involvement, and your genuine concern about the
usability of the library for all students, there will be a solution to this
problem.
Hang tough and let us know what is happening.
~Shonda Brisco
Trinity Valley MS / US Librarian
Fort Worth, TX
sbrisco021@charter.net
----- Original Message -----
From: "Toni Koontz" <akoontz@CDEDUCATION.ORG>
To: <LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>
Sent: Thursday, March 18, 2004 11:48 AM
Subject: Re: Lunch problems -- added information
> Since it is a directive from the principal that lunch students have
> preference over other students, the answer is clear - You have to tell the
> 8th gr. teachers they can no longer send students to the library during
> lunch periods - then they will have to take it up with the principal and
> come up with when their students can have access.
>
> Alternative - could the teachers take turns coming with a group? That way
> they could help with discipline?
>
> By the way - when do you and your aide eat lunch?
>
> Toni Koontz
> Librarian
> St. Charles Preparatory School
> Columbus Ohio
> Carpe Diem
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: School Library Media & Network Communications
> [mailto:LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU] On Behalf Of Julie-Olson -SGH
> Sent: Thursday, March 18, 2004 12:23 PM
> To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
> Subject: MID: Lunch problems -- added information
>
> I've been asked a couple of clarifying questions that I thought might help
> those responding to my situation.
>
> 1) Can I limit the number of lunch people?
> Answer: No, the principal has said the students at lunch have priority as
> they must have a place to go after they've finished eating. Yes, I've
> argued this with him with no success. He has gone so far as to forbid
> scheduling of classes during lunches because that would mean we needed to
> keep out the lunch crowd in order for the classes to have reasonable
> access to tables, chairs, computers, shelves, etc. (Of course, we can only
> hold 60 people and typically have at least 30 from lunch, so the other 200
> must be going somewhere else.)
>
> 2) Can I tell the students checking out or at computers that I have to
> deal with the 8th graders before I can help them?
> Answer: I can only do this when the 8th graders become problems, I can't
> be proactive. Again, this is a directive from the principal that students
> at lunch have priority over students from class.
>
> Julie Olson, Librarian
> Saghalie Middle School
> 253-945-5010
> jolson@fwps.org
>
> "Life is not tried, it is merely survived, if you're standing outside the
> fire." Jenny Yates and Garth Brooks
>
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