I was just told on Friday that the board games that I have had for the
past sixteen years in the library for my students before school and during
lunches are to be put away. Students may only come into the library to read
or to do homework-- a quiet place. My library has never been a "quiet
place" in seventeen years with the exception of those times when needed for
classes or testing! I feel like I'm being asked to take a step back in time
and being expected to shush the students. It is not a question of budget.
The school has never bought a single game or puzzle. I have gotten them
over the years at thrift stores, bargain bins, sales, etc. I have chess,
checkers, Othello, Triominoes, Battleship, Rack-O, Guess Who, building
blocks, over-sized Legos (which my students love to build things with) and a
huge variety of jigsaw puzzles from 24 to 100+ pieces. I still have
students who come in and check out books, sit and read, work on their
homework, plus just "hang out". The vast majority of my students are
special education students and towards the end of the last school year
monolingual students. Students who really didn't have a place in which they
fit.
I know that the focus this school year is on getting our test scores up
as we did not do as well last year as we had hoped. My questions are these:
How do I convince my principal that learning social skills is just as
important as the academic ones? And, that my students are learning academic
skills when they are playing games like Battleship, chess, checkers,
Triominoes, Othello, etc.? Do you have games available in your school?
When are they available to students? Any assistance would be appreciated! I
really don't want to become a shushing librarian!! Please help!
Linda De Vore
Media Center Director
Casa Grande Middle School
Casa Grande, AZ 85222
linda.devore@cgelem.k12.az.us
"Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most
accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers." -
Charles W. Eliot
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