Hi All,
Thanks so much for your suggestions about how to control the talking in my
primary school library classes during book check out time. Primary school
means grades K-2. Some suggested coloring pages, which might work. However,
the kindergarteners wouldn't be able to do worksheets. We do have a school
wide reward system, but that doesn't seem to affect these kids.
I have 50 minute library classes, 27 classes a week, so I have very little
time to do anything else and probably wouldn't have time to prepare special
awards. I also do three RIF book fairs a year, plus two Scholastic book
fairs.
I have around 8 hours of free time a week if you count the 20 minutes before
school starts, 15 minutes before lunch, and 30 minutes at the end of each
day. Of course, as we all know there always seems to be someone in the
library wanting something during that time. So I actually have two 50 minute
periods on Friday and one 50 minute period on Wednesday to get anything
besides teaching done.
I lost 5 minutes to each teacher because they wanted more planning time,
which means they added 5 minutes to each of my classes. With two new
teachers added this year, I lost a total of 3 hours and 45 minutes a week of
planning time.
I don't know if the teachers would appreciate me sending their kids back to
class, thereby disrupting their planning time. That sure sounds like a good
suggestion though.
Just venting. Sorry.
However, I really appreciate the suggestions.
My original email is listed below with all the replies from this great list
after my email.
I certainly will try some of the suggestions!
I really do love the kids. I was beginning to feel like a real loser at
being a librarian. You all have lifted my spirits with your encouragement!
Thanks,
Cindra Boring
This is my second year as a librarian in a primary school. I can keep the
children's attention during lessons, but as soon as book checkout begins,
they begin talking too loudly. I tell them to stop, and they stop for a few
seconds then start back in again. I've had them sit at the desks with their
heads down for a few minutes, but they begin again as soon as they start
looking for books again. I've even given them tickets to have recess time
taken away from them. Nothing seems to work. I can hardly wait until the
children find their books and check them out so they will quiet down. I
usually have to check the books out and help the children find books at the
same time. It is just difficult doing two things at once, plus watching all
the other children while I am helping one child or checking out books for
another.
What do the rest of you do to maintain quiet in the library during check out
time? I don't mind whispering, but it gets so loud that I can't hear the
children's names so that I can check out their books. To top it off there is
a wall air conditioner running behind the circulation desk. I keep turning
it on and off so that I can hear and try to keep it cool in the library. I'm
not hard of hearing. In fact my hearing is very sensitive, which probably
makes the problem worse for me. It's like fingernails on a black board.
I would think it was just me, but teachers who visit the library have also
told them to quiet down.
Any suggestions, please. Probably there are some out there who have no
problems with this. So please be kind and tell me how you do it.
Cindra Boring
Librarian
Madisonville Primary School
Madisonville, TN
cbtn@bellsouth.net
We have the same problem, because our ceiling is very high and it's a large
room. Every sound seems to echo and swirl. I try to keep the kids far away
from the assistant who checks out books, but that's hard if you work alone.
Actually, the first /second graders are the worst--they're all reading to
each other. It does warm my heart.
wonder if you can find some other way to get their name without having to
hear them tell you.
Gail Conley, Media Specialist
Elms School (K-5), Jackson NJ
<mailto:cyberconley@optonline.net> cyberconley@optonline.net
Gail Conley, Media Specialist
Elms School (K-5), Jackson, NJ
cyberconley@optonline.net
Cindra,
I went to a cliipboard system where I recorded the kids' names and taught
them how to write down the barcode of the book so that I could be free to
help other children...I sometimes put out 2-3 clipboards and the kiddos had
to find their name (I made master's and ran them off every week) and I had a
policy of catching them being good...so when someone was really quiet or
helping a friend I made a huge deal out of it...I used our ellison machine
and made up special awards for being library helpers...and often being quiet
meant that child got an extra book for checkout that week, and that seemed
to do the trick. They all wanted another book!
I also gave the children a "time out" of sorts by having them sit where they
were if they were too loud...they would just sit on the floor for 60 seconds
and then I let them resume activity. Same rule applied for running. I
would divide them into teams and they were to help their teammates to be
quiet and then sit down quietly and read after checkout. Sometimes a whole
team would get the reward like a special bookmark or the right to check out
an additional book the following week. I found this one especially helpful
for the upper elementary grades.
Good luck!
Cherie LeMay
Librarian
Villa Duchesne HS
St. Louis, MO
Hey Cindra.
At my son's library (K-4), the librarian lets 5 kids at a time go to look at
the books for checkout. It seems to help not letting them all go at once.
However, that doesn't do anything to alleviate the "glom" at the checkout
desk. I'll be curious to see how others handle this as well.
Ronda Y. Foust
School Media Specialist in Training, UTK
rstansb2@utk.edu
Oak Ridge, TN
http://thebookdragon.blogspot.com/
Cindra, I have written work for students to do before and after checkout and
if a class can't browse quietly, I let only one table 5-6 students up at a
time. This isn't perfect, but then what is? Except for the fact that I'm
starting my fifth year (and the air conditioner is on the other side of the
room) I could have written your letter - especially the part about being
sensitive to noise. Good luck.
Pat
Hi Cindy,
In my last school where I had classes for 45 min. of prep time, I often had
an activity sheet of some sort for the students to do after their books were
signed out. Students who left their books at home sat at table and worked on
the paper while the others browsed for books.
I would put on a CD of music and remind the students that if they couldn't
hear the music their voices were too loud. Trying to teach them to whisper
is an ongoing problem. I would often do this when students were working on
research projects too.
Please post a Hit if you get any good ideas. In my current library the plan
is very open and the students are really spread out. I don't even have a CD
player now.
Regards
Randi
Sit them down, and only let them up to move around a few at a time. You
probably have a really good idea about who is the noisiest, select them
last. Start with a small group. 3 or 4 up moving around. If they can be
quiet, add another child. If that group is still quiet keep adding another
child. If they become noisy ALL of them sit down again. With another group
giving it a go when you are sure they are quiet again. If the first group
doesn't get to get up again to finish checking out they will have to come
back another time.
Sure it's tough! But in the long run it will be easier.
Another idea... enlist a teacher whose class is relatively quiet in the
library to come in during your lessons and begin to noisily check out books.
Keep teaching, getting quieter if you need to get the point across quickly.
Pretty soon your students will be complaining they can't hear you. That's
when you give the "noisy" class the signal and they get quiet, you then can
have a discussion about what is proper ettiquette in the library and why
that is important.
If it is a group that really "gets it" let them be the "noisy" class the
next time.
Jean
R. Jean Gustafson
Teacher/Librarian
Selah Jr. High
Selah, WA 98942
jeangustafson@selah.k12.wa.us
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