Thank you so much to those who took the time to respond to my request. I truly
appreciate it! :)
Sincerely,
Patricia Gray
ForLfKlovr@nc.rr.com
Media Specialist, Raleigh, NC
Origninal request:
Greetings!
I worked as a fixed schedule media specialist for the past 6 years. I am starting
at an elementary school in the fall that has a flex schedule. I am excited about
the change but I would love a solid idea of what a flex schedule will "look like".
I have already read the LM_NET archived information. Lot of good information
but mostly how to encourage your school to switch to flex.
Please describe what you do in your flex schedule media center. What kind of
lessons do you do? How do you get teachers to work with you? Any tips, advice,
information would be so helpful!
Responses:
I'm at middle school, so don't know if this will be applicable to you,
but it may give you something to begin with and help you teachers give
kids regular reading time.
When I arrived at my 2-yr-old middle school, the entire school district
had just moved to a flex schedule where folks would schedule with me for
visits. It was very sporadic and the language arts teachers especially
wanted a more regular schedule of visits, especially since we were
beginning to focus on regularly scheduled DEAR time (Drop Everything And
Read--free classroom reading time, sometimes referred to as SSR-Silent
Sustained Reading). So, the second year I set up a schedule for the LA
classes at each grade level to visit every 3 weeks and that worked out
quite well. I've kept it up every year since, although it's every 2
weeks now and we do DEAR time while in the library. We have 50-minute
periods and here's how it works:
Both grade level LA classes come in as soon as attendance is taken.
Students are seated and I have an opportunity to do some type of lesson,
usually only around 10-15 minutes so kids will still have browse & DEAR
time (plus longer lessons aren't retained anyhow--short & to the point
works best for adolescents!) Kids have about 5-8 minutes to get a book
and return to their seat to begin silent reading, suring which time I'm
at the circ desk checking in their books--I have no aide. When browse
time is ended and all students are seated I begin checkout by tables,
usually 2 at a time. Kids are expected to remain silent while checking
out, to not disturb readers. It takes about 10-15 minutes for me to
checkout 50-60 kids, and I usually finish about 5 minutes before the
bell. This goes on all day long.
Each weekday is reserved for a particular group: Mon is 7g, Tue is 8g,
Wed is SpEd, Thur is ESL, and Fri is 6g. This prevents conflicts if we
have to change the time period between visits or if it is critical to
get another subject class into the library, and it also gives me at
least one period "off" during the day for other library needs. LA is the
only group which has this "fixed" schedule, but it has increased my
circulation and more importantly, it has increased our reading scores
for the kids. Also, other teachers hear about the various lessons I do
with the kids and ask me to help them more frequently now.
**************************
I completely agree with Christine's last paragraph descriptions. I love the
opportunities of flex scheduling, but I worked very hard over several years to
let go of the guilt of those who don't make time for the library. I begin every
year with the same enthusiasm, ideas to go with curricular changes, lessons to
meet the newly set academic goals for the year, etc; and, yet by October I can
already tell who won't be seeing the library much.
As Christine mentioned though, once I see those patterns I can use my "flex"
time to students' advantage. One year I noticed the brand new 6th grade team
didn't get to the library unless I begged. Well, those teachers weren't
invested AND those students were missing some good/necessary learning. I
created Library Class. It was a 30 min period at the end of the day that 6th
grade used as Study Hall and/or Recess. I talked with the teachers and
explained that Library Class would be like a Junior High elective. Everyone
really likes the idea and Library Class is now in its 3rd year. No, I don't see
all of the students but I see 80-85% and we get to explore online resources,
cover the issues of Internet searching and these students become Library
Assistants. When the year is over those who attended Library Class really
understand the library and carry important skills with them as they leave
elementary school. This year 2 of my students
were accepted into Library Camp which is offered by a local Junior College. I
might even be building librarians for the future, but it all came to pass
because I have a flex schedule.
*****************************
As the DPI's school library media
consultant, here are some thoughts and suggestions regarding the collaboration
that should take place as a result of a flexibly accessed schedule that I hope
will help. Good luck, and please let me know if I can be of further help.
We do not recommend using a sign up sheet (flex access for instruction) as it
short circuits the conversation and planning that needs to take place prior to
scheduling appropriate instructional activities based on classroom objectives.
You can keep your plan book out for teachers to look at, but they have to talk
with you before scheduling any instructional time.
We strongly recommend that collaborative planning with each grade level team
be scheduled at least every 4-6 weeks. Additional planning can take
place during teachers' daily planning times, on the fly in the hall or
teachers' lounge, etc.. You and your principal will need to talk about
ways the additional planning can take place. Here are two options
schools have found workable:
- Each grade level/subject area team is given 2-3 hours one afternoon a month
(or
every 6-9 weeks) to plan with the media coordinator (and tech
facilitator if one is in the building). Classes for the teachers in
this team are covered by assistants who are "borrowed" from other
teachers. Planning times can be distributed throughout the month, so
that you are not planning with everyone at one time.
- A group of substitutes are hired periodically (every 4, 6, or 9
weeks) for 1-2 days (depends on the size of the school). Each team is
given 1.5-2 hours of planning time while their classes are covered by
the subs. The subs rotate through the building covering various
classes, e.g. the first 1.5-2 hours they cover grs. 4-5, the next 1.5-2
hours covering grs. 2-3, and so on. It helps if the subs are hired to cover
various teams throughout the month rather than over the course of just a few
days in order to spread out the prepping you must do for each team ahead of
time. Subs are paid
out of professional development funds.
Keep a file folder for each class so that you can track planning times,
activities, instructional objectives covered; file notes from planning,
lesson plans/units, etc. The folders will allow you to monitor which
teams or teachers are not working with you as frequently or as
effectively so that you can be more proactive. DO NOT WAIT FOR THEM TO
COME TO YOU - the burden for getting this started and making it work
will fall on you initially. Eventually, the teachers will become more
engaged in the collaborative process and seek you out.
With two media coordinators, you may want to decide together which one of you
will work with certain teachers or teams in order to build their trust and
become very familiar with how individual teachers/teams do their instruction and
prefer to plan. Even if you use this approach, I would encourage both of you to
sit in on all collaborative planning meetings whenever possible - more heads
always are better and each of you will much to offer. One of you would be
designated with the responsibility of following through on plans made and
scheduling instructional activities. At the very least, the two of you should
be constantly communicating with each other and sharing planning ideas,
challenges, questions, etc. I hope readers of this listserv who are in this
situation will chime in with their experiences and recommendations.
Regarding, collaborative planning and forms I would suggest taking a look at the
Collaboration Toolkit we developed to accompany the IMPACT document. It is
available at the following link along with a video we created explaining all the
forms in the kit:
http://www.ncwiseowl.org/Impact/toolkit.htm
Here are some other sites that also have forms:
http://www.indianalearns.org/collaborativesheets.asp
http://www.mslma.org/MediaForum/Spring2005/page11/page11.html
http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/schoollibs/ (scroll down a bit to see the forms)
http://eduscapes.com/sms/overview/collaboration.html
************************
I love our flex schedule but this post is correct, teachers often get 'busy' and
don't squeeze in time to bring students to the library. Last year was my first
year as a librarian and by Christmas I realized that I have to be extremely
proactive and go to the teachers with suggestions, ideas, offers, etc. I also
began to really stay on top of curriculum changes or additions so that I could
prepare lessons or activities that embrace the changes. The teachers liked that
a lot.
The best thing about flex schedule, in my opinion, is that it let me create
opportunities for all students such as advanced readers weekly meetings, grade
level activities as well as one book, one grade level opportunities, all of
which I could not have done with a set schedule. However, there were those few
teachers who did not bring their classes to the library but did allow their
students to come individually if they wished to but of course, those who did not
wish to, rarely if ever came to the library.
*********************
I'll just add my 2 cents here, for what it's worth...be
very sure that collaboration is either mandated by your
administration, or able to be done with all your grade
levels. I was delighted to find that the junior high
level at my daughter's school (K-8) had a flex schedule --
until the entire year passed and NO visits to the library
for any purpose happened -- despite my continued asking.
If it is not on the teachers' radar and priority list
from summer/beginning of the year, it may be that they
never get to the library -- a serious disservice to the
students. Sorry to sound a downer note, but I hate to see
those things happen to kids.
**********************************
In my opinion, I don't think it matters if you're elementary, middle or
high school. A flex schedule's most important component is an
open-source calendar. This will allow teachers to see what days are
open and sign up for them. I have one on the library webpage that
teachers can look at, then email me for reservations. It's a first
come-first served basis for equitable access for all classrooms. Of
course, that's not a hard and fast rule, but for the most part, that's
how I work my flex. As for classes just checking out books, they can
come in anytime to do that. BTW, I'm at the high school level... but I
would think this would work at the elementary one as well, if you have a
library aide to help with the open status of checking out and in books.
If you don't, you may want to consider the checking out time as one to
request as well.
Since you're coming off of a fixed, you might want to advise teachers to
look at the big picture and not reserve the library a certain day each
week, but "mix it up" a little - esp. when classes from K-6 start
working on individual curricular projects that require library books,
computers, collaboration with the library for lessons, etc...
There are many online calendars that do the same thing. Once it's set
up, teachers will begin to start collaborating with each other and you
in order to make library programs/research possible because it will fill
up quickly!
************************
I hope you like the flex schedule as much as I do.
I meet with the teachers at least once a month in their team meetings to discuss
what they have coming up and then I make suggestions about how I can help. Then I
will usually go back and plan the lesson, send it to them via email and then they
sign up.
I still have my kinders on a fixed schedule.
Make sure you block out some planning and lunch into you schedule. I set mine up
in blocks of 40 minutes, If we need more time for a lesson, we block it out and if
we are done early the kids can check out books.
Is there a school nearby that you might get a chance to visit to see how they do
things?
***********************
First, know what each grade level is teaching and when. Make a chart if that
will help. Then when first grade does plants, offer to do lessons to support
that and to integrate a library research skill. I have learned that you need
to be pro active and have lesson/s activities ready to "sell" to the
teachers. This will be true until everyone is on board with the flex
program.Don't wait for teachers to suggest lessons and activities. You might
also create centers in the lmc for certain skills and tell teachers/students
you have these up and ready to use. Be sure they connect wiith the timing of
the classroom studies.
Smile a lot, be friendly, connect with the teachers and then go for it.
****************
My flex doesn't look that much different than my fixed. What I did to
transition was to list lessons that I could do that align with our standards.
(If I have it on this computer, I will send it. I know it is on our school
server). These lessons have been ones I have done in the past, but now they
look and select. I also try to attend grade level meetings, which are often
scheduled on the same days, so if they have deviated from their pacing guides, I
can interject some ideas. I like to see my classes for checkout at least every
other week and for me that is about a 20 minute lesson/process. Hope this
helps. Actually, my students seemed to miss the library as much as the teachers
miss their planning time. I also hear from parents that they like knowing what
day to send in the books.
Hope this helps. My flex is not as liberal as many of my peers.
*****************
Congratulations! Welcome to the world of PR, PR, PR!!! I really love my job, but
it is all about the public relations that you maintain to keep your program
running. I am attaching a few weeks of lesson plan/schedules from different
months, and a couple of notes that I share with teachers.
Create procedures that work for you so that you don't lose your mind. You will
have the burden of creating all the excitement and understanding of your position.
There are many good publications out there to read and see what you might want to
do.
Good luck, and don't forget to ask questions. LM_NET is a great source of help for
you.
*********************
I think that one grows into a flex schedule arrangement unless the school has
been a "flex" library situation before your arrival.
One of he most important things will be for you to get to know the curriculum.
Is there someone you can talk with before school starts.
A while ago a librarian posted that she did a folder for her teachers at the
start of school as a way of connecting.
I'm trying to develop one for my building for this fall.
Here's a partial list of what I plan to include: (It's partial because I
haven't completed the list yet)
a welcome letter
library staff names and phone contact info
how to access our online catalog
services the library will provide for them (types of books, equipment needs,
tech help & web tool help)
some suggestions of lessons on which we might collaborate
a blank collaboration form for planning research units together
how to request a group of free-reading books for their classroom study hall time
how to recommend a item for library purchase
information about my library webpage
how to order from our library system media library
how to request an interlibrary loan book.
Flex scheduling can include classes coming to you in the library to learn a
research skill;
you going into a class to read aloud to students or to work on a lesson with a
teacher;
open library time for checking out books and free reading
library club time; book discussions; small group work with you as a coordinator;
book PR;
students video recording booktalks; students recording spoken book reviews;
you having time to develop a webquest on a topic for a teacher.
These are just a few ideas...
Hope they're helpful to you.
There are so many lesson ideas on different websites that I think you could come
up with
many more ideas than I have mentioned.
Hopefully, it will be a blessing to you and your school.
**********************
First of all you are going to think you have died and gone to library
heaven.
The first thing I did when I went to flex was send out a brochure to all
staff with the different ways to "use me". i.e. assisting in planning and
teaching side by side for social studies units, co-teaching author and genre
studies, hosting book clubs during lunch for high achieving students,
assisting with webpage development, website location for different
topics...everything a librarian does but within context of the learning that
goes on in the classroom.
It will be slow at first but then once one teacher sees what you can do it
will take of like a rocket and you will wonder when you will have time to
breathe.....good luck!
Also, a great thing to do to get teachers excited in distance learning via
polycom. Ellis Island has a great virtual field trip where you talk live to
a park ranger.
****************
Go ahead and put this topic of implementing flexible scheduling, best practices,
suggestions, and all out on the listserve. I know you will get great feedback.
Flexible scheduling can look different at every school, depending on your schedule,
school community, etc. What I do know is that you are going to have to "educate"
and sell your staff on what it is otherwise, they will think you have "free
periods". At my last school I included an article in my media newsletter (for
teachers) that "Flexible Scheduling can be Fixed," showing how I scheduled double
periods, and a week for a research project for 2nd grade. At this school I started
with flexible, moved to K-1 fixed 2-5 flex then K-2 fixed 3-5 flex then K-5 fixed;
each year changed a I began to "cover" planning periods. When in flex at the
beginning of the year, I went to each teacher and blocked time for each class and
put in my weekly schedule so that if a teacher need time I knew that they would
available during that period(s). Also, I put my planning period, lunch, and "media"
in my schedule for the other duties a media specialist is responsible for. Then I
emailed my schedule to admin and staff so that there were no feelings that I had
"free" periods. Also, I mark in my plan book lessons, media work, etc. so if anyone
asked I show them. You may be working on your collection development plan and
presentation for your media committee, or talking with a vendor for purchases. I
also write grants so I may indicate this in my plan book, although much of this
work is done at home or after school.
Our state recently passed a law to protect teacher planning periods so this has
been interpreted by many as having a specialist cover the classroom teachers'
planning, but I remind them that ours too is covered since I'm a teacher. I no
longer "help" during my planning period, I use it for planning; many still do not
understand that media specialists are always helping students and teachers during
the day. Also, some elementary schools are losing media assistants to reassignment
and budget cuts.
I'm looking foward to hearing what other says about flexible scheduling. It is a
very "hot" topic in media and well supported by research. "Flexible Scheduling
Works." I'll send you some sources from my state and ALA in my next email. Also, if
you don't already have one, you will need a collaboration sheet (ask on listserve
too for samples) and keep a notebook with your state standards for all grade levels
and content areas to collaborate.
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