[LM_NET] TAR: SEC - too many student aides

[Katy Manck <katyroo@GMAIL.COM>]

Posting on behalf of a friend who knows that folks in her district
follow LM_NET. Please respond to me OFF LIST and I will post a HIT for
all of us:

"I went to my "new" school yesterday to check out the high school
library, serving about 700 students grades 9-12. I found out that in
the library, I will have a full time assistant plus 6-10 student
library aides PER PERIOD (apparently they have run out of classes or
room in the classes so they just "stick" them in the library)!

I will be fully responsible for keeping the students busy and
providing grades for them - no study hall component. This year there
has only been the assistant in the library (no librarian), and she
basically makes them straighten the shelves, and then they just sit
there. She said she's had a ton of behavior problems (of course - you
can't expect students to just sit - they need to be busy).

I am going to talk to the principal and counselors about this, because
I foresee a nightmare with that many idle students. If I have to have
that many, I am going to make a syllabus, have a social contract, and
have daily, weekly, and monthly assignments; basically, I'm going to
treat it like a class.

I've been researching ideas for what to do with them, and I have
thought of read a book per 6 weeks and make a book trailer, poster,
and/or booktalk, shelve books, clean, etc. etc., but I'm worried this
won't be enough. Do you have any suggestions?? Do you have multiple
student aides each class period? Do you provide a syllabus and/or
quizzes over Dewey?? Any advice you give is appreciated. I have
searched SLDirectory and LM_NET archives."

Thanks for helping her out - please respond to me OFF LIST.

Katy Manck
Gilmer High School Librarian
850 Buffalo St.
Gilmer TX 75644
903-841-7501
manckk@gilmerisd.org
Adjunct Professor - University of North Texas,
  College of Information, Library Science & Technologies,
  Department of Library & Information Sciences

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