Language Lounge

I am currently on day 4 of staying in the house due to the weather outside being extremely cold and the roads being terrible.  Crossing fingers that we get to head back to school tomorrow- but we will see what the forecast holds.  I know I have friends from all over that laugh at us Texans when bad weather hits.. but our roads and houses are not built for this (those bridges and overpasses get scary!)

I haven't blogged as much- but I post almost daily on various social media platforms with Adventures in Library Land- The items that I mention in this video you can find below with Teamplate Links

I am getting caught up on all the things (I did actually rest for 3 days.. but now my body says I need to get things done)

First- tomorrow- January 28th is Library Shelfie Day- I am offering prizes for both students and staff that come in, take a picture and check out a book.

But- this blog is all about our new Language Lounge that secondary librarians are beginning.  In 2024 I was able to see a great presentation that librarians in San Antonio were doing called the Telpas Cafe- this supported students that would be taking the TELPAS test. I loved the idea, but didn't know where to start.  At our last two PLCs with our district librarians we have learned from Mesquite how they did this and got some great hands-on experiences.  We are now working on our own and calling them the Language Lounge.

The TELPAS covers Listening, Speaking, Writing and Reading.  I will share what I create (and I know they will change over time.

Couple of Notes:

*I am creating these for high school students that are ESL or ESOL- but this would be greart for anyone

*This will be done in stations of no more than 4 to a group

*Stations will last 15-20 minutes

The first one I am doing is called 

Celebrating Friendship

Listening- we are reading a Crankstein Valentine by Samantha Berger- and then students will complete a cause and effect activity

Speaking-Students will use Adobe Express to Animate a Character and will read what they wrote for their Valentine Card.

Reading-students will follow the directions to create their own Valentine garland.

Writing- students will create a Valentine card.  We work with our local Keep Irving Beautiful and one of the projects they do is to have cards donated and then they pass out to our local nursing homes. 

You can find my Canva TEMPLATE for presentation HERE------->

Sharing Celebrating Friendship Language Lounge by akbusybee

Worksheets to go along with the Celebrating Friendship Template-------->HERE

Share Celebrating Friendship Writing/Reading by akbusybee

Are you doing something like this?

World Read Aloud Day is coming up- and I am SO excited!! I am doing activities on campus- but the pool that I also work at is doing a Splash of Stories event that night as well!

Valhalla Voyages- Audiobook Walking Club

I can't believe that we just finished up our first six weeks of school already.  I am already well into my professional and school goals, and also trying to think of creative ways to get staff involved in library fun.

An article came across one of my various social media feeds about an Audiobook Walking Club and I was SO excited about this idea!! I am an AVID audiobook listener- so the Valhalla Voyages Audiobook Walking Club was born

Original Idea:
-staff only
-walk on the track in the morning
-walk during lunch time
-walk in the afternoon
This way I could invite various people that would have different times free

I emailed the coaches to see if space was available- and had Coach Bradley email me back asking to meet.

What started as an idea for staff only- is now forming into a Collaboration between a coach and the library (you know I love collaborating with various content areas!)

Currently:
-The Thursdays I am not flexible floating- those that are interested meet on the track for a 30 minute walk and listen to their OWN audiobook (no need to be listening to the same one!)- After walking- head back into the school for a cup of coffee and conversations
-I did the walking during lunch- it was great- but- it was also alot of time needed to do this- I might do this once a month depending on how much it grows.
-After school we meet at the library and walk about a mile around the inside of the school- and end up in the teachers lounge for a popsicle and a conversation

What I love about it:
-it gets staff reading and talking- I mean- I had a whole conversation with the coach about the book he was reading about Tom Brady
-it helps our Beanstack minutes!! When teachers are reading- students are reading!
-I LOVE talking- but it is really nice to schedule in a time where I can just walk and it is expected to not talk and listen to my book. 
-I have been getting my steps in!

What's Next
I will continue offering the walking club after school every week and then in the morning the days that I am on campus.  Once a month during lunch depending on interest.

I am REALLY excited about working with our PE coach during the 3rd six weeks.  They have a Wellness Walking Unit.
Our district uses SORA, and our students have Chromebooks. Chromebooks are a little bulky.  SORA is an app that can be downloaded on a phone- but due to state laws- cellphones are not an option.
We are looking at:
-playaways
-books on CD- I mean- lets go oldschool!
-set of iPads

This is just the beginning- but it has taken very little to get it going.  The coffee and the popscicles came from our Irving Schools Foundation- so- it is also a program that needs very little from me other than some decent walking shoes.

What you need to start your own:
-30 minutes a week
-headphones and would recommend some walking shoes
-an email to invite others

-Do you participate in an audiobook walking club?
-What speed do you listen to your books?

Our walking groups have been anywhere from 2-5 people.. but as I always say- even if one shows up- that is one person that needed it (and I needed it too!) I have had so many great conversations about some great books.  I am always SO thankful for all the people that join in the random activities I have!

Up next- how I am doing our Parent Book Club, Lunch and Learn, and HOMECOMING!!

Dot Day in the High School

When I was a teacher in LIFE k-5 I began celebrating Dot Day. 

International Dot Day happens every year around September 15th ish. It is to celebrate the book The Dot by Peter Reynolds.  It is all about making your mark and seeing where it takes you. 

You can find SO many ideas by just looking up #dotday #internationaldotday #makeyourmark

Check out the International Dot Day website  Check out this list of events as well that includes a Global Webcast on September 16th---->LINK

I am continuing my Tales and Tide read aloud program this year at our indoor pool. The theme this weekend was The Dot.. It was our first weekend to move indoors from this summer- so I didn't have an participants- BUT Dot Day is September 15th ISH.. so I will have this same storytime at my next one at the end of this month1

I have to admit- my most favorite thing I did was a couple of years ago when I collaborated with my art teacher and we combined Dot Day with Hispanic Heritage Month and created Alebrijes

This year I was scrolling the various social media pages and I found a great idea from Deb Zeman and shared a couple of great ideas that I am totally stealing.

Here are her links- Both of these are created in Adobe Express
-Dot Day Collage
-Her signage

Reminder background on my campus:
-Comprehensive High School 9-12
-2500+ students

The Plan:
-Read The Dot by Peter Reynolds before school on Monday the 15th
-Have the collaborative mosiac (I created in Canva- see below)
-Have a Bookmark station

Pretty low key passive programming for this.

If you want the Canva poster- you can find it here----->LINK

Dot Day by akbusybee

I don't know how many will participate- but you never know who might be interested in playing (or need the space!)

Other programs coming up:

-Literary Mums

-Parent book club

-I am going to start a walking audiobook club

This next month I am also flexible floating a ton! I can't wait for all the adventures!  

What programs do you have coming up? How do you celebrate Dot Day?

Orientation in the High School Library

The beginning of the year is the time where students are learning schedules (well- me too- one day I will have the bell schedule memorized) and learning teachers and expectations.  I am already in full swing of attending PLCs and also scheduling orientations. Although I have had some of these kiddos since they were in elementary and/or middle school (and high school) I still like the chance at the beginning of the year to talk about library expectations- and also remind them what they can do in the library.

My orientation is pretty cut and dry, but I did try to put a couple of games in there. One game is 4 corners- I loved The Contoured Librarian's idea to make 4 corners- but library related and it gets the kids up and moving.  The other idea is the ABC of the library.  We played this this summer during one of our Back to School days with other librarians- and I loved it!

I am scheduling classes for 30 minute times- they will go through the orientation and check out books

During my orientation:
-review items in the library
-talk about all the different programs the library has to offer- Book fair included this year!
-talk about Beanstack (and enter time in after I read a short book)
-get into Sora and make sure that our Public Library is added- and also check out a book
-play one or two games
-CHECK RECORDS- I plan to check everyones record when they come in so we can start the year off fresh! Especially those seniors- Last year was my first year in a comprehensive high school- and I want to be way more organized at the end of the year
-Check out books

Thanks to Monica and Angela for the super cute presentation format.  

Want the template yourself click HERE--->TEMPLATE LINK

Welcome to the Library by akbusybee

Next up in Library Land

-Literary Mums (and more)

-Destination ImagiNation

-Student Aides

-Mini Mums

-and I keep getting tagged in this super cute Ghost too!

You can follow along all of my adventures on TikTok, Reels or YouTube

What are you doing for orientation?

Back to School- Stationery Station

 School starts for students this week- but as a librarian I have been back since July 28th.  

Before students are back on campus- staff is busy at working together to make it a great school year and getting ready for Meet the Teacher. The library not be completely set up- but it is ready for students and staff to check out books!  I also try to create an activity for students and parents to do inside the library and this year I created a Stationery Station.

Info about my campus:
-comprehensive high school 9-12
-about 2500 students

 

Materials Needed for the station:
(also- many times- I spend my own money creating things- this year I was able to do this with all the materials I had- AND- I am SUPER thankful for those that helped with my Amazon Wishlist)
-different types of paper
-fun pens
-envelopes
-information about what to do

That's it! I posted on social media to let parents/staff/students know that they could stop by the Stationery Station.

The Station
This station offered parents to write a letter to their student that I am going to either deliver the first of September or the end of May (I mean- lets think about those freshmen and seniors!)  I invited students and staff to write a letter to themselves that I would deliver at the end of the year. 

Although this was up for Meet the Teacher- I am going to keep it open until August 22nd.

TEMPLATE

Stationery Station by akbusybee

Next blogs will be about:
Back to School for teachers- my competition that I have and also the Bookmarks we are creating.

What do you do to get students in the library at the beginning of the year?

Summer Bookish Bucket List

 Anyone else counting down the days until summer? I love working in education- but that doesn't mean I am not also excited about a break (also- public education has been a little much lately)

I love social media- and I saw a SUPER fun idea where a group of friends created a summer bucket list that was attached to points (and a little bit of money)  Thanks @thymephillips on TikTok for the inspiration. 
* You can find the official game that also has money attached to it here -----> THE BEST SUMMER EVER (I personally think I am going to do the Best Holiday Ever.

I loved this idea so decided I wanted to make one of my own.

Check out the Summer Bookish Bucket List- You can find the template HERE--->TEMPLATE

I was going to create a Google Form to collect points- but I decided that was going to be too much for this first year- so I am sharing it with you! I am promoting this to my staff and plan to have prizes for when we get back from the summer vacation.

Want to play along this summer- use the hashtag #readyoursummer25 and tag me!! @akbusybee on X and TikTok- @beeinthebookends on Instagram. You can also use the Total tracker shared below.

Bookishlist2025 by akbusybee

I am ending the year at school with another Book Basket Party that is summer read themed.  How are you promoting summer reading? Will you be joining my challenge?

Using AI for Productivity

 I can't believe that we are already in May! The end of the year my checklists tend to get longer instead of shorter, but that doesn't mean that there is not great learning going on.  

In high school the end of the year also means SO MUCH TESTING.. and that means that often times the library space is being used.  Thank goodness I can travel to classrooms.

A teacher came to me a couple of weeks ago and asked for a lesson that talked about AI and Productivity.  Now, I know that AI is a hot topic.. some agree with the usage and some disagree with the usage. I personally use it EVERY day.

To Prepare:
-looked through Common Sense Media 
-conversed with a fellow librarian (Jessica Ross) on how she had worked with students and using AI tools
-revisited the amazing presentation that I saw while at TLA called Do I Need AI in my Life that was presented by Lindsey Brewer-Munoz and Ami Uselman

After compiling resources (and also thinking about the attention span of a high schooler in May) I came up with a quick lesson.  

To prepare for the Magic School- I did have to create a classroom.

Below is the video of me walking through the lesson- want the whole presentation-

TEMPLATE LINK------>HERE and see below

To Share AI and Productivity by akbusybee

Things I loved about this lesson:

-the kids loved that my friend used Chat GPT to help us go to 7 Buc-ee's in one day- 

-they loved the Which is Real Face page where they had to figure out which face was real

-I LOVED using MagicSchool to write Thank You Notes for Teacher Appreciation

On that note- the list that I made in Goblin.Tools tells me that I need to get started on preparing the books out list of seniors.

Do you use AI? If so- how?