Thursday, June 6, 2019

Idea Brain Dump

Of course it is the last day of school and my brain is overloaded with ideas! Ideas that might work.. ideas that might not.. but ones that if they are not written down will be forgotten!

This blog is solely being used as a purpose to house my thoughts of things I might want to do next year and the random Bitmojis are only to break up the text.




Look Books
I LOVE all the posters of the different awards I get, but real talk.. I don't really have the space for them.. and I forget to take some down.  So, I might have posters up for a couple of years.  This year I am going to try something different. I am going to cut apart the posters and create a "Look Book" of sorts with the different awards.  I think students might even pay more attention to that as well.

Parent Involvement
Coming from elementary I was used to seeing 1 to 5 parents in the library a day.  They would bring their younger kiddos and check out books for themselves and their home. Our district does and awesome job and lets parents check out 10 books at a time.  The librarian before me had a punch card system.  Every time they got a punch for bringing their books back.  After 5 punches they received a free book.  I also added in after those 5 punches a reusable library bag.  Middle school is different... middle schoolers don't really want to be seen with their parents.  We do have some parent volunteers, but I want to try to get them to come upstairs to the library.  This last year my goal this year was to have a 30% increase in parent/community circulation. I had a BIG FAT 0!! But, having SMART goals makes your rethink why you wrote it.. if it was appropriate.. and what you might do different.
I have ideas!
-During registration I am going to have sign up ready for parents to get their own card
-Have a display of all that the library has to offer (we have a whole parent section and a lending library type thing for adults!)
-Have ready made fliers or bookmarks that have important dates on it so they can mark their calendar (ie. Book Fair, Late Night in the Library)
One of my other SMART goals was to offer parent training.
Next year I would like to start a monthly story time for parents to bring their non school age kiddos to have a story time and mini lesson.  One of my SMART goals was to also have parent training.  I hope to do this as well.  I want to try to get those scheduled mostly at the very beginning of the year so parents can add it to their calendar.
Will these ideas work.. I have NO idea, but I do want to increase parent involvement and reading at home!

Book Clubs
I have a confession.. I am TERRIBLE at book clubs.  I am GREAT at programming (at least I feel that I excel in that) but Book Clubs are not my strong point.  I sat down with our Dean of Students and we talked about some ideas for next year.  We are applied to be a Project LIT School last year, and started reading one book. Let's just say it was a flop. This year though...
I have ideas!
-Yes, we are still going to do Project LIT- they have a whole middle grade selections this year! Middle schoolers (just like any reader) has super varied interests and reading interests.  So, we are going to host monthly meeting.  If you are part of the Project LIT club you just read one that is on the list that interests you.  When we come to a meeting you share what you read (maybe do a Flipgrid) converse with other students that are reading books in the Project LIT list and choose a new one if you would like.
-I am going to do this same thing with our Bluebonnet and Lonestar list.
I know that as an adult I sometimes don't want to read what everyone else is reading, but I want to talk about what I read.  It is about reading and conversing right?

Morning Activities
The library is open every morning (goal is 7:30am) reality is 7:45pm.  I went to this awesome session during TLA where they talked about different programming that they have.  Most of the times students come up and use the library to chat, read, work on homework and catch up on their latest Youtube channel.  I am still going to have this, but I hope to a couple of mornings a week have an idea in place.
-One librarian talked about TedTalk Tuesday where they showed TedTalks
-I am going to do a Wellness Wednesday where I work on mindfulness and other coping skills
-We are thinking about one of the book club days being offered in the morning and the afternoon.. but we need a name for it.


Not that I condone the throwing of the paper! But.. I just officially finished my FIRST year as a Middle School Librarian! Check my Instagram Feed for what my library looks like now.. because.. hopefully this summer I will have some furniture moved (but I will also be taking a #digitaldetox starting June 16th.. so I will be back the end of July!)

Tuesday, June 4, 2019

Top 10 of 2018-2019

I can almost taste summer.. just 2 more days away.  Although I will turn off the library lights for the last time this year on Thursday.. I will officially start a much needed break on June 16th!
So, last year around this time.. I made a leap.  A leap that I was so nervous about.. but yet so excited as well! I had been an elementary special education teacher, then an elementary instructional technology specialist, and then an elementary librarian.  After 16 years in elementary.. I moved to Middle School.  Now guys, I didn't just move to any middle school, I moved to the BEST one! You can find about my changing perspectives here

Today I finished my Year End Review  (I used Piktochart to share my information)
At the beginning of each year, I create a list of SMART goals.  This helps me stay on track and think about why/how I am implementing items.
You can find all my SMART goals here


Top



1. Being able to learn from the most AMAZING library clerk! Gomez taught me SO much about middle school, working with middle schoolers, and systems that help make the library run smoothly.



2. The #Skurtcrew- It is important to find people that you can trust and work with. These ladies are AMAZING! They were always there for me, answered all my questions.. and were just an amazing support and wonderful friends!
3. Learning that there is a ghost in my library! You could always tell when Fred was around.  He would push books off the shelves.  These books would usually flip once, always land face up.. and also land about 2 feet away from the shelf (I have a whole Ghost Instagram Highlight at Beeinthebookends)
4. Working with some amazing librarians! Ones that are ready to collaborate.. ready to learn.. ready to try new things.. and ready to listen.  I am lucky that I have librarians all over that continually support me!






 


5. Going to games and seeing the kids outside of school! I didn't go to as many games as I wanted to, but I LOVED cheering on the Lamar Lions! I can't wait until next year to go to even more games!








6.  Destination ImagiNation in Middle School! I have done DI forever (and I LOVE it) but I sure did enjoy working with these middle schoolers! I also got to work with the Nerdy Birdys (which I have been doing since they were in 3rd and 4th grade!) Also.. I was smart enough to burn my chin with a hot glue gun!




7. Attending the North Texas Teen Book Festival with a bus full of kids (and some amazing adults!)



8. Being able to volunteer and work with some of the most amazing people. Words can not even begin to express how thankful I am that I had the help that I did this year.  Not only that, but I am so thankful for an admin that let this elementary school librarian come in.. and do some crazy things! I am also super thankful for the BEST STAFF ever to always try new things!





9. Library LINKS.  These 8th graders were what kept me going.  Did I cry a little when they walked out the door for the last time.. of course I did (I mean.... after my 5th period girls left, I couldn't hold it in anymore.. and then to read what they wrote in my yearbook?)

10.  My Ugly Sweater that I created- I became the real elf on the shelf.

There are SO many things that happened in the library this year.  I really focused on helping staff and students know that they library is a place where everyone can belong.  I had big shoes to fill, but I have enjoyed creating my own space.  My circulation numbers were not where I wanted them, I didn't get all of the things done that I had in my smart goals.. but I feel as I made a difference.  I know where I want to go next year.. I have ideas... and I look forward to continue to grow!
Other highlights
-started a K-Pop Club
-all 5 Destination ImagiNation teams placed at Regionals
-continued the ukulele club
-had 2 late night in the library that had over 100 participants each time
-hosted 2 bookfairs
-weeded over 120 boxes of books
-added over 700 books to the library
-attended some amazing conferences (TLA and North Texas Library Expo)
-I also took the best school picture I have ever had, but then again at the beginning of the year I was told I looked like Spiderman?

-being named Employee of the Month for September

-publishing an article over Bitmojis for the ATPE magazine

I know that I wasn't able to include all the things that made this year amazing.. please know that if we ever crossed paths, I appreciate you!!

What a great year of new perspectives, but this next year I my word is priority! I am starting off this summer with some #digitaldetox. So, catch you guys on the flipside! I will be back at the end of July!