Just finished my 20th first week of school with students and I had forgotten how tired the first week of school tired is!
The first week of school was all about badges and books! I saw 36 classes for about 20 minutes each where I took badge pictures and checked out books.
This week the focus will be our digital resources and checking out books again. Thanks to our fabulous other Middle School Librarians I am sharing this presentation with teachers to put as a small group assignment during their ELAR block.
Official library orientation is coming up. With this last year, I have 7th graders who haven't been in a library since 5th grade!
For orientation, I have a short slide show where we will go over some basics, and then I will be sending them on Google Digital Breakout to find different items throughout the library. This orientation slide and digital breakout should only take about 25ish minutes altogether so the rest of the class periods students can find books.
The last slide in the orientation has a Link or a QR code to our Lamar Library Escape Room. I got the idea for the Escape room from Donnie and Hope (I just tweaked it a little.. have I mentioned how thankful I am for the various librarians I learn from??)
I don't know how this year is going to go- but I do know that I am excited to see students in real life and in the library again!
Can we also talk about these uber-cute shirts and how much my new clerk Suzanne is making things happen? Thanks, Arielle for the awesome library shirts!
The first day of school is just around the corner, and I can't believe I am about to begin my 20th year with students. Our librarians have been back since July 26th.
This next week begins in-service for teachers. So, of course, I have some challenges ready to go to entice the teachers to use the library and all of its services.
I created a menu of services in Canva (you can find the template here) If you have not signed up for a free Canva educator account, I would highly recommend it. I saved it as an image and put it 4 to a page in Google Slides and printed them off in color. I then had my amazing clerk Suzanne Lautaret cut them apart and laminate them to use as bookmarks. During one of our staff training this upcoming week, I plan to pass out the bookmarks and share with staff the interactive menu I created using the image and Genially. You can check out my finished product here
It is that time for a Library Back To School Challenge! The
challenge will officially run August 9th-August 13th with
9 winners are being announced on Monday, August 16th!
*SPECIAL PRIZE!* for Monday, August 9th!!!
$10 Giftcard to Starbucks AND $50 to spend at the Fall Book Fair!!
Monday, August 9th is #NationalBookLoversDay you
can get 2 entries for this *Special Prize!*
Tweet your favorite book
or author and tag @lmslionsread #irvingreads and #NationalBookLoversDay
Join in on some TikTok
Fun! Find a middle school-appropriate book and let me film you! All you
have to do is pretend to be reading and look up from the book.. or find a
book in a random location and wave at the camera (look up #fullhousetheme)
You must find me on Monday to do this challenge.
These entries MUST be done on Monday, August 9th!
But you have time to find that book!!
Library Back to School Challenge- up for
grabs- 5 $5 Gift Cards to Sonic 5 $10 Gift Cards to the Fall BookFair.
This year is all rainbows, unicorns, and magic! You can find
the challenge is attached, but here is also the entries
There are 7 possible entries for each staff member (names
will be entered into a drawing and randomly selected!)
Recommend-Head
to the Library, find a book you would recommend to a student or staff member,
write a sticky note why and we will display it Online
Database- Share one Irving online database or resource that you are excited to
try or use through twitter-Tag @lmslionsread and #irvingreads You
Decide-email me with one way that the library can support you and your content Give
an online book shout-out- Share your favorite read or author on Twitter and tag
@lmslionsread and #irvingreads Booksnap-Create
a #booksnap and share on and tag @lmslionsread and #irvingreads Investigate-the
other Materials that the library has to offer-email Keller something you found Visit
the Library on Friday, August 13th for a treat and to see our new books
Prize information- I am using Scholastic dollars.. and out of pocket. I am also baking a ton of Cakies on Thursday and individually wrapping them for staff to come to grab on Friday.
Back to school also means creating new goals. I use the program Piktochart to create mine and send 6 weeks updates to admin and share online. You can find the goals here
We have meet the teacher on Tuesday and I plan to have a photobooth and activity going on in the library.
On the first day of school, I also get to school super early and take the first day of school pics for teachers and students with a letterboard. It is one of my favorite things to do!
Please enjoy my latest TikTok if a Librarian was kidnapped back to school addition.
Here's to year 20. I don't know how it is going to look or what is going to happen but with my trusty trapper keeper and great friends, it is going to be a GREAT year!
Next up- planning for orientation. What do you do to get ready for staff and the first day of school? I am also SUPER pumped because I had 2 sessions accepted to TLA and to TCEA (which is #22 on my #50by50 goal list!)
