The First of A New School Year!

I can't believe that I am 4 weeks into year 18!  Year 18 as an educator and year 15 in my current district. I have had the opportunity to be a PPCD teacher, a PDD teacher, a LIFE teacher, an ITS and now a Librarian! Education is never a dull moment.

Beginning of the year also means meeting new staff, meeting new students, and making new memories. I walked into a middle school library last year SO nervous, but SO excited! I came in after an awesome librarian with lots of great procedures and processes. I spent the year weeding and finding my way.  This summer, I moved furniture and got ready to begin my 15th year adventure.

This blog is FULL of what is going on in libraryland the first few weeks of school from what I am doing with parents, to staff, to beginning lessons with students.  In other words, there is lots of pictures and lots of ideas

At the end of last year I had a Brain Dump where I wrote down lots of my ideas for this upcoming year.

One thing I want to increase is Parent Involvement.  For our Meet The Teacher Night I created a tri-fold board that told about all the different things the library has to offer. I also had an incentive for parent library cards! A parent could earn their child a free dress day IF they signed up for a library card and IF they came and used the library card! Last year I had a big old goose egg of parents signing up for library cards! This year- I have already signed up 18! Parent cards have been passed out, now just to see if they will use them!

Sign that was with Tri-fold board

Tri-fold I used for meet the teacher that included hours, goals, and information on events and library happenings

Reminder half sheet that I included with the parent card along with a book mark that listed hours and information

The first of the year is important for parents, but it is also important for teachers!

Ways teachers could earn their name in a drawing

Goodies for the teachers!

I decided that this year I wanted to approach the first time in the library a little differently.  For ALL of 6th grade I did my regular orientation.  It is pretty basic, but I really focus on the students understanding that I want them to find books they enjoy.  You can find my Google Presentation Here (it is BASIC!) (side note, I LOVE watching 6th graders as they come into a much larger library!)

For ALL grade levels I have this CRAZY idea that we are going to start working on this week. I don't know if it is going to work.. and it is going to take a village to pull it off.. but we will see!
Middle Schoolers are such awkward and amazing kids! They are trying to find themselves, be cool, and survive.  But, I have also seen them travel in packs when it comes to the library just plucking a book off the shelf and not paying much attention to it and often times losing the love of reading.  Now, I am NOT saying I am doing things right.. and this is NOT all students, but it is a large majority.  I want to star the year off on a different foot.

I purchased 3 licenses of Reading Personality Tests by Mrs. Reader Pants (one for each grade level) Teachers gave these fun little quizzes (they are like those magazine quizzes) Students are taking these quizzes and then when they come to the library they will sit in their "genre"

At each "genre" table I have set up with books that fall in that reading personality test along with a bookmark that came along with the Reading Personality Bundle (this bundle is AMAZING!)
While students are perusing the books on the table they will also have the opportunity to complete 2 different Digital Breakouts (I do have some prizes that will be drawn for those that finish the breakouts)
Digital Breakout 1
Digital Breakout 2

Here is the crazy part! While students are at the tables doing some book tasting and completing digital breakouts, I will be working one on one with students to hopefully find that book that might hook them.  Even if I don't find that right book.. I mean I can't win them all.. I will at least had some one on one time with each student so they know and understand that I am invested in them! I of course could not see ALL students in a class period doing this idea, so I have enlisted our academic specialist, interventionists, Dean of Students and other people that can pop in throughout the day.

I am SUPER excited about getting to know the students a bit better and learning even more about their likes and dislikes.

I am so excited to see what this year brings! I had the privilege of working with Mrs. Gomez last year and her showing me the ropes, and I am SO excited to work with Zoe this year!

Bring on year 18!