Fall Festival and Book Preview for Teachers

I love being involved and on the go, and this last week was one busy week.. and one where I had a booked calendar. Along with all the after school things there was still regular library schedule.
October 26th- Set up the book fair
October 27th- I participated in the North Texas Library Expo. It was a great day of learning! I shared 2 presentations.  U is for Uke...Beyond the Book Club and co-presented Keeping It All Together.
October 29th- Girl Scout Meeting.  This meeting we learned about the Teal Pumpkin Project
October 31st- Destination ImagiNation meeting
November 1st- Uke Can Do It Club Meeting and our schools fall festival
November 2nd- took down the book fair and had goodies for teachers.. and then met my Girl Scout troop for an overnight at ATT Stadium in Arlington.  (I did finally win a workweek fitbit challenge this week!)
This weekend I have slept!

I do love to stay busy, but I also like to be successful.  In order for me to be successful I am a planner!
Fall Festival
The idea behind the fall festival was to create an event where parents and students could learn about the different content areas, learn about what our school has to offer, do activities, shop the book fair, and earn a free dress day in the process.  Each content area was asked to create a tri-fold board that showcased their content (guys.. these boards that the content teams created looked AWESOME!) Each content area was also asked to host a game.  Now.. remember.. I am in a middle school now.  I like things that are easy set up.. easy clean up.. and also fun for students and teachers.  I created this editable Google spreadsheet for departments to sign up for station and then disperse the duties.  There were some GREAT treats for staff that helped.

I know how busy teachers are.. so I tried to have everything together and ready to go for them. I created another Google Spreadsheet that included the time, area, needs, materials, set up and clean up. I also printed this off and taped to the back of the station signs I created. 

A program that I use a ton is Canva.  All my materials for the Fall Festival were created in Canva and used the free features. I also created all of the flyers and images in Canva to use for promotions.

One of the station signs

Punch card for students to turn in

Book Fair promotion. Using Canva and Bitmoji

Student council station

Overall I feel like the Fall Festival was a success. It was my first one to work on in a new school. One thing I know about myself... I LOVE planning these things.. but man.. I get so overwhelmed! I cried at least 4 times on Thursday.  I also am always worried about what people will think and if they will still like me when I come up with these crazy ideas.  I know I can't do things on my own.. and I know I need help.  I had lots of nightmares leading up to this event (almost like the first day of school)
Things for next year:
-Training Student volunteers better
-Having people to help direct traffic better
-Stagger which way people are going. Some places got super packed super fast!
-Promote more for parents to come

This is the back of a sign that includes the station breakdown

The Public Library even had a station!

On Friday we had a PLC day.  I also just finished receiving all my new books to add to the library this year.  So, I decided that on Friday, I would have goodies for the teachers! I used Piktochart (my other favorite product!) to create these.  I put notes in teachers boxes and invited them to come at any point during Friday for a cup of coffee (or hot chocolate) and teacake cookies and to take a look at all of the new books that are about to be added!

I loved that I even saw some educators that don't always make it up to the library!
I ended the week spending the night with my Girl Scout troop at ATT Stadium.

I am forever grateful the people that go along with my crazy ideas and let me be me.  I love what I do.. and I am a super happy person, but real talk guys.. I am one that has a ton of self doubt and anxiety.  I know I am quirky.. but I am always afraid I am too quirky and too needy.  I love programming and planning because I feel as it is a way to prove to myself and others that I am successful.

What whole school programming have you done in middle school? I am always looking for ideas!

Dot Day 2018!

One of my favorite days is coming up! Okay.. so I have a few favorite days, but Dot Day is one of my FAVORITE library days!

I have written about Dot Day more than once. You can find ideas here/here/here/here/here/here/ and here.  I have had the chance to collaborate with some amazing art teachers and I love that the teachers usually play along!

This year is a little different.. as I have moved to middle school.  I have LOVED every minute of it, and I love the teachers, but I knew that I was going to need to changed up Dot Day just a little bit.  I am unsure how much participation will happen.. but I am going to try!  I usually share after Dot Day what we have done, but I wanted to share my ideas early this year for some middle school librarians that might be on the fence.

This blog is a little longer than most, but there are lots of pics and links of ideas that you can easily do as well! That is the great thing about any event.. take what you can do and adapt!

Dot Day is based on the book The Dot by Peter Reynolds and talks about the importance of making your mark and seeing where it takes you.  The book was published on September 15th.  In 2009 Terry Shay introduced The Dot to his class, and Dot Day was born.   Every year on September 15th ish people all over the world celebrate Dot Day.  You can find more information on the Dot Club website.

The past few years I have done activities during the day and in the evening. This year I am doing a couple of activities in the morning on Thursday and Friday.  

I sent my staff this email:

Hello Fabulous Friends!

I hope everyone had an AMAZING 3 day weekend!

Every year on September 15^th ish people celebrate The Dot.  The Dot is a picture book that focuses on everyone making their mark and seeing where it takes you. You can find more information here.

How can you participate?

-Monday September 10^th 3:45pm-5:00pm I will have materials in the library where you can make your own Dot Day headbands.. all you need to bring is a headband.. I will have a few available.. see attached picture)

-Friday September 14^th- wear dots.. and tweet about Dot Day (#dotday18)

-Take a group picture on Friday September 14^th at 3:45pm in front of the Lamar sign wearing your dots!!

Tweet about Dot Day.. get your name in the drawing

Wear dots on Friday the 14^th- get your name in the drawing

Join in the group photo- get your name in the drawing

That is a total of 3 chances!  What is up for grabs.. 5 (yes.. 5!) $5 Sonic Gift Cards!

For Students

-they will also be invited to wear dots with their Lamar uniform on Friday

-in the morning on the 13^th and 14^th there will be hands on activities in the library

-throughout the week students will be invited to share how they are going to make their mark by adding their story to a Flipgrid

This is the post on website, and will be on Twitter and is also on my bulletin board outside the library.

Throughout the Week

-I have a Flipgrid up for students to share how they are going to make their mark

-I had an awesome parent volunteer cut out dots for me so students could decorate them.

Monday

-I am working with the LIFE class and we are going to do Kandinsky style dots using construction paper.

-After school I have invited the staff to come make a Dot Day headband. I ordered this felt (now.. it is 4x4) and am asking teachers to provide their own headband.

headband I made last year.

My current Facebook profile picture, love that I could add Dot Day to it!

Thursday
-During the morning I am going to have the library open from 7:30am-8:05am with materials to make Dot Day bookmarks.  I got these bookmarks on Amazon and will have sharpies out.  In the morning I am going to have Mrs. Gomez pass out 50 dots to students.  That will be the ticket to get in the library.  Although I would LOVE to have more students participate.. I have to think space. I will have materials available so if a student stops by and would like to make one.

Friday
-I am encouraging students to wear dots with their school clothes.
-Friday morning I will have materials set out to make pom pom pencil toppers during the 7:30am-8:05am session.
-I am super excited because 2 sections of AP Art will be joining me in the library to hear the Dot and possibly do a Dot activity. I LOVE the idea of Zentangle Dot that is done here with 6th graders but I also love this idea of giving students a quarter of a circle.
-I am encouraging staff to wear dots (I mean.. there is a possibility of them winning a Sonic card!)
-I plan to take a picture after school of staff wearing their dots.

I am in love with my letterboards! I plan to use this one as a photo prop throughout the week.

Did you know that there is even a Breakout Edu game! I can't wait to check it out.
My awesome Digital Learning Coach Kara Noah is even putting a Twitter challenge out to the district about Dot Day!

There are SO many Dot Day resources and connections that can be made (check out Shannon Millers latest blog). Just like anything it can be as little or as big as you want to make it! I don't know how well Dot Day is going off this year in my new library, but I am excited to try.  Even if only a handful participate.. that is still people making their marks.

What kind of mark are you going to make and where are you going to let it take you?

Welcome Back!

Yay for 3 day weekends! A time to relax...and after the first weeks of school reflect. At the beginning of the school year, I wrote about my Summer (you can find it here) and all of my moves.

Being the new man on campus, I am all about relationships (okay.. I lie.. I am actually ALWAYS working on relationships.. I like to be involved and I like to make sure others know that I appreciate them!)


The first thing I needed to do was orientation for students.  I am following in the footsteps of one amazing librarian! I searched for ways that I could introduce myself and the ideas I had for the library and came across Andy Plemmons blog.  It was EXACTLY what I was looking for.  I know that when I go to the library, I always go to the same spot. I loved his idea of setting up chairs all over the library to have students look at something different than where they might normally go.

Orientation.  I used a very basic Google Slides full of bitmojis (which I am slightly addicted to right now) and used Andy Plemmons idea of a first lines and introduced myself and the library.

Overall it went well.  After students came back from looking at books I asked them if they found any books that might interest them.  I of course had ones that said no.. and I promptly replied back.. That is great! Thank you for being honest, and that just means I want to chat with you about you might like.

The first day of school I also passed out handmade bookmarks.

 Things that I heard from middle schoolers in the first 2 weeks of school:

I look like the first Spiderman

I look like Ellen Degeneres 

Another student told this administrator she looked like me!

#collegcolorsday #irving2college #iisdlamra

I have been sharing all of my Middle School Librarian stories on my Beeinthebookends account (I even have a ghost in the library!!)

Things coming up:
-iPad rollout.. We are a VILS campus I can't WAIT to integrate even more into the library!
-Dot Day! Yes, I am still doing Dot Day- I am just modifying it a bit for middle school
-Banned Books week (the conversations that I get to have with middle schoolers is awesome!)
-Global Read Aloud
-the start of book clubs
-the start of the ukulele club! Yes! They came with me!

I have missed my elementary peeps, but oh my goodness.. the fun I have already had in Middle School has been wonderful! It has been great because I have already had so many people welcome me in.  The one thing that I need to catch up on.. BOOKS.  I know lots of picture book authors, so I am trying to quickly get caught up on YA books. SO much to learn!

If you love Bitmojis as much as I do, check out this blog by the Daring Librarian

There are SO many people that have helped me find my way in this new library.. but this woman right here answers at least 5000000 questions I have a day! Thanks Mrs. Gomez for being so supportive and still smiling when I ask you that one more question!







My word this year is perspective.  Change is hard, but I am SO glad that I changed my perspective and tried something new! I am only 2 weeks in.. and I can't WAIT to see what we do in the library this year!

Organizations

Being a librarian I am a member of Texas Library Association.  I appreciate the support that this association gives Texas librarians and all of the resources that are readily available.

I am also a member of the Association of Texas Professional Educators. As an educator I come in contact with hundreds of different people from staff members, to students, to community members. I do the best I can, but I know that one day I might need extra support.  ATPE provides me with protection through liability insurance.

Yes, ATPE provides me with the liability insurance, but it is SO much more!

Top 5 Reasons I Love ATPE!
1- It is  member run!  Texas is a right to work state so there are no unions and ATPE is non-profit.. and member governed.  I know that my voice makes a difference!


2- ATPE has lobbyists that are focused on public education. (at least take a moment to check out Teach The Vote!)

3- Summit- The ATPE Summit is amazing.  It is a time where members from all over the state come together for training and House of Delegates.  The House of Delegates give members a chance to vote on important topics (remember- member governed) such as items we want our lobbyists to focus on and more.

4-Opportunities- ATPE has different online professional development, a ton of various articles pertaining to public education, and ways for members to be recognized for their outstanding service.

5- Services and discounts.  Yes please.. I am a teacher, I always need a coupon or discount! Check out all of these discounts.  I am personally thankful for the Office Depot one!

These are the top 5 on TOP of the fact that I also have liability insurance. I hope to never need it, but I am thankful that it is there and they are ready to support me if I need it!

Of course there are other organizations out there and of course I think that ATPE is the best one.  It is important to be a member of some organization to be protected, and I encourage you to take the time and do the research.  You can also compare other organizations here.

I have had the opportunity to be the local president of Irving ATPE and am now past president.  I have made a goal for myself to become the 48th President of ATPE.  I am involved with local, but I look forward to being more involved in regional and then hopefully moving up through state!

Our local Irving unit at the ATPE Summit in Dallas this summer.

Big goals! I hope to one day be the 48th President of ATPE.

I am about to head into my 17th year of being in education, and I appreciate the fact that I am covered with liability insurance, have lobbyists working for me, am part of an amazing organization, and have benefits!

Tomorrow I start a week of meetings.. but my next blog will be sharing about Google Translate (the app is AMAZING!)

Summer of...

-ME
-Moving
-New Perspectives
-New Adventures

In April, I attended the Texas Librarian Association conference and my word of the year came to me several times in several ways. Perspective.
Perspective- a mental view or prospect.
Let me back up.. my word this year was Seek. You can check out my blog here about that.  I sought after a ton of things... and I think that I grew.

At the beginning of May I made myself a summer bucket list.  I am a planner. I like to know what is coming. I like to be prepared. I created a summer bucket list of all the things that I wanted to do, but I wanted to really focus on ME.  This is the first summer in 3 years that I have not had grad work, a summer job.. or anything really. SO I THOUGHT.

In the middle of May, my husband and I ended up having an opportunity to move to a bigger house.. with a POOL! This was NOT on my summer bucket list! We had lived at 1025 for 13 years. We officially moved last week.  It also proved that I am a Terrible packer! Oh the boxes.. oh the dust.. oh the amount of stuff we had accumulated over the 13 years.  My husband reminded me that it only took him 2 days to put together our house when we first moved in 13 years ago.. but I reminded him that we came from a one bedroom apartment.
My perspective changed for several reasons.. the new view that we have.. and the new home that we are making with new traditions.

My perspective is about to change again.

For the past 16 years I have been in elementary education.
-When I first started teaching I taught at Rolling Hills Elementary School.  My first year I was almost on an internship.. as I didn't do my student teaching (I had all of my education college credit, but went through a different program) Although I chose Rolling Hills.. they were the only one who would give me an interview. I loved it.. and taught there for 3 years as a PPCD teacher.
-William and I moved to Irving and I began at Farine Elementary as a PDD teacher It was the first one that gave me a job.  There was a reorganization of the special education department so I was displaced and was moved to Stipes Elementary.
-I LOVED Stipes.  I did not choose it.. but I am glad that I spent a large portion of my career there. While at Stipes I taught first grade and then opened the LIFE unit.
-3 days before school started in 2011.. I moved to Elliott Elementary.  Elliott has been my home for the last 7 years and I am so forever grateful for the family that I have grown there.  I moved to Elliott because at the time it was what was best for some students of mine. (side note- growing up in Canyon, Texas our mascot was the Eagles.. Elliott Elementary is also the Eagles) At Elliott I was the LIFE teacher, the Instructional Technology Specialist and the Librarian.

Each one of these schools helped grow me into the educator that I am today.   Each teacher that I have come in contact with and each administrator that I have worked under has taught me something.

2 weeks ago, I did something for myself.  I applied for a middle school librarian position. When going through my MLS, I knew that I was interested in being a middle school or high school librarian because of the programming and books that are available.  This is the biggest leap I have ever  made in my career.

"There are times to stay put, and what you want will come to you, and there are times to go out into the world and find such a thing for yourself."
-Lemony Snicket

My summer bucket list has changed.. my perspective has changed.. but I did something for ME.
I am now a middle school librarian!
There is so much for me to learn.. and so much for me to do.. and so much more packing and moving.  I can't wait to see where this new adventure leads.

One of the last questions that I was asked in my interview was a philosophical one. I was asked how do you see yourself in a life of a student.  You know I am about words.. and although I have a word of the year each year.. Believe is ALWAYS my word.
My answer: I want a student to know that I believe in them.  I don't know what kind of journey each student is taking. Each student and person has a story, and I want them to know that I believe in them.

"Wherever we are, it is but a stage on the way to somewhere else, and whatever we do, however well we do it, it is only preparation to do something else that shall be different."
-Robert Louis Stevenson

I shed a few tears as I packed my office.. and said my goodbyes. But I am forever grateful that each person that has been put in my path to help me grow as a person, an educator and as a librarian.  I hope that every person knows how important they are to me from friendship to mentorship.. I wouldn't be where I am today without their love and support. I also hope that I never stop growing, wondering, and trying to be better.

Remember how I said that growing up our mascot was the Eagles... our colors were purple and white.  I am now a PROUD Lamar Lion.. whose colors are Purple and White!

So excited about new PERSPECTIVES!

Uke Can Do It!

This year I decided that I wanted to bring music into my kindergarten lessons. I love to sing already (I am not the best) and my husband has been asking me for years to learn to play guitar (I have 2 guitars and a mandolin) I picked it up again.. and then somehow fell down the ukulele rabbit hole.
In September I got my first ukulele- Stella

I taught myself basic chords by using several YouTube tutorials and began using Stella during kindergarten story time.  I LOVE Ukulele Storytime and her videos!  I also love The Martins he also has a great blog with tons of resources at Tales of an Elementary School Librarian I also joined the Librarians with Uke facebook page (do you see why this has been an awesome rabbit hole?)

In October I got Pete

I then had students ask about the ukulele... and I realized what I wanted to do next.  I wanted to create an ukulele club! During my last class for my masters I had to work on a grant, so this was a perfect time to do the research and get a grant going.
I got a ton of ideas from this article.

Our school district has a foundation where teachers can apply for grants. They have a special one called Irving Schools Foundation Spark Tank where you can take your idea to a panel and have 7 minutes to present. I collaborated with my music teacher... and we were slotted a time.
What we asked for and how we presented it:
-We asked for 20 ukuleles, 20 beginner ukulele books, 20 tuners, 20 chord charts, 20 ukulele bags.
-We asked for 20 books- each book had a musical connotation to it. I worked with my Perma-Bound reps to help me find great books with this theme in mind.
- I pulled in the music teacher and 2 students and we learned how to play 2 simple chords on the ukulele.  The students actually played during the presentation. (Murphy's Music did a great job of making sure that we had materials to present with!)
The Idea:
-Students would join in a 6 week program.  During that time students would meet weekly after school and learn basic chords. They would each get a ukulele to take care of for the 6 weeks.  Each ukulele would be named after the main character in the book with the musical connotation. At the end of each six weeks we would end with a small performance.

We did not get all the ukuleles the first time around, and after working with the first bunch of students, I was okay with no more than 10 ukuleles going at once... BUT.. we got the grant!

After we got the grant we started working on getting the materials and the first Uke Can Do It 6 weeks program began.  The Irving Schools Foundation also asked us to perform at their meeting on March 8th.

During the Program:
-Students learned how to tune their ukulele and take care of it.
-Students learned how to play simple chords (but were encouraged to work on their own as well)
-Students learned how to play several songs
-Students learned about the people in their books.

This last Friday this first round of students finished with the program.  We had a great small performance that both parents, family members and teachers attended.  They did FANTASTIC!  The students also talked about how they wanted to continue to play. 

Rather than them starting the program over again we are talking about having a "jam session" day where students can come and just play.  I have also had teachers and parents show interest in the program as well.  We are only in the beginning stages, but I can't wait to see where it goes.
During Texas Librarian Association Conference I was able to have a poster session where I shared how I have worked with my music and art teacher in the library.

Some of my resources
-Application Form
-Ukulele Club for Tweens and Teens
-Howard County libraries to launch lending ukulele kits
-I also LOVE learning from Cynthia Lin Music

I have lots to still learn and have lots to still organize, but I already love seeing how excited and motivated the students have been with the ukulele.  We start our next round this Thursday...and yes. there are boys joining in too.  I am thankful to my husband that got me started on the musical instrument kick, a music teacher that doesn't mind trying something new, and a principal that lets me try new things in the library!

Next up.. storage for the ukes!