1. Why did the library seem so packed today? How many non-library events are held here?
2. I noticed a card catalog in your library. Are you still using one of those?
3. How often do you collaborate with teachers?
Answers:
1. Goodness! Everybody in this school seems to want to use the library for purposes besides reading and instruction! Today was a busy day for two reasons: Signing Day and Court Day. Signing day is when the senior athletes sign the papers for the college they will attend. It is an exciting day for them! Representatives from the college come, as well as coaches, parents, grandparents, friends, sometimes the local news, and today we even had a priest! We have a special sign we put out for photo ops, and of course I take yearbook photos! Usually they will set up refreshments and then mingle for a while. On top of that, it was also court day. Court day is usually held during report card time, and students who have missed too much school will have to bring in their parents or guardians and meet with the attendance officials. If you noticed all the extra parents and students waiting in the library, it was because the "courtroom" is just off of the library. I don't mind the activities held in the library as long as I can stay open, to provide access to my students. It really pushes my buttons down when I have to close the library so that students can be tested. Sometimes they will make me close my whole library for just 10 students! Seriously? Is there no other place in this facility?
2. You noticed my card catalog? I love it! I had more than that but the county took them away! I had to fight them to let me keep it! Can you believe it? You may have noticed that I enjoy displaying relics of the past in the library; there is a collection of old phones, typewriters, and of course my beloved card catalog. We do not use it though, it is purely for decoration. There are still some cards in there and you should check them out! Mostly cards for the old media like filmstrips and such. As much as I love the card catalog for decoration, I am so glad we do not have to catalog like that anymore!
3. Sadly, I do not get to collaborate with teachers nearly as much as I would like! I am almost always available for them, but many of them have so many time constraints to cover curriculum that they don't utilize me as much. In the beginning of every school year many of the ninth grade teachers will collaborate with me so that I can help orient the freshmen with all of the library resources. I am happy that I am able to support them with curriculum needs though; our class books sets collection is pretty extensive, and I never say no when I am asked to purchase more titles. I will do anything I can to help get books into the hands of the students.
Reflection:
Another teaching day! YIKES! I had collaborated with the librarian for a lesson with theater students; a fun activity involving fractured fairy tales. My librarian (who used to be an English teacher, and involved with theater and drama) warned me that while this was a fun activity, it might be difficult to reign it in. She was right. I had the lesson about fractured fairy tales, and we discussed elements, so the actual lesson went pretty well. Students seemed engaged and even a little excited. When we broke into groups for the activity, things got a little loud to say the least! I found it difficult to gauge how much time was needed for group activity, so we were not able to see all the groups' work, and then suddenly it was time for them to go. The one big difference in teaching in high school and teaching in elementary school is checking out books! In elementary school the students come to the library for a lesson, and then get to check out books. In high school the students have the lesson and then they just leave. I wanted to call them back and say "Wait! You forgot to check out a book!"😢
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