Highlights of My Week

Anytime school goes from a "short week" to a "full week" you can never anticipate what the week will be like overall. Will everyone be exhausted by Wednesday? Do the events of the week energize you? See which type of week you think I had based on these highlights:

1. A student in the library with her English class had difficulty finding what she needed in the databases. Through a brainstorming conversation regarding her topic and what interested her the most about it, she fine-tuned the topic and successfully found great sources for her research.

2. Several students, with the help of two library assistants, are ready, willing, and able to help create some of the informational visual art to decorate the library.

3. During SMART lunch, a group of seniors mentioned their disappointment over not being able to walk across the stage since the cost of the cap-and-gown is out of reach. Through our discussion about courses of action, one student has taken the lead to try and develop cost-affordable options for all students who cannot afford the cap-and-gown. (Civics in action!)

4. Students have been working all week on presentations, researching and creating them in the media center. A new student who came mid-week to our school approached me to inquire about checking out books that will help him be the most successful in one of his core classes. (One day in class and he's looking at new ways to achieve success! I love it!)

5. What a great reaction by one student who was reading what she thought was the final book of a trilogy when I let her know the characters and story will continue in two more volumes. (And those books are already on an order list!)

6. A discussion with a student over the word "eclectic", and why it's a compliment when that word describes your reading selections.

7. Having a student struggling with a drawing until we were able to connect him with another student whose tips and talent helped finally get the teeth looking right. (Learning during SMART lunch is not confined to academics.)

8. The thank you from a student who needed a way to get his homework done without interfering with his two jobs or getting a good night's sleep.

These events don't include the fun and interesting conversations with some really great library assistants, having a very nice group of distance learning students with me at different points throughout each day, and my after-school library visitors who have the most impeccable manners and great senses of humor.

Next week's challenges will be different since new things will be happening near the hungry bookshelf. (But, please stop feeding the Skittles to the fiction bookshelves. They don't like the sugar like the ants do.)

Exams Are Over So Let the Real Fun Begin!

For those who have not been in a high school setting recently, exams are not the 2-a-day, 3-days-in-a-row they were "way back in the day". Due to a lot of different factors, including the different types of exams given, exam week now lasts a bit longer than a week. Needless to say (based on the title of this post), the new semester shall begin!

Already I have classes signed up to come to the media center for a variety of activities. This is the part of my job I enjoy the absolute most: working with teachers and students. Whether it is research skills, locating online sources, or exploring new areas of interest, the media center will be much busier now that classes are beginning again.

In collaboration with one teacher, I have a lesson ready to go regarding Google, Wikipedia, and reputable online sources, including a fun GoAnimate video. For another, I have a "how-to" lesson for online research. Altogether, it's going to be a great semester, and I'm looking forward to it!

My Students Are Taller Than Me!

After 8-1/2 years at the elementary school, I now have a lot of students who "look down" upon me. The transition to high school has not been difficult, but there have been quite a few new changes to figure out.

On January 2nd, I spent a lot of time opening and closing cabinet doors and drawers. At the circulation desk, there are 18 drawers. In the media office, there are 56 doors and 62 drawers. Yikes! After so much wasted time, I began organizing and labeling all doors and drawers that contained anything. Now, if there is no label, it's empty! My life has been much more simplified by this.

Once I finished those labels, I began labeling the shelves for the nonfiction section. 180 shelves, and no shelf labels meant I spent a little more time than I liked putting books away. As of today, that area of the library is finished.  Only 200 fiction shelves left to label. (I think this might take awhile!)

Although I don't believe in making big changes without taking the time to observe how things work, I did decide to do several things differently during smart lunch in order to preserve my sanity and the sanity of those around me. (Smart lunch is a 30 minute time period where students attend tutorials and clubs. Some students work on papers or projects that are due; others socialize.) The new guidelines will go into effect at the start of the new semester next week so we shall see how it goes.

I am looking forward to several new challenges at the high school level. Instead of teaching the very basic of research skills, I will be working with students and teachers to prepare students for college and careers. Also, I am looking forward to starting a book club and possibly a writing club in the fall. Next school year I will also get the opportunity to teach a library science course.

Fun times are ahead!