Progress and Travels

We have begun the Senior Fiction and Graphic Novels! Thanks to the International Award students who are completing service hours in the library, Foreign Language and Nonfiction books are also being shelved. Pictures will be posted this week. Due to the update to follow, this is an extremely short post.

Last week I was able to meet and work with the HPQ students. These senior school students (year 10-11 or grade 9-10) learned a few things about Internet Research.

Meanwhile, we have been exploring Bangkok. Those travels will be told through Spike and Captain, my small travel companions (who will also be working in the library). Their blog can be found at their Gone There, Seen That blog.

Progress Being Made!

So, to answer the questions many have texted, emailed, and messaged me:

Are you in the library yet?

• YES! YES! YES! We started moving books onto shelves on Thursday. So far the picture books, confident readers (fiction), and over half of the junior nonfiction are shelved. I know this doesn't sound like much, but it is. Since we don't have enough shelves for the cases at the moment - they are coming - we are unable to finish the JNF, start the YNF (think easy nonfiction), or do the Junior Foreign Language (students are required to take a foreign language class: Thai, German, Spanish, Chinese, French...I think I have those correct.), series, and graphic novels. Keep in mind, this is just for the lower floor of the library. The Senior Library has no books on shelves at this time. That will change soon! (I must admit a feeling of immense satisfaction when I cancelled the library team's reservations of the board room where we were temporarily working!)

When will the students see the library?

• Junior School will see their library first. Our goal is to get that library finished so at least one part is open to students. However, we must have books on the shelves first! So...that depends on when the shelving arrives and books are unpacked. (There are only 34,000 of them. Piece of cake to put them out and in order! Thankfully they were packed very nicely so it is easier to unpack.) There is no date known other than "SOON."

What do you think of it?

•  WOW! (Seriously, that's what I think!) There are a few things that I might have chosen to do differently simply because of what I am used to doing/having. However, the design is phenomenal, the furniture will be a big hit with students, and it looks amazing.

How big is your office?

•  Anyone asking this has seen the office I had before in NC. It was extremely spacious with a standing workspace in the center and more cabinets than all the kitchens in houses I have owned put together. I do not have an actual office here, but we have workspace behind the counter in the Senior Library, a wall of cabinets by the circulation desk in the Junior Library, and use of the conference room for team meetings, etc. The conference room also has storage.

What technology do you have?

•  To be honest, I do not know. We are not in the ready position to have computers, etc. put in place so I have not seen them. I do know that I will be asking about the possibility of a smart panel for library lessons, especially on research skills and student activities. Students in the Junior School do have iPads so some activities (Pear Deck, Goose Chase, etc.) will probably be done using their devices.

What do you like the most?

• There a few things...the tree being one of them! It's such a fun feature in the center of the library on both levels. There is also a spot where I would like a small desk tucked away...gorgeous view of the river! Then the story/lesson area is a giant circle with seating and shelves...

Now on to Bangkok:

How do you like Bangkok?

• We are loving it. It is probably the friendliest BIG city in the world. We are taking our time visiting different places and trying new foods (mostly Thai, but also other restaurants). Not being a tourist is great because we don't have to rush about to see a lot in a tiny amount of time.

Do you speak Thai yet?

• Um....First you need to understand Thai is a tonal language. Some words have no difference in tone, others go up in tone, some go down in tone, some start high and go down then up, others start low and go up and then down...the word Baa has 6 different pronunciations and each pronunciation is a different word. Therefore, the answer is not really. I can count to 100, give directions to a taxi or tuk tuk driver (go straight, turn left, turn right, stop), and greet people. But I am working on it!

What do you miss most?

• Our children, my mom, and our dog...and then I miss my great big comfy couch and Jeff misses driving his car. I also miss our favorite Mexican restaurants...we have yet to find a good substitute here!

When will you be back in the US?

• I will be back in November...but not at home. Along with a great friend, I will be in Kentucky to present at the American Association of School Librarians conference. Unless you are in Louisville at that time, I will not be visiting with you. 😊 Basically I will fly 26 hours, go to the conference, and fly home. My body clock will not know "when" it is for awhile. Otherwise, it will be next summer in the latter half of July and beginning of August. 

 COMING SOON: Next post should be pictures of the finished Junior School Library!

The Things We Learn

The top three things I have learned so far this year:

1. Patience.
2. Patience.
3. Patience.

Why so much need for patience? Because I have been visiting the Pre-Prep and Prep school classes this past week, introducing myself and discussing some of the exciting new features of the yet-to-be-opened library. Each time I discuss it, I wish I could take them into the library and show them everything. But...everything is not quite finished.

I have also learned that children everywhere are fascinated by things they have heard or read about, but never experienced for themselves as well as making connections to what they know. As I introduce myself and explain I am from North Carolina, they start to ask questions.

• "How many planes did you take to get here?"  (3)
• "How long did it take?" (Usually 27-30 hours, but our trip was 46.)
• "Do you have typhoons?" (No, we have hurricanes.)
• This naturally leads to questions about tornadoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, and snow. (Yes, but I've never seen one; not really; no; and yes!)
• I explain about our beaches and mountains, climate, and even the size of our cities in response to questions. 

Although I am not in the library yet, I have started teaching research to some classes. Students are the same everywhere when it comes to learning research skills: "Why can't we just Google it?"