1. How often do you get non-English teachers in the library?
We don't get non-English teachers that often. If they request time in the library its either to use the computers or to do research for a project. Outside of the English teachers the ones we see the most is either the Economics teachers or the Foreign Language teachers.
2. Do you feel that that you have adequate help to accomplish all that needs to get done?
Yes and no. Sometimes I feel like the help I have is enough because I have student helpers two different periods. Other times I have things I want to do, but given my other tasks I just don't have the time or the help to get them done. Being the only librarian in a school this big prevents you from being able to accomplish things that will help to make your library better.
3. Has my being here helped you get things done that normally would not have gotten done?
Yes! Being able to clean out the AV room and the career lab has made a huge difference in the available space in the library. Without you being here it would have taken me to long to do it on my own especially since I couldn't close the library to do it.
Reflection:
Overall this experience has taught me that sometimes we learn the most we aren't prepared to learn. I have loved being in the library and more than that I have loved working with those who I once had as teachers myself. It allows you to see them in a whole new light and to learn things that you did't know before. I hope that when I get my own library that my teachers and students enjoy coming to see me and see me as someone they can trust.
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Monday, September 28, 2015
Powell Valley
1. Does being split between schools make your job harder or easier?
I think switching between schools breaks up my week and I get to know two different sets of students. Its interesting to see the difference between the students at the elementary level compared to those at the middle school level. Sometimes I do think it would be easier if we had two librarians just so that I could devote more time to one school and they would each get a fair amount of time in the library but since we are such a small school that is not an option.
2. Do you feel that the extra requirements on you are fair?
I don't have a lot of extra requirements. I do help with RTI at the middle school level and when hall duty at the beginning of my lunch. For the most part their requirements don't bother me. Sometimes when I have a lot going on at each school it gets overwhelming.
3. With no assistant do you find that your job is harder or do you work better on your own?
I do find that my job is harder with no assistant. I use the students sometime to help with things such as shelving books, but it would be easier if I had an assistant during check out and check in times and to work on shelving so that I could devote that time to my students.
Reflection:
I loved observing at Powell Valley and I enjoyed getting to know their librarian. He is fairly new to the job and you can tell by watching him that he loves it. He had some interesting ideas and it helped me look at things differently than what I had been taught at my host school. I hope that I can do back next semester and observe him at the elementary level.
I think switching between schools breaks up my week and I get to know two different sets of students. Its interesting to see the difference between the students at the elementary level compared to those at the middle school level. Sometimes I do think it would be easier if we had two librarians just so that I could devote more time to one school and they would each get a fair amount of time in the library but since we are such a small school that is not an option.
2. Do you feel that the extra requirements on you are fair?
I don't have a lot of extra requirements. I do help with RTI at the middle school level and when hall duty at the beginning of my lunch. For the most part their requirements don't bother me. Sometimes when I have a lot going on at each school it gets overwhelming.
3. With no assistant do you find that your job is harder or do you work better on your own?
I do find that my job is harder with no assistant. I use the students sometime to help with things such as shelving books, but it would be easier if I had an assistant during check out and check in times and to work on shelving so that I could devote that time to my students.
Reflection:
I loved observing at Powell Valley and I enjoyed getting to know their librarian. He is fairly new to the job and you can tell by watching him that he loves it. He had some interesting ideas and it helped me look at things differently than what I had been taught at my host school. I hope that I can do back next semester and observe him at the elementary level.
Monday, September 21, 2015
First Day, Full Week
1. Do you think participating in spirit week help you be more approachable to students?
I do think participating in spirit week makes me more approachable to students. They come in and they see that I took the time to participate and it helps them see that I am someone they can talk to, someone they can trust. This is very important with this age group. They need to see that the adults around them care about their well being and that they want to help them. If dressing up in a silly costume helps my students see me as someone they can trust then I am going to dress up.
2. Do you think that book displays and bulletin boards make a difference in the books that are checked out?
I do think they make a difference. They are both one of the first things the students see and I have noticed that books that are featured on them are checked out more than those they have to go find in the stacks. With that being said I try to keep both the book display and the bulletin board up to date at all times so that students can see the books we have available in the library.
3. Has the hour long lunch made a difference in how students use the library?
The hour long lunch has definitely changed how students use the library. Those students who never come in the library now come in and hang out during that time. They use it for many things; a place to study, to hang out, to play games, talk with their friends, read a book, use a computer. During this hour alone we sometimes have 150 students come through the library.
Reflection:
Spirit Week...what an interesting time to be at a high school. Students are excited because they get to dress up. They are excited about homecoming and at my high school they are excited about the homecoming parade which gets your out of school early on Friday. Its an interesting week to visit and I'm glad it was my full week. I took advantage of the week and dressed up with the librarian and the assistant. The students loved coming into the library to see if we were dressed up and how we were dressed. This made a difference in how the students saw us and how they approached us. The hour long lunch was new for me, when I was a student there we had three separate lunches, so it was interesting to see how students used it. I took one day and I walked the school for a few minutes during lunch just to get a feel for what it was like outside of the library. Personally it felt like controlled chaos to me, but I believe the students like it. The clubs use it to their advantage to have meetings during this time. So while the hour long lunch doesn't make complete sense to me it works for the school.
I do think participating in spirit week makes me more approachable to students. They come in and they see that I took the time to participate and it helps them see that I am someone they can talk to, someone they can trust. This is very important with this age group. They need to see that the adults around them care about their well being and that they want to help them. If dressing up in a silly costume helps my students see me as someone they can trust then I am going to dress up.
2. Do you think that book displays and bulletin boards make a difference in the books that are checked out?
I do think they make a difference. They are both one of the first things the students see and I have noticed that books that are featured on them are checked out more than those they have to go find in the stacks. With that being said I try to keep both the book display and the bulletin board up to date at all times so that students can see the books we have available in the library.
3. Has the hour long lunch made a difference in how students use the library?
The hour long lunch has definitely changed how students use the library. Those students who never come in the library now come in and hang out during that time. They use it for many things; a place to study, to hang out, to play games, talk with their friends, read a book, use a computer. During this hour alone we sometimes have 150 students come through the library.
Reflection:
Spirit Week...what an interesting time to be at a high school. Students are excited because they get to dress up. They are excited about homecoming and at my high school they are excited about the homecoming parade which gets your out of school early on Friday. Its an interesting week to visit and I'm glad it was my full week. I took advantage of the week and dressed up with the librarian and the assistant. The students loved coming into the library to see if we were dressed up and how we were dressed. This made a difference in how the students saw us and how they approached us. The hour long lunch was new for me, when I was a student there we had three separate lunches, so it was interesting to see how students used it. I took one day and I walked the school for a few minutes during lunch just to get a feel for what it was like outside of the library. Personally it felt like controlled chaos to me, but I believe the students like it. The clubs use it to their advantage to have meetings during this time. So while the hour long lunch doesn't make complete sense to me it works for the school.
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
First Teaching Day!
1. Why is orientation an important part of the library?
Orientation is an important part of the library because it teaches students how to properly use the library and what to expect when they visit. Students need to know how to find information on their own before they come and ask for help. Orientation teaches students how to start on research and what to do if they get stuck. Librarians are always available to help but they need to know the basics to do it on their own.
2. How often do you teach orientation?
I teach orientation the first month of each semester. I only teach it to freshman English classes. It lasts for one class period. In that class period I teach them what they will find in each section of the library and how to use our card catalog. I then show them basic searches for finding information in the card catalog and how changing your wording makes a difference in what you find.
3. Do you think orientation makes a difference in how the students use the library?
I do think orientation makes a difference in how the students use the library. They come in and they have an idea of where to start. Orientation gives them the confidence that they can actually find the information on their own and not have someone walk them through it. This is important at the high school level.
Reflection:
Teaching orientation was interesting because I don't remember it from when I was a student. I enjoyed talking to the students and learning how they felt about using the library. I feel like teaching this class was probably the hardest one I did only because I had no idea what to expect since it was the first time I taught in the library. During the course of the day it reenforced the fact that I am definitely in a field that I love.
Orientation is an important part of the library because it teaches students how to properly use the library and what to expect when they visit. Students need to know how to find information on their own before they come and ask for help. Orientation teaches students how to start on research and what to do if they get stuck. Librarians are always available to help but they need to know the basics to do it on their own.
2. How often do you teach orientation?
I teach orientation the first month of each semester. I only teach it to freshman English classes. It lasts for one class period. In that class period I teach them what they will find in each section of the library and how to use our card catalog. I then show them basic searches for finding information in the card catalog and how changing your wording makes a difference in what you find.
3. Do you think orientation makes a difference in how the students use the library?
I do think orientation makes a difference in how the students use the library. They come in and they have an idea of where to start. Orientation gives them the confidence that they can actually find the information on their own and not have someone walk them through it. This is important at the high school level.
Reflection:
Teaching orientation was interesting because I don't remember it from when I was a student. I enjoyed talking to the students and learning how they felt about using the library. I feel like teaching this class was probably the hardest one I did only because I had no idea what to expect since it was the first time I taught in the library. During the course of the day it reenforced the fact that I am definitely in a field that I love.
Friday, August 14, 2015
First Day!
1. What makes the library an important part (hub) of the school?
The library is an important part of the school because it allows students to collaborate across grade levels and those who are in different classes. For example we have a freshman and a junior that have the same English teacher. They have been assigned similar assignments. In the library they can get together and discuss what the assignment is and how to tackle it. Another example would be 2 students in the same history class but with different teachers. The library gives students and teachers alike a place to come and work together.
2. Do you feel like teachers use the library to its full advantage?
I don't feel like teachers use the library to its full advantage. The teachers who use the library the most are those who teach English or those who need the library for the computers. The library has so much more to offer, from reference to lit crit to college/career information. Teachers have things in the library at their disposal that they don't have in the classroom, yet they don't use it. Upon interviewing teachers I found the reason for this is time. Teachers don't have time to take advantage of the library because of testing.
3. What is the library used for?
The library is mainly used by English teachers for research papers and practice writing assessments. We have the odd teacher that uses it either as a computer lab or those who schedule it for assignments.
Reflection:
I enjoyed my first day in the library. I was excited to get started because this is the school I attended for high school so I know the librarian and I know several of the teachers. I found that this helped me to get started. I was greeted like I belonged and not just as the odd person there. I look forward to the rest of my practicum!
The library is an important part of the school because it allows students to collaborate across grade levels and those who are in different classes. For example we have a freshman and a junior that have the same English teacher. They have been assigned similar assignments. In the library they can get together and discuss what the assignment is and how to tackle it. Another example would be 2 students in the same history class but with different teachers. The library gives students and teachers alike a place to come and work together.
2. Do you feel like teachers use the library to its full advantage?
I don't feel like teachers use the library to its full advantage. The teachers who use the library the most are those who teach English or those who need the library for the computers. The library has so much more to offer, from reference to lit crit to college/career information. Teachers have things in the library at their disposal that they don't have in the classroom, yet they don't use it. Upon interviewing teachers I found the reason for this is time. Teachers don't have time to take advantage of the library because of testing.
3. What is the library used for?
The library is mainly used by English teachers for research papers and practice writing assessments. We have the odd teacher that uses it either as a computer lab or those who schedule it for assignments.
Reflection:
I enjoyed my first day in the library. I was excited to get started because this is the school I attended for high school so I know the librarian and I know several of the teachers. I found that this helped me to get started. I was greeted like I belonged and not just as the odd person there. I look forward to the rest of my practicum!
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