One pretty busy day! :)
Wednesday, January 16, 2019
January Reflection
Tonight, as I realize I am late with this post, I think that is alright. Here's why. Last week was the start of a huge wave of what will be a long, but productive, few weeks. I don't know for sure about other librarians and their programs, but mine goes in some pretty serious waves. Things are quiet for a few days and then KABOOM! Projects, often at the same time, take off. Books need to be read. The makerspace needs a change and that means training kids on new tasks. Life is good, but it is busy! the picture I will post shows a piece of this business. :)
Thursday, January 3, 2019
Edublog's 2019 28 Day Blogging Challenge
Today is January 3rd and I am going to try to take part in Edublog's 2019 28 Day Blogging Challenge. Of course, I have book reviews due, a makerspace to work on, and my regular library stuff to continue. Sound familiar? The life of a school librarian is indeed never dull. I did, however, finish Wonder Workshop's Introduction to Coding and Robotics with Dash yesterday. Hooray!! I wish some of the other teachers at Colton-Pierrepont had done this course with me so we would have more of the Dash robots around for our students to use. :) Ah, well, another time maybe!
So, what am I musing about today? Library life is so busy, and yet, so rewarding. I love helping our teachers and students with research projects. I love the addition of makerspace elements to what we do. I love getting books into the hands of our kids (of all ages). So, why are there things weighing heavily on my mind? Well, that is the life of a school library and librarian - there is always more to do, and of course, defend (always having to defend and stand up for the library program is SOOO essential and at the same time, very weary-ing). Some of the people who have worked alongside me still do not understand how much has to be done behind the scenes to keep out PK-12 grade Library Media Center (that's what we at CPCS call it - I like library better, but that is a small issue, not worth worrying over now) going and growing. I am thinking it is a PR thing and maybe I need to work on that understanding. For now, that is all I will say about this particular muse. But, it is one of those "constants" that is draining, to say the least, but enough of my less-than-positive topic.
The other topic with is muse-worthy is our makerspace. I want our kids to think, create, and collaborate. I want them to be challenged to stretch their brains a bit. I want them happy and trying their best. But, I still am not thrilled with how to manage the daily use part of this and provide what is needed. When it is project time or teachers bring classes into the library to work with a particular material or item, that is not a problem. Busy and crazy, but no problem. I love it! It is managing the ins and outs of the other time when I have set out materials and challenge cards for kids to come in and use on their own. I am in the process of re-working how many times a child can appear in a month (which is about the amount of time I have a particular theme set up) and what times of day specific grades can send students. Things got crazy before our break and we were seeing some students over and over (and over) again and some hardly at all. Those that came over and over got bored with our challenges and wanted different things on which to work. I just don't have time to keep adding and subtracting items, especially when some kids still hadn't done the first group. Yikes! It makes for lots of thinking and continuous work on how to make this better for all.
So, if you should be reading this (and, I never really know who does), and you have any helpful ideas or tips, please feel free to share them with me. :)
So, what am I musing about today? Library life is so busy, and yet, so rewarding. I love helping our teachers and students with research projects. I love the addition of makerspace elements to what we do. I love getting books into the hands of our kids (of all ages). So, why are there things weighing heavily on my mind? Well, that is the life of a school library and librarian - there is always more to do, and of course, defend (always having to defend and stand up for the library program is SOOO essential and at the same time, very weary-ing). Some of the people who have worked alongside me still do not understand how much has to be done behind the scenes to keep out PK-12 grade Library Media Center (that's what we at CPCS call it - I like library better, but that is a small issue, not worth worrying over now) going and growing. I am thinking it is a PR thing and maybe I need to work on that understanding. For now, that is all I will say about this particular muse. But, it is one of those "constants" that is draining, to say the least, but enough of my less-than-positive topic.
The other topic with is muse-worthy is our makerspace. I want our kids to think, create, and collaborate. I want them to be challenged to stretch their brains a bit. I want them happy and trying their best. But, I still am not thrilled with how to manage the daily use part of this and provide what is needed. When it is project time or teachers bring classes into the library to work with a particular material or item, that is not a problem. Busy and crazy, but no problem. I love it! It is managing the ins and outs of the other time when I have set out materials and challenge cards for kids to come in and use on their own. I am in the process of re-working how many times a child can appear in a month (which is about the amount of time I have a particular theme set up) and what times of day specific grades can send students. Things got crazy before our break and we were seeing some students over and over (and over) again and some hardly at all. Those that came over and over got bored with our challenges and wanted different things on which to work. I just don't have time to keep adding and subtracting items, especially when some kids still hadn't done the first group. Yikes! It makes for lots of thinking and continuous work on how to make this better for all.
So, if you should be reading this (and, I never really know who does), and you have any helpful ideas or tips, please feel free to share them with me. :)
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