Tournament of Books: Most popular

So, in honor of March Madness, and I love me some March Madness (FYI I won the pool for my building, even though it only included 7 people and yes, that is a sad bracket pool) (and also go Syracuse!) I decided to do an April Madness book tournament. Guess what, the kids looooove it. I was really surprised they liked it as much as they did.
Currently I have my top eight books going to the Eloquent Eight: Girl, Stolen, Pretty Little Liars, Ever After Ever, Found, The Maze Runner, Out of My Mind, Life As We Knew it and Witch and Wizard. I was totally bummed that Bruiser lost to Found, because I just adored Bruiser when I read it. However, I think more kids have read Found. Actually what has been more fun than the actual tournament is writing up the announcements.
Here is one:

"The eloquent Eight now has two new novels... Both were close. After Ever After beat Shelter by a small margin and Life As We Knew It only beat The Last Thing I Remember by three votes!!!

Today's match-ups include Bruiser, a realistic fiction story with a twist, versus Found, a mystery thriller, AND Witch and Wizard, a dystopian novel versus Paranormalcy, definitely not realistic fiction. Come down and vote to see who else will move on towards the championship. Don't forget that voting enters you in to win a prize!!"

 

I could totally be more creative, but I'm also trying to condense them for announcement purposes. My poster isn't the greatest, but I will make it better next year. Speaking of next year, I think I'm going to do a battle of the novel heroes for next year. Do I include Hunger Games, Katniss? I think Divergent's Tris would come pretty close to beating her...

 

 

Book Spine Poetry

April is National Poetry Month and of course I wanted to do something with the students for poetry. I wish I had some amazing technology tool or something cool like that to do with poetry (I always feel a little in the dark when it comes to that), but I did get to use my ipads which made me happy. So, I borrowed an assignment I had seen before and did book spine poetry with the students. Yesterday I had a 7th grade team in and the students had about 15 minutes to find their books and create a poem with them. I will say shelving all of those books super-sucked, but it was worth it. The kids were really excited.

Things I will do differently tomorrow and next year!
Set a timer: I did not do this with first hour and it was a HUGE mistake. They really took forever and then got a little crazy. I always gave my high schoolers a timer, so I'm not sure what I was thinking there.
Tone: I'm thinking you could definitely do something with tone here. And, I might have them decide what their poem means to them.

My two favorites are posted on here. One was super clever, and the other I thought was really funny. I hope they were trying to be funny!!

I'm still trying to think of a few good ideas for poetry in the library...

Why I almost didn't eat lunch today and other things

So, I finally got to play with my ipads. Wicka, Wicka... Speaking of wicka, I downloaded this amazing app called Autorap. You pick your song and then talk and it changes your words into a rap. It is pretty fun. Maybe a little too much fun seeing as I barely did anything else for an hour. I absolutely love this app.

Then, I played with imovie for about another hour. I used to have kids use Moviemaker to do book trailers (because that was the only thing available), but my students who took the project home and used their Macs always came in with a way superior end product. Anyway, I sent the email out to the staff so the ipads are officially launched. I have three more coming my way; I am just waiting for them to appear some day when I least expect it.

On a completely different note I was helping a student (avid reader) find a book to check out. I ended up filling her arms with about fifteen books, even though she can only check out two (I do hate that rule), and let her sift through the books to find the one she really wanted. Then I took the leftover 13 books and made what I will call a "lazy display" that was just titled, "These Books are Good... Check Them Out," and placed them on a table right at the front of the library. Most of them were new books like Jay Asher's The Story of Us, which is a cute quirky romance. Others were a few years old like Sarah Dessen's The Truth About Forever, and not all of them were girly books like the previous two. I have about three left, so I guess my demand worked. I thought maybe I should create those types of displays everywhere. I could even have students pick... "Joe Shmoe likes these books... Check Them Out." Let's be honest, it is really hard for me to show students some of the fantasy and science fiction books because I really don't LOVE that genre. I'm more of a realistic fiction gal. By having other students recommend books I'll increase my audience. I will have to start that after spring break maybe. All of those after spring break projects are really starting to add up...

When It's Really Quiet

          Please tell me that I am not the only who cannot stand to have complete silence in the library. I know that it may go against everything I knew growing up, but I just can’t have it. It isn’t in my DNA to be quiet or have quiet or like quiet. I grew up in a household where there was no such thing as quiet and I’m totally okay with that. I have three kids, and the only time my house is quiet is during nap time (and usually I’m at work when that occurs). The past few weeks have been teaching about the research paper and I have loved every minute of it. I get to teach the kids about databases, help them find books, make jokes about research papers, and really get to know some of the students. And, the best part… I don’t have to grade the papers!!!

            Research paper is over, and I have found the last few days to be grueling. I have been weeding books (which definitely needed to be done), I have been ordering books, keeping up on twitter and Pinterest, and trying to think of what I wanted to write on here.


            I have gotten super good at Photoshop! Which is great because I have the READ software and now I can make READ posters of all the teachers in the building including my own children (I may or may not have Photoshopped one teacher's books out and put Fifty Shades in instead). However, sometimes I really miss being in the classroom. Since this is only my second year here, I find it really hard to get some of the teachers to collaborate with me. I know they are all super busy, but I really want to help, and I feel like it’s my job to help. I’m still figuring out how to get them to work with me and let me help them. I’m sure that collaborating sound like a ton of work, and they just aren’t into it. Hopefully I can brainstorm some ideas and get the ball rolling, and I’m sure in a couple of years I’ll be so busy I can barely stand it. I have hope that this will be the learning hub I want it to be!

Emma's Read Poster... Adorable, right!?

I know Ava doesn't have a book, but she's so freaking cute!

My 1970 Library... And Why I Need it to Change

My library was built before I was born, and although some things have changed, more seems to just be the same. It's only my second year, and last year was so much about finding out what kind of librarian I wanted to be, cleaning out the hoards of "stuff" left, and oh yeah, in January I found out I was pregnant (surprise!). So last year felt more like my first year of teaching. This year, although I was out for eight weeks of maternity leave, I feel like I am truly getting my bearings. And, as I do, I am realizing just how outdated the space is. 

Last year I weeded the crap out of the library. If I saw an outdated book I got it off the shelf. Any yellow pages or torn up book was gone. I pulled out the picture books and put them in their own section, and I added an entire section on young adult books that my eighth graders went nuts for (obviously I am careful about what I choose for my middle school audience). I just wanted as much new fiction as I could get my hands on and because I was still getting to know the middle school curriculum I wasn't as good on what to buy when it came to nonfiction. If I would have had my way, I would have done away with the reference section entirely, integrating it into the nonfiction section. Instead, the reference books that used to never be circulated were given a one day checkout. 

I wanted to collaborate with everyone and anyone, but I couldn't really get anyone in to talk to me. I became a yes man. "Oh, you need fifty books on World War II pulled by next hour... You got it!" "What, there aren't computer labs open for your classes, well I have ten working netbooks you could come down here and use." "You want to bring your class down to check out books... Well, we have two classes in here now, but wait fifteen minutes and you got it." I literally did anything and everything I could to make the library a happy place. I started a book club with pizza. I made breakfast for the staff. I probably did a lot of things that all librarians do to get people in their library, and some days it made me happy, other days it made me crabby, but most of all, I felt like I was making a change in the school even if it was a small one.

This year, I still do those things, but I am a little smarter about it. I stopped creating a schedule for the English teachers to follow (and sometimes forgot), and allowed them to sign up for times that fit best for them. I also started handing out reminders that included what I could possibly do for them. And for as many changes as the library has gone through, I am not satisfied. Our shelves are still the original 1970 shelves, our tables are wobbly and about to fall over (I honestly think that they are probably a hazard, but I don't think the district would give me a budget for all new furniture), we still have a computer lab in the library that is super distracting and makes it almost impossible to teach a class if the lab is full, and our lights don't turn off the way I would want them to. I would literally change the entire set-up if I could.

I've decided to attempt to make a few immediate changes. I bought Ipads for teacher checkout. I just got them in and they are A-Mazing. I'm currently trying to figure out my budget because I would really like to buy some I-O Smith Posts and surrounding tables, because currently we only have outlets along our walls I want a portable SMART board because I currently don't have one I can use. The SMART board I do have is in the lab within the library and is often used by classes.  I'm also making a proposal about how to enclose that dumb computer lab that we desperately need, but has to have its own place.

I also just read an article in LMC about a Library Science class that some high schools have. To quote Liz Lemon, "I want to go to there." How do I get in on that? Sometimes I feel like a kid in a candy store, and other times I feel as though my ice cream has just fallen on the ground. I have so much to do, and I’m never sure what order I should do them. I will figure it out and get the ball rolling on what needs to be done.

Crazy, Crazy Book Fair

Whew!!! Between book fair last week and research papers and METC this week, I feel like it's all been a huge whirlwind.

Book fair actually started out two Fridays ago when, right before setting up a book fair, I got a call from our sitter stating that Emma was throwing up and needed to be picked up ASAP. So, book fair was not getting set up on Friday afternoon. It would just have to wait, and I didn’t want Michele setting up an entire book fair by herself. I quickly made a series of phone calls and it was decided that my parents would watch the kids on Saturday so Jim and I could come up to school and set up the book fair. Our Saturday did not consist of the normal things that usually included cleaning the house or sitting around in our pjs or doing laundry (which is always a little crazy with five of us), and my amazing husband and I went up to school on a Saturday and set up my Valentine's Day themed book fair. Yes, I know the theme this year was Story Laboratory, but I just can't work that, and the Dollar Store had a million Valentine's Day decorations, so the book fair was decorated with hearts and pink and red. Unfortunately we were up at school for about four hours putting everything together, so by the time I was finished I just left and didn't take pictures. We came home to Ava puking all over the carpet. Not what I imagine a good Saturday to be.

Then Monday came along, and so did that damn stomach bug. But it was first day of book fair, and no way was I leaving Michele to do the first day of book fair all by herself, so off to school I was with gatorade and crackers and a tummy that felt like it was being ripped apart. It was awful, but moms and librarians canNOT get sick, so I put on my big girl mommy pants and went to school. I made it the whole day without throwing up and was in bed by 8:15 that night.

The rest of the week was super rushed, but that’s good, right? I scheduled all of the classes on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, which is no small feat for a school of almost 1200 middle schoolers. Thursday and Friday were opened up to the whole school. It was crazy; it was busy; we did really well. But my dumb self deciding to come to school on Monday was a huge mistake because I got a call on Friday morning... Michele had been throwing up all night long. I felt terrible! She kept apologizing to me, but it was all MY fault.

Needless to say I was not sad to see book fair go. I was exhausted and just done. I still had to clean my house for the bridal shower I was throwing on Saturday, and we had a birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese on Friday night. By the time Sunday came I was done. Whew, right!

So, things that worked well:

1.      Having all the classes scheduled for the first three days: Yes, it was busy, but it was worth it. Thursday and Friday were just for students on passes or extra classes wanting to come down.

2.      Teacher appreciation day on Monday: After school I had treats for the teachers. They also received 20 percent off their purchase. Yes, I know that may be 20 percent less in book fair profit, but most of the teachers that came down would never have even come down without the incentive. It’s amazing how much teachers love cupcakes and cookies. I was at school for about an hour and a half longer than usual, but I also sold quite a few books.

3.      Science Fair: We have book fair the same week as Science Fair, and I came back up to school on Wednesday night when parents and students come up together to look at the projects. The projects are actually in the library with book fair, so I had quite a bit of traffic that night. Jim and I had a time overlap, so I brought all three of the kids up with me. They had fun, I sold books, it was all good.

4.      Thanking the Teachers: I always take as many books as possible from the discount table and give them to teachers who brought classes down. This is just my way of saying thank you, and they really love adding to their classroom library. I feel like the teachers are some of my best customers, so I want to make sure they realize how much I appreciate everything they do for me.

I am really excited for the BOGO in the spring. One of the Math teachers came to me with an amazing idea, and I'm trying to figure out a good way to implement it. Our population is quite economically diverse and not all of our students can afford to buy books at the book fair. This year we had a few instances of stealing and I think that comes from students who don’t have money to buy books. In the spring with our Scholastic book fair, we are also going to have a used book fair. Students and teachers can bring in gently used books which will be sold for a quarter a piece. I obviously still need to work out some major dets, but I’m so excited about it. I really want everyone to be able to have books, and this would be a great way for students to get their hands on books and have them at home.

Overall, I think book fair week was kind of fun, minus that nasty stomach bug. It is a change of pace, and the week flies by. Next post: It’s my favorite time of year… Research paper time!!! (And I’m not being sarcastic here. I’m a former English teacher. I loooooove research paper time.)

Book Fair is Coming to Town

Next week we are having a book fair, and I can honestly say that I'm super excited. One reason I wanted to create this blog was so I would remember all of the different things I did this year. If this book fair crashes and burns then I will know the extras weren't worth it! This is our first book fair this year because I was on maternity leave last semester and I am so ready for the change in pace.

Things I'm doing differently:
1. Commercial and brochures: Right when students walk in I have the book fair commercial running in the library with a bunch of brochures sitting on the table. Now, the music is super repetitive and it's about to drive Michele and I crazy, but the students know that book fair is coming and they are excited.

2. Decorations: I'm decorating this year. Woot! Woot! I haven't really decorated before, so I'm really excited. I will post pictures once it is all set up. I am going to the dollar store today, and I'm just really excited to go to the Dollar Store.

3. Teacher Appreciation Day: I did this last year and it was a huge success. On Monday after school I'm offering teachers snacks and drinks and 20 percent off of their purchases. Teachers love their books, especially cook books!

4. Students Without Money: I am trying to find something to do for the students who aren't purchasing books. We are all about Common Core, so I thought about having a Math involved Common Core activity for kids. I'm thinking of having them guess the amount of marbles that are in a container. However, I will also have a smaller version of that container with practice marbles. If they can count the number of marbles going into the small container and then multiply then they can get a really a good estimate. Anyways it’s something Mathy and Math and the library don't always go together, but with this they could.

5. Incentives for Buying: A drawing for kids who buy books. For every book they buy their names get entered into a drawing for any book of their choice.

6. New Teacher Schedule: I scheduled the teachers differently this time so that pretty much everyone comes down the first two days, and then if they want, they can come back with classes to buy. I'm actually going to offer the free times Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday morning to any teacher in our building as long as they talk up book fair and they have kids bring in money.

Now, I know some schools do like donuts with dad, or muffins with mom, or books and bagels, blah, blah, blah, but I have three kids 4 and under and a husband that works crazy hours, so I'm thinking of sitting that one out.

I am super hyped up on caffeine right now (a thank you to Carrie at Starbucks and my wonderful husband for delivering it for me), so I should probably get a few things done before it wears off! Pictures and results to come. Crossing my fingers!