Friday, January 29, 2010

Friday, January 29, 2010

Teacher Work Day 8.5 hours


7:30-8:00 AM Unlock library doors, turn on computers, fill printer with paper, run copies, unjam printer (AGAIN!)

8:00-10:30 AM Write lesson plans for the week of February 1-5 for all grades. Next week is the first week of the 2nd semester. I will be implementing my new schedule. It is a set schedule so I will see every class for 30 minutes once a week. This has been the biggest struggle for me this school year to date. I have spent countless hours working with the teachers to get in their students on a weekly basis. I have been questioned as to why, what I will be doing. The previous librarian had a flexible schedule and it can work, however I am not comfortable with it. Keeping track of what I have done each class is extremely time consuming. Perhaps once I am familiar with the lessons this could work but at this point a set schedule will help me stay sane and I will better prepared with my lessons to be an effective teacher.

The 5th grade will be working on bias and point of view in writing. Very appropriate topic with black history month starting in February. I am going to start the class with a survey asking the students for their suggestions for books, genres, authors, AR levels for the collection. Then we will read a fiction story about wolves and discuss how they are represented in stories and complete a fact or opinion promethean lesson. If time allows I will try to make a voter flipchart, but I have a lot to do today.

The fourth grade will continue researching their imaginary animal. About 50% of the students till need to complete their three sources and citations. Those that are done will be allowed to play with PowerPoint to become familiar with using it. I will have everyone set up their presentations together for the next class.

Third grade will be continuing their research on Mrs. Nelson's perfect pet. We are going to do this together as I saw many of the children waiting time last class and making poor selections for animals. They need more modeling and I will provide that.

The second grade will be using the Super 3, Plan, Do, Review, to learn about the process of making cheese. I will read the non fiction book From Milk to Cheese and the we will watch a video clip from Learn 360. The recommended video in the lesson is no longer available. The district changed from Discovery Learning last year to Learn 360 so I must search for new videos to meet the needs of the lesson. This takes me a least an extra hour. Together we write up the process on the promethean board.

The first grade will also be using the Super 3 learning about animal homes. We will read a fiction story about animal homes and then use kidport.com to learn facts about animal homes. We will take notes on the promethean to model note taking.

The kindergarten will also be using the Super 3 learning more about monkeys. We will have another fiction monkey story and then look for facts online. The will make monkey masks they can wear while we are playing monkey, monkey, banana!

10:30-12:00 Now I am way behind. Finding that video took way too long. I need to spend $6,600.00 by February 15 or I will it will be gone. I had planned on replacing the VHS tapes with updated DVD for the 3-6 grade science and social studies curriculums however I have spent hours searching and have been unsuccessful in finding anything updated. The copyright on the ones I am finding is the same as the ones we already have. The dates range from 1994-2002. An hour is too much time to spend on this. I sent an email to my supervisor for help. I went and talked to the teachers at lunch (always a working lunch) to explain this and get suggestions.

12:00-12:30 I search between Bound to Stay Bound, Titlewave and our collection to match playaways and books. The 4th and 5th grade teachers have asked for audio books for our low level high interest readers. I am amazed at the cost of these devices, but happy to help fill this need. The clerk and I decide due to the high cost and previous experience with playa ways we set strict policies for these. They will not be allowed out of the building and they will only be allowed to be checked out on a teacher recommended basis. I will purchase 30 for our trial period. Unfortunately they will probably not hit our shelves this year as our processing at the Central office takes about 6 months.

12:30-1:30 I purchase 40 books at the AR prelevel as our collection lacks a good supply in this area. I also spend time look for high level high interest as we have students in the 4th grade who have read every book above the 7th level already. Hence the surveys this week. I feel disappointed when these students can't find anything to read when I make a suggestion and they have already read it.

1:30-2:20 The Marc records report tells me we need more books in the 100's so I make selections on feelings and emotions. Our counselor has made some suggestions and some are out of print :( For the most part our collection is outstanding shape. I look at the circulation and see that Captain Underpants is not only the most circulated book in our library but it is the 3rd and 7th as well. We already own all the books in print. What other authors are comparable? No surprise that Diary of a Whimpy Kid is in 2nd and 4th place. I have a stack of damaged books I need to replace, however can only find half of them. Note to self: order more lower level nonfiction. The kindergarten have discovered the nonfiction and are crazy about animals. I read the reviews (if there are any) on all the books I order. I find some more scary fiction by reading some reviews and learning of another author we don't have in the library.

I have been working on this order for months and still need to spend $2,000.00 more in 2 weeks and now am out of time! I am hoping the surveys are helpful to me and I get a lot of good suggestions.

2:20-4:00 Well it certainly doesn't look like I will accomplish all I have to do today. I box up more books to be processed at the IMC. We won't see those books until May. I go through the students papers giving stickers for their work. Second grade can get all their work back. Third and fourth are not done with their research so I have to divide into who is done and who is not. The fourth that are done will start working with PowerPoint at next class.

I finally find the bookmarks everyone has been talking about with all the passwords for the online resources. I send off a few emails inquiring as to how I can get more of these. I make up a sheet for the teachers that I will print so they can have them all in their classrooms. This I also send in an email so they will have it electronically too. Those bookmarks would be so helpful to the students. I hope I can get some made. I read more emails and reply. TGIF!