NO joking

Things still haven't been resolved at the site of our 2nd and 3rd graders. The principal saw me on Friday and didn't mention anything, so I knew she hadn't resolved the situation. Lunch with my boss on Thursday was wonderful. She felt sorry for me and told me so and it made me cry. I just teared up a little-no sobbing, which was what I felt like doing. I was trying to remain professional. I told her everything that I was experiencing at that site, and she asked if she should talk to the principal; I told her that maybe we had gotten to that point. I ventured that if nothing was done soon, I'd be forced to say something, and it might get ugly. My boss said that it's not my place to do that: it's hers or the principal's. I'm just a colleague. I can respect that--IF SOMETHING ACTUALLY GETS DONE!!!!!!!! Friday night, I was scrapping with some new friends from my school when my assistant told me that she got scolded during checkout for allowing kids to borrow joke books. JOKE BOOKS. Evidently, the librarian does not allow students to go to the shelves behind the checkout desk, which is where the 800 and 900's are. I just can't believe this. I emailed my boss today to tell her. This really should, I mean really should send her over the edge. It just about did me! The good news, GREAT news, actually, is that the carpeting was installed this week in the new library. The shelving will arrive next week, and we're on track for the Nov. 16 collection delivery. This was just the news I needed at the end of a long week, and it has put me in a GREAT mood. :)

Still waiting

Well, the issues with the librarian at one of our sites still aren't resolved. When I first spoke to the principal, which was about 3 or 4 weeks ago, she assured me that she'd talk to the librarian. All this time has passed, and they still haven't had the (much needed) conversation. A few more things have happened with the librarian to make our students feel not welcome in the library, so I emailed the principal on Sunday. I was in her building today, and she told me that she did, in fact, get my email and that she was looking for a way to bring it up with the librarian. Quite frankly, the time to be nice is over. What that librarian is doing is a crime, and she shouldn't be allowed to treat students the way she does. I have a lunch meeting with my boss tomorrow, so we'll see what she says. She is aware of the situation, but takes the position that the principal has to deal with this. (I think--we'll see tomorrow...) In other news, I am loving my classes. The kids are, for the most part, really really good. I have no more discipline problems than I had last year at a school that is quite different, demographically, from our new school. Kids are kids.

Not such a good one

Today was a tough day. First, I observed a class that another specialist was teaching. It was part of our "colleague" program, which is kind of like mentoring. The class has a very difficult child in it, and she handled him so well; I was impressed and I even learned a few things. But it was stressful knowing that I would be in that same class tomorrow with that troubled student. I hope tomorrow goes okay. The afternoon was a little rough. I think I try to pack too much stuff into the period, and I get stressed out and try to rush things. The faster I need them to move, the slower they go. My last class today just about did me in--they were horrible! Even the principal came in to check on us. She could tell I was at my wit's end with them. Sad to say, but her presence didn't help. These kids are a tough bunch. So the part I feel really bad about is that one girl did the exact thing I told the boy next to her not to do, and I said to her, "That was dumb." Oh, boy. I've never said something like that to a student before, although I have thought it many, many times. That's why the principal came in--I think she heard me say it. Tomorrow will be better. Friday!

Meeting

Today we had our first elementary librarians' meeting. Twelve of fifteen librarians signed up, and I think 10 showed up. Not bad. We shared lessons that we'd done and gave copies to the others. Then there was a rather spirited discussion about flexible and fixed scheduling. There is great disparity in our district in regard to the number of classes librarians teach every week. A few schools have a modified flexible schedule of some sort, but most have fixed schedules, with librarians teaching from 23 to 39 classes a week. Principals are not interested in hearing the research about how flexible schedules can improve student achievement. They are more worried about the classroom teachers getting planning time every day. . . sometimes, at the expense of the librarian's plan time. Doug Johnson wrote an interesting article about fixed scheduling. I agree with many of his points, especially about some kids not getting access to the library in a flexible schedule situation. This happened to me with fifth grade--they were "too busy preparing for SOLs" to schedule extra library time. So I only saw those kids once every two weeks. A second grade teacher's class was able to come to the library every day for a week while we completed a wonderful Ancient China unit. Anyway, one librarian suggested that adding itinerant librarians would help us with flexible scheduling. Some of us disagreed, saying that then we'd be exactly the same as art, PE, and music. We'd teach our 30 classes a week and be stuck with fixed scheduling forever. So what's the goal--ensuring ourselves a plan period every day or creating a flexible library program? I think we aren't unified on this yet. And we can't do much unless we are.

Illuminating

Being in three different schools every week has taught me a lot. I have learned, most imporantly, that we really have no idea what goes on day-to-day in each other's libraries. In one of the libraries I see three times a week, SO MUCH more can be happening. The collection hasn't been weeded in years and needs it BAD; the shelving scheme makes no sense whatsoever; who knows what's going on during class time. I do now. And my eyes have been opened to the huge differences among programs at our schools. More oversight is needed. Students are not being served equally. Students, in fact, are being done a disservice at at least one school. It makes me mad. In other news, I am preparing centers for my new library. I will have them at tables for the students to do after they check out or if they can't check out. This will be an exciting addition to my program.

What I'm Reading

I have been consumed by A Million Little Pieces by James Frey. It's the Oprah Bookclub pick, and while I don't usually jump on the Oprah bandwagon, this one was different. I am almost finished with it, and it is GOOD! I stay up late reading it, I get up early to read it, I rush home from work to read it. I know I'll be sad when I finish it. There will be a void. In the world of kids' books, I've been reading Jack Gantos's Jack Henry Adventures, a delightful little series about young Jack Henry. I've read parts of it aloud to my 4th/5th graders, and they loved it. Oh, and the classic Sideways Stories from Wayside School. We did a Readers' Theatre on some of the chapters and the kids loved it. I met one girl who, after hearing some of the book from me, ordered it from her monthly book order. She was so excited to show me; I was excited for her.