Our actual first day of school was last week on Friday. That's right, we started school on a Friday.
This week, we started our orientation to the Media Center. The students come in through their Language Arts classes and we go over the run down of how the Media Center works, what fun events we have planned for this year, any new information they may need for this school year, and the basics of our school-wide 20 Book Challenge. Then, every student leaves with at least one book. I start with the 8th graders first because most of them already know how I roll and it's just a bit easier. This week we had 3 full teams of kids come in, plus our self-contained students and our EBD Unit. We checked out just under 600 books in 3 and 1/2 days of checking out.
I pride myself on being innovative, making things engaging, and not lecturing the kids but I have to be honest with you. My orientation isn't very innovative. I've looked at scavenger hunts, Flip-Grid activities, animated videos (I tried that my first year), escape room scenarios, and I just can't really find a good way to make that work with the information I need them to know.
Many Media Specialist want to teach the students how to find books on their first visit there. I don't really do that. By middle school (in theory!) they have a basic understanding of how the library is set up and based on my experience, many of my students don't just browse the shelves. They look for the books I've told them about, or their friend suggested. They look for a book to fit their next 20 Book Challenge category. Because of this, I choose not to do book-finding activities with them. Plus, it really fills my heart with joy to see the line of kids waiting to tell me what they like and watch on Neftlix and then run across the library with me so I can find them just the right book. It doesn't teach independence but it does help shape their attitudes about books and shows them I think they are important and worth my time.
I started with a slide telling them who I was and what I can do for them, complete with a picture of me and Kwame Alexander, which the kids all freak out about. I love it because there is always a kid who says, "You know him?????" and then I earn some serious street cred.
I fill my presentation with photos and always try to make it about what they get out of coming to the Media Center and never about what I'm trying to force them to learn. I go over what all they can do in the mornings during patio time before class and cover all the fun events we are going to be having.
- Banned Book Week in September plus a photo of our activity they remember.
- The Scholastic Book Fair with a picture of me dressed like a taco.
- Swing Launch Party with a photo of the cover of the book.
- Big author visit that is in the works (!!!!!!)
- Project Lit
- Trips to the elementary school next door to read to Kindergarten students
- Florida Literacy Week in January
- March Madness 64 Book Book Tournament
- Book Bash for our Florida Sunshine State Young Readers Award books in April
- 20 Book Challenge Celebration in late April
The kids seem to get really excited when I start talking about these events and showing them pictures of the ones we did last year. One of the students said, "Mrs. Friday, let's be real. You know you're going to wake up in the middle of the night with some weird idea and then we're gonna do it. Those aren't all the events we will have this year." I'm not going to lie. I laughed so hard and then told her she was probably right.
I hit all the Media Center rules and basic policies but I use Bitmojis which makes them laugh and also gives me a little more street cred.
I show them pictures of our previous Scholastic Book Fairs and we talk about how our book fair isn't a regular book fair, it's a life event. I decorate the entire Media Center. I wear ridiculous costumes, we play music, I have stations set up. It's a thing and the kids love it.
We talked about the Project Lit Community that we are going to be part of this year. I told them about some of the books on the list and explained that the books on the list are books that make a lot of adults uncomfortable because they don't want to talk about these sensitive issues or see things from someone else's perspective. I told them many of these books deal with social injustice and that they need to be mature to read them. This, in turn, made ALL the kids want to be part of Project Lit. #winning
We take a few minutes to talk about our new SSYRA books for this year and I highlight some of my favorites and how to be able to participate in our Book Bash celebration.
Last but not least, I go over the basics of our 20 Book Challenge and any changes for this year. I show them pictures of the celebration from last year and it makes all the kids excited. More to come about the challenge soon!
After I go over all this stuff, I help the kids find books and everyone checks out and reads until the bell rings. My orientation doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles. I have researched other ways to do it. I see other really amazing Media Specialists post what they do and it makes me feel like I'm not doing enough. I could do it better. I turn ideas around in my head but I always come back to this Google Slide presentation. Do you know why? Because these kids leave really excited about the library and reading. They leave ready to get started on their 20 Book Challenge. One of our 8th graders said to me Wednesday, "You know, I don't really like to read but I think you've changed my mind. I think I'm going to do the 20 Book Challenge this year and really try to finish."
Orientation wasn't the only thing I did this week but it was a big part of my week. I also spent time helping one of our reading teachers find something she can do with her ESOL class; They are going to read The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzalez in Spanish while they listen to the English version. If you haven't read it, you need to. Such a powerful story of leaving your native country and leaving family behind for a chance at better opportunities. I think it will really speak to these kids. I also started frantically scrambling to find money and make a plan when one of the nation's best-selling authors said he wanted to come to MY school. GASP!!!!!!! I built an Amazon wish list for some of our Project Lit books. I wrote a Donor's Choose grant. I shared resources with our staff, solved tech issues with Google Cloud access, unjammed some copiers for people, attempted to help get our TV studio up and running, searched for some professional resources for a staff member, helped a few substitutes, helped SO many lost 7th graders find the front office, answered 45,698,483 emails, and smiled a lot.
You see, a week in the Media Center is crazy. Lots of people come and ask you for lots of things and it is a joy to serve them all the best I can. I constantly have a lot of plates spinning in the Media Center. I feel like it's my job to serve my school in the very best capacity I can. That looks like a lot of different things for me. Yes, it keeps me busy and exhausted but it is so worth it to help a teacher out and help a kid be excited about a book.
I have a new principal this year and at lunch one day this week he said, "You know, I've been in a lot of schools. I mean A LOT. I've never seen a Media Specialist who is as aggressive as you." At first I was worried. I thought he meant something negative but he didn't. He saw the look on my face and said, "Let me explain. Most of the Media Specialists I've seen sit back and let people come to them. They help out here and there. They check out some books. But they don't actively seek out students and teachers and push all they can do. I've watched you promote your programs like it pays your check. That's good. It's important."
I wish what he experienced wasn't true. I've been in enough schools to know that it can be. I can't control that though. What I can control is to do what's best for kids and what is best for teachers and that is to give them all I've got. 100% of my energy and effort to make a difference in our school.
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