Librarian

Home

Chat

Blogs

Collection

Directory

Home : 2004 : September : 25

Librarian
By Mrs. D

I am an elementary librarian. I taught 4th graders 20 years, and this is my 4th year as a librarian. I run my library much the same way I ran my classroom. I go over rules and correct procedures for checking out books,
etc... I have posted in the library the 5 things I want the kids to do when I am teaching or giving directions. Eyes on speaker, quiet voices, sitting still, quiet hands, ears open. I think the LMC should be a little more of a relaxed atmosphere than the classroom, but still with guidelines. When the students get too rowdy checking out books, we do this 6 or 8 at a time, instead of

the whole class at a time. I work with the classroom teachers and they work with me. If I have to give names for students who couldn't behave while in the LMC for 45 min. I expect the teacher to take some recess time or follow her classroom procedure for discipline. The main thing is you must be consistant and back up what you say. Most of the time, it only takes a couple times with names going back to the teacher with results and the studnts get the picture. I think my library has an open, fun atmosphere, but with structure and guidelines. Give it some time, but be consistant, and you hopefully will be surprised with the results. This is the regular classroom teacher's much needed planning time, I would never send them back to him/her. If it is bad enough, the office is where I would take my concerns. Hope you are seeing better results. Have a good year.