BETWEEN THE LINES

Welcome to Between the Lines, I'm a third year School Librarian at a Title 1 school in Georgia. I'm new to blogging and thought I'd try to stretch my wings.

"Education is not the filling of the pail, but the lighting of a fire." -William Butler Yeats

Week 1: Hustle and Bustle

We all know how the first few weeks of school are, you are drained of everything and somehow manage to keep going. Leading up to the start of this blog (I'm new here), I have been assigning laptops to students, retrieving TNS's, (Temporary No Shows), so I can assign them to the students that are attending our school this year. I've also scheduled and had classes come through the media center to retrieve their consumable workbooks and check them out though the Follett Destiny Library System. I have a few systems I use to keep myself organized.

First, I have our IT person email me barcodes that have the students name and grade level on them. I print each grade level in a different color, I love to color code things! I tape these to the bottom of each laptop in the cart for the classroom. You may ask, "Why on the bottom of the laptop?" Well because after a few years, I've realized that students are less likely to peel and pick at something underneath and it's been pretty positive since, plus, most of the laptops will be in laptops bags.

Then, our IT person distributed laptop bags to the classrooms for the teachers to distribute.

During this time, I have emailed the staff with instructions about the laptops to include an infographic about how to put a ticket into Incident IQ, our IT management system.

Week 2: Books and More Books

Welcome back!

This week, we're diving into the media center. Now that I've somewhat been able to clean up from consumable textbooks distribution I've begun to add inherited books to the library stacks. Previously, I have transferred the books from a middle school in our area that has closed to my library. I felt like I would never finish and honestly, have no idea where I'm going to put these books. But the day is here and I must get these books in the stacks.

I developed a game plan, I'm going to scan through the Fiction section to see if there are more than two copies of a book, if there are, I'm pulling the extras to weed, who needs six copies of the same title, NOT I, they've got to go! I need their shelf space.

I then, pull the inherited fiction titles to a cart and begin to add them to the stacks. I had to do quite a bit of rearranging but it's coming together.

Here are some of my weeded titles, but don't despair these books will be added to a giveaway next week for the parents that come in for Infinite Campus Parent Portal sign up and training. The books will be advertised and available for free at future school events as well. We librarians will do anything to get books in the hands of people.

I found a tip!

Week 3: School Visit

This week, I had the privilege of visiting a local high school. I took this opportunity to learn how Mrs. Hill runs her library and meet some of the wonderful students. I was there in the morning, and a beautiful traveling museum display was set up, with classes coming through to visit it. The students were asked to read the displays and write three questions they had as their 'Ticket out the door'.

Shortly after, a small group of students entered the library. These students are members of the debate team and are there to work on some of their debate tasks and practice. Practice meant that they had to read their note cards within a certain time, covering certain facts and information.

Then some fun was in store, Mrs. Hill and I walked to a few classrooms and I introduced myself to the students. A few minutes later the ROTC students came to the classrooms and Mrs. Hill paired them off with a student and we had a field trip. We walked to the public library, right next door. While there the ROTC students helped the others with their craft, they were making popsicle bookmarks. After we walked back from the public library, I picked out a book and read to the group.

Week 4: Paperwork

Do you ever get tired of looking at a screen and flipping through papers? I know I do. I feel like that's all I did this week.

I hole-punched and sorted the hard copy loan agreements by grade level and teacher. At our school, we send home loan agreements for the student's parent or guardian to complete to let us know whether the student may take their laptop home or if it must stay at school; we call this a day user.

In addition to receiving and sorting the loan agreements, I created a spreadsheet with the same information but with one extra step. When a student can take home their device, I enter their information into the spreadsheet, prepare a take-home charger by taping their name to the charger battery, and drop it off with their homeroom teacher.

Week 5: Book Club

I'm excited to share that we are getting ready to start a Book Club in mid-October!. Recently, I met with a collaborative partner to discuss our plans and brainstorm ideas for making the club a fun and welcoming place for students who enjoy reading or simply want to become better readers.

During our meeting, we talked about our goals for the Book Club, meeting times, student participation, and activities we could include throughout the year. We want students to have a place where they can talk about books, share opinions, make new friends, and enjoy reading without feeling like it is another classroom assignment.

Our Book Club will meet twice a week, once during the school day on Mondays from 9:15-10:00 a.m. and again after school on Wednesdays from 4:30-5:15 p.m. We hope that offering two different meeting times will give more students an opportunity to participate.

One thing I am especially looking forward to is working with students who will participate in the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl. I will be using some of our Book Club time to help students prepare for the competition. We will read and discuss books, review important details, practice questions, and work together as a team. I think this will be a great way to help students build their reading comprehension skills while having a little friendly competition along the way!

We also talked about getting parents involved. Our Book Club flyer includes QR codes for students to sign up and for parents who would like to volunteer. Having support from families will help make this a positive experience for everyone.

I really enjoyed meeting with my collaborative partner and sharing ideas about how we can make this club successful. It is always nice to work with someone who shares the same goal of helping students become stronger readers.

I am looking forward to getting started in mid-October and seeing how our Book Club grows throughout the school year. Hopefully, we can encourage students to step outside their reading comfort zones, discover some new favorite books, and have fun along the way!

Week 6: PBIS Dance & Discard

This week was a busy one! Between helping with our PBIS dance, cleaning out old textbooks, and participating in our Instructional Support Team Meeting, there was definitely plenty going on. One thing I am learning is that being a school librarian involves much more than just checking out books!

One of the fun activities this week was our school's PBIS dance! PBIS (Positive Behavorial Interventions and Supports) is a great way to recognize students for making good choice and showing positive behavior at school. The dance gave students a chance to have some fun, listen to music, spend time with friends, and enjoy a break from their regular school routine.

Of course, you can't have a middle school dance with out snacks! We had plenty of chips and other treats avaliable for students to enjoy. It was nice to see students having fun and being recognized for their positive behavior. Events like this are a great reminder that building a positive school enviroment is just as important as academics.

Another big task this week was working on discarding old textbooks to prepare for our upcoming Gaylord pickup. We have quite a few outdated textbooks that are no longer being used, including older Spanish textbooks. Going through these materials takes time, but it is an important part of keeping our school's resources organized and making room for material that better support our students and teachers.

Although sorting and removing textbooks may not be the most exciting part of my job, it is definitely necessary! It also connects to what I have been learning about collection maintenance and the importance of keeping school resources current and useful.

I also had the opportunity to participate in our second (IST) Instructional Support Team meeting. During the meeting, we discussed several important things happening at our school, including our upcoming 45-day review with the area superintendent and other members of the districts Teaching and Learning department. The IST collaborators include administration, counselors, school librarian, MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) facilitator, and the IB (International Baccalaureate) coordinator.

It was interesting to be part of these conversations and hear about the work taking place to support achievement and school improvement. The meeting also gave me a better understanding of how different departments work together to meet school goals. As a school librarian, I think it is important to be involved in these discussions because the media center plays a role in supporting instruction, providing resources, and helping students succeed.

This week was a good example of how many different responsibilities come with working in a school library. From celebrating students at the PBIS dance to clearing out old textbooks and participating in school improvement discussions, every sctivity plays a part in supporting out school.

I enjoy getting to experience these different sides of school librarianship. Some days are focused on books and reading, while other days involve school events, meetings, and organizing resources. There is always something to do, and I am learning something new along the way!

Week 7: Science Night

This week at school we hosted our Science Night, and it was a fun evening filled with hands on activities, learning, and excitement. Our theme was "Explore, Discover, Create, Grow," and there were plenty of opportunities for students and families to do just that.

I enjoyed seeing all the different activities available for students. There was something for everyone, from golf putting to building cars and exploring the Star Lab! The golf putting activity gave students a chance to learn about force, motion, and how the amount of force used can affect the distance a golf ball travels. It was a fun way to connect science to an activity that students may already be familiar with.

Another activity involved building cars, where students could get creative while learning about engineering, design, and motion. I love activities like this because students get to use their problem-solving skills and learn through trial and error. Sometimes the best part of learning is figuring out why something didn't work the first time and trying again.

One big highlight of the evening was the Star Lab. The inflatable planetarium was a great addition to Science Night and gave students an opportuntity to explore astronomy in a diffferent way. It was exciting to have something like this at our school.

There were also some great science projects on display, including a project called Filter Face-Off. I like being involved in schoolwide activities like Science Night. It is a reminder that learning doesn't just happen in the classroom or through textbooks. Events like this give students a chance to explore new interests, ask questions, and learn by actually doing something. They also provide opportunities for teachers, staff, students, and families to come together.

Overall Science Night was a grat experience, and I enjoyed being part of it. It was nice to see science presented in such a fun and interactive way. Hopefully, students left with a little more curiosity and excitement about science than they had whn they arrived. Maybe I'll see an increase in Science non-fiction checkouts.

Week 8: Spirit Week & Field Trip

This week was a little different for me. Usually when we think about field trips, we think about students getting out of school for the day. Well, this time, the school librarian got to go on a field trip. Okay, maybe it wasn't an official field trip, but I was excited to get out, visit and elementary school, and see how things work in a another school library.

During my visit, I had the opportunity to observe how the elementary school's morning show operates. I was able to see the equipment, green screen, cameras, and technology used to put everything together. It was interesting to watch the students and staff work behind the scenes to prepare their morning announcements. There is definitely more that goes into producing a morning show than you might think.

I liked seeing how the students were involved in the process and how the librarian helped guide them. It gave me some great ideas that I will bring back to my school. I would love to see our students become more involved in creating and producing school announcements.

I also had the opportunity to observe a library lesson while I was there. It was nice to see how the librarian intereacted with students, kept them engaged, and encouraged participation. The students were excited to answer questions and share thoughts during the lesson. Even though I work with middle school students, I was able to pick up a few ideas that could easily be adjusted for older students.

One thing I really enjoyed about this visit was getting to see another librarian in action. Sometimes we get so busy with our daily responsibilities that we don't have many opportunites to see what other librarians are doing. This little "field trip" reminded me how valuable it is to collaborate, share ideas, and learn from one another.

Back at my school, we were celelbrating PBIS Spirit Week! Our Griffins had a full week of fun dress-days planned, and it was great seeing students and staff show their school spirit.

We kicked things off with Twin/Trio Day, followed by Decades Day, Griffin Pride Day, Student vs. Teacher Day, and finally Pajama Day!

I love that Spirit Week gives students and staff a chance to have fun together outside of their regular classroom routines. It is also a great way to build school pride and encourage a positive school environment. Our Griffins really know how to show their spirit.