Bring In The Crowds

So, I've rearranged the space, ordered materials, and set up for teacher PD, now what? Well, the space is nothing without the students so the next step is to get students to come to me.  Not being a classroom teacher this could e difficult so I needed to figure out how I could get involved with the students and get them excited about the space and changes.  And my decision...become advisor to student council of course!!!  This was a great start as these students are natural leaders in the school and ones that will be able to start a movement.  I met with students and we discussed what else we would like to see take place in the space.  We discussed presenter lunches and perhaps a snack stand that student council would run.  It was also decided that student council would help select furniture that would be ordered to be put in the fiction reading section.  Hopefully the excitement that these few students left with will pass through the rumor mill and a large group of students will be excited to try out the space at the start of the school year.

Secondly, in order to get staff more involved in the design of the space I created a sheet for all departments to complete that share what assignments and projects may be completed in the upcoming school year and what I could purchase for the learning commons that would help students out along with the question of what they would be interested in collaborating with me on this year.

The stars are all aligned for school to start in the next weeks and hopefully the learning commons will be a huge part of the beginnings of this school transformation.

Slow and Steady Wins The Race

Today was my official first day of transformation.  A colleague from my previous district had offered to come and help me make sense of my new space.  As I entered the space for the second time since accepting the position I was forced to ask my self and answer the big question of my colleague, "What first??" My mind raced back to a slide share presentation I had recently read by Valerie Diggs. She stated that "a learning commons is a place of teaching and learning, group work, collaboration, professional development, creativity, change, inquiry, communication, community." and it is not, " a place designed primarily for finding information, a place where students only come to use the copy machine, a place where the "librarian" is in charge, a place where students are greeted with rules as they enter, a place where bookshelves with outdated material fill open space."  In thinking about this I decided that I needed to make it a priority to change the space quickly and efficiently so when students return in the Fall they will be greeted with a new space that offers a new outlook for how the Learning Commons can help them.  It was then my good colleague who reminded me that, Rome wasn't built in a day." With this said We determined what learning commons objectives we would like to see first.  Well, we need bodies in here and for the right reasons was my reply. I want to see students and their teachers in here working together along with students in here because they are interested in what the space has to offer more than a place away from their current study hall room. We began by creating a space that would be used for communication or collaboration with classrooms.  We cleared a wall of books to make room for a projection screen and interactive projector that were on order.  Next, it was decided that the rows of reference books were really taking up valuable learning space.  So, with the advice of the principal we determined how these shelves could be rearranged to meet the needs of the new learning commons.  It was also shared with me by the principal that reading for pleasure was not really a priority for many of these students.  This helped to clarify why the average age of the fiction collection was 1993.  So, after a day of rearranging the furniture itself and designing the physical space, I retreated home to visit my good friend Titlewave.  By 11'oclock at night I had researched, Goodreads, ALA Teen Choice, and Summer reading selections from various school district in order to build a large order of new and fresh fiction books.  We'll see what Rome has to offer next.

First Batter Up!!!

So one of the biggest fears as a new library media specialist is the concern that no one in the school will want to work with you or, for that matter, see you more than anything but a search and retrieve service.

In fact I will never forget my first day at school as a media specialist.  It was a professional development day and all teachers were asked to report to their professional learning communities to complete a brainstorming session.  The small chatter and casual conversations reverbed through this large, wide open space and in an instant I was alone. And I realized I was alone and it was as if all air was tugged from my lungs.  Was this was I had signed on to?  To be the shadow in the school?  Always present but never noticed unless shade was needed. It took me a afternoon of solitude to realize that I would need to venture out to staff and pull from the crowd if I was to make a positive impact

So, when my first email arrived from an English teacher at the new school I would be working in I was ecstatic.  I hadn't even signed an official contract yet but already I was already being seeked out for collaborative opportunities and a request to meet before school went back into session.  This was my chance, reel one in and the rest will follow. I immediately pounced on the opportunity.  When did she want to meet, what did she need to to provide to make her life easier...what curriculum did she cover anyway??

Each new day offers new motivation and opportunity for this transformation of both personal and professional manner to evolve and grow from its seedling phase.

If You Build It...They Will Come

The first step to transforming my new space was going to be to get traffic flow through it.  In conversations with the principal it was shared that the space had really been used as a large meeting room.  Many of the LMS's supply budget went toward the purchasing of paper, markers, glue, and other presentation materials that students may need to work on projects in the media center. It was also shared that circulation was at minimum.  This is one of the many reasons the paraprofessional position was cut for the upcoming year. Administration questioned what her role was.  If no students were visiting the media center for the purpose of print and nonprint resources and no books were circulating, then was she filling her day with?

My first step was to transform the space into a place where students felt ownership and purposeful to visit.  Currently the magazines that were subscribed to were of no interest to the students and were not readily available for viewing.  After discussing with other high school LMSs, my periodical subscriptions went from 10 to 24.  I spent money on new displays that would allow them to be easily accessible in the media center and attractive for exploring eyes.  I subscribed to magazines that could be used for research but also for pleasure reading.  Magazines about all interests of life from music, to technology, to sports were ordered.

It is important to cater to all readers and students and create a space that teases and welcomes them in with the open arms of knowledge.

The Journey Begins

My mom always told me that when one door closes another one opens and that is just what has happened.  I was offered the job as the new LMS at this great little community in CT. I know that I have a huge change in front of my but am hungry for the challenge. Today's visit to the Media Center I would inhabit next year only added to the journey I am about to encompass. My goal for today was to drop by and take a few pictures that I could review and use to start making decisions on how I would mold the space but what I discovered was so much more than what posters I would order to brighten up the walls.

The principal already had a plan of her own in mind, which lucky included me in every decision aspect.  It turns out that the school has taken my promise of transformation quite seriously and is looking to transform the space into an area that will pave the way for success.

This now vastly empty space will soon flourish with work areas to accompany individual, small group, and class size meetings. There will be technology available and new furniture to boot!  We took a walk around the room and both shared our vision for what we wish the Media Center to look like.  I truly believe that this was the first meeting in moving this community from a Media Center to a Learning Commons environment.

Let the shopping begin!!!

It all began with the 3Cs

The 3 C's of life:
Choices, Chances & Changes~
You must make a Choice to take a Chance or your life will never Change.

This is a phrase that has represented my life the past few months.  I never thought that my position as LMS in my neighboring town's elementary school could ever be disrupted.  After all, I worked in the school district for 10 years, my children attended classes there, and I was in the perfect library.  But life had different plans for me.  My husband took a job across the state which lead to an unexpected move.  The original plan was to simply commute to my current position but I soon realized that driving 2.5 hours a day with my children for work would not be such a great plan.  

Then destiny struck!  A LMS position was posted for the high school in our new town.  My first instinct was no way, high school was not for me.  I soon revisited the 3 C's, choice, chance, and changes and I decided to let fate run it's course.  At my initial interview I was asked to visit the high school's Library Media Center and take note of what changes need to be made. Upon entering the space my first reaction was no way was I leaving the comfort of my brand new state of the art elementary library for this.  The shelves were limited with book choices and many of those books were so out of date that there was no way they were circulating.  The walls were empty, and there were open rooms that were not utilized.  The more I sat alone in this empty room, the more it's potential began to emerge behind my eyes.  I saw this space being used in a new and fresh manner active with students and staff who took ownership in the space and saw it as a place to learn and discover.  As my interview progressed I learned that there is not much technology taking place in the building.  Teachers were hesitant to use any technology and support was quite limited. Many projects currently being completed were done with pencil and paper.  Students were itching for new technology and web 2.0's blank canvas but were coping and surviving with what was currently being offered. In an instant a challenge was born.  I knew I could be the person who could transform something good into something great.  I wanted this...I needed this. It all began with the 3 Cs.