From the ground up.
I went for a visit to my new school yesterday. Camden's Early Childhood Development Center. The school is brand new, pretty much, and beautiful. The library is...small. BUT since most of the classes don't come TO the library (only the Kindergartens come down), it's okay. The idea behind me going to them is that 3 & 4 year olds don't transition well and it's easier to just blend in with what they are doing. Which, having known many groups of 3 & 4 year olds, I agree with the idea wholeheartedly. They DON'T transition well, and we'd spend half the day getting them from one activity to the other if we tried.
The library opened a little over a year ago, and ever since they've had a sub - an "Interim Librarian". I don't know what her qualifications are, but she's managed to hold it together for all that time, so good for her. I didn't really get to examine the media center closely, but from what I can gather, there is a LOT of work to be done. The facility is gorgeous, and designed around their Pre-K curriculum, meaning I don't spend the whole time teaching, but there are centers the students can use - listening, drawing, tactile. Which is good, because trying to keep the attention of 15-30 5 year olds for 45 minutes is near impossible. There's a SmartBoard, which I can use to show streaming videos or power points or pictures or whatever. And some computers that I THINK are Mac? Which I've never used, so that will be an adventure.
There's still a lot of work to do.
I got a glance at the collection, and it looks...thin. Shelves half full. Apparently, according to the principal, there WERE more books, but since there was no one to catalog and keep track of them, teachers 'borrowed' many of them and never returned them. I'm making a list of 'must-haves' so that I can check and see what's there and what I will need to order. Over time, because I'm sure this will be an ongoing process.
Kindergartners also do not check out books, something I hope we can work to change, especially if K classes in other district schools ARE checking out books, because I'd like to keep them on track with the rest of the district and not get lost when they move to their elementary schools. Part of being in Kindergarten Library, to me, means learning about how the library works. Something I can take up with the principal, who seems really happy to have me there.
So in many ways, I'll be building this program from the ground up, but I'm starting with some GREAT tools to do it. Once I start, in May, there will only be about 7 weeks left in the school year; I think most of this time will be getting used to the place and into their groove, and I'll spend the summer working on plans for the program and doing my best. Little steps.
All next week will be reading curriculae (I have copies) and coming up with lessons. Something simple to start with, I think, a 'getting to know you' book to read, until I get on my feet.
The library opened a little over a year ago, and ever since they've had a sub - an "Interim Librarian". I don't know what her qualifications are, but she's managed to hold it together for all that time, so good for her. I didn't really get to examine the media center closely, but from what I can gather, there is a LOT of work to be done. The facility is gorgeous, and designed around their Pre-K curriculum, meaning I don't spend the whole time teaching, but there are centers the students can use - listening, drawing, tactile. Which is good, because trying to keep the attention of 15-30 5 year olds for 45 minutes is near impossible. There's a SmartBoard, which I can use to show streaming videos or power points or pictures or whatever. And some computers that I THINK are Mac? Which I've never used, so that will be an adventure.
There's still a lot of work to do.
I got a glance at the collection, and it looks...thin. Shelves half full. Apparently, according to the principal, there WERE more books, but since there was no one to catalog and keep track of them, teachers 'borrowed' many of them and never returned them. I'm making a list of 'must-haves' so that I can check and see what's there and what I will need to order. Over time, because I'm sure this will be an ongoing process.
Kindergartners also do not check out books, something I hope we can work to change, especially if K classes in other district schools ARE checking out books, because I'd like to keep them on track with the rest of the district and not get lost when they move to their elementary schools. Part of being in Kindergarten Library, to me, means learning about how the library works. Something I can take up with the principal, who seems really happy to have me there.
So in many ways, I'll be building this program from the ground up, but I'm starting with some GREAT tools to do it. Once I start, in May, there will only be about 7 weeks left in the school year; I think most of this time will be getting used to the place and into their groove, and I'll spend the summer working on plans for the program and doing my best. Little steps.
All next week will be reading curriculae (I have copies) and coming up with lessons. Something simple to start with, I think, a 'getting to know you' book to read, until I get on my feet.