My Reading Goal (Resource)

I created a resource last year that I did not end up using, but based it on my work at the MLC School back in 2014 where I challenged students to set a reading goal for the term ahead as part of wide reading lessons. 

With the school I worked for last year, I had intended to undertake the activity during the first wide reading lesson of each term, collect them and return to them at the end of the term to determine whether or not they had met their set challenge.

The objective of the activity was to encourage students to determine how they could challenge themselves with their reading and work towards attaining that goal. I believe that it would foster better reading habits. 

I have decided to share this resource. Please feel free to download and use or modify as needed. 

If you would like a word.doc of this resource, please email me at either fabian.amuso@syd.catholic.edu.au or famuso.teachlib@gmail.com. 

What I Like Reading (Handout)

Last year, I created a resource for Teacher Librarians that could have two uses:

What I Like Reading

It can be used for either (or both):

1. Finding out reading preferences of students.
2. Genrefication of library fiction collections

I ended up using the handout for both reasons. 

Firstly, I needed to know what they enjoyed reading so I could help each student select suitable books to read given that the students I worked with had experienced difficulty locating books that they enjoyed reading. It helped me make more informed recommendations to students during their wide reading sessions. This provides a diagnostic assessment of student reading preferences. I scanned student responses and emailed each English Teacher a copy for their records. As we start the year, this will be a good resource to use in wide reading sessions. 

Secondly it helped me to plan and advise the school on how the fiction collection could be genreified. I tallied the results for each wide reading/English class and provided me with a broader indication of what the student body at the school enjoyed reading. You may notice that I mostly used genre labels from RAECO in the handout as I was proposing to utilise their labels when genreifying the collection. However, labels (custom made or accquired from any supplier) can be used. 

There was an additional benefit in that it better informed me on resources to be accquired for the library. For instance a number of students indicated that they enjoyed reading sports fiction and the library had very few books catering for their interest in this genre. In response, I had to order additional books encompassing sport. I also needed to expand our collection of humour novels/stories as it was identified as one of the most popular genres by the student body and some series e.g. Diary of a Wimpy Kid was in very high demand. 

If you would like a word.doc of this resource, please email me at either fabian.amuso@syd.catholic.edu.au or famuso.teachlib@gmail.com. 

New Year - Back in the mood

It has been six months since I decided to post on my blog.

Why the break? It had been a period for me of trying initatives and practices at the school that I was working with.

The appointment with the school is now complete and I have had time to implement and reflect. 

Some practices built up and consolidated on previous practices and experiences while trying new practices for the first time. 

I will look forward to sharing some of my work in upcoming entries. I am hoping that I can share an entry once a fortnight during 2021.

Also, I have prepared a flyer to promote my services as a Teacher Librarian in 2021 especially schools may be looking for a qualified person to undertake work in either a casual, temporary or permanent capacity. Contact details are included for those who wish to get in contact with me. 

To our readers who may know someone or a school who is looking for someone, please feel free to forward the flyer to them.

Scaling back for now

Normally, I make an entry every fortnightly or weekly during the school term, but I have felt lately that I have run out of puff on what to reflect on.

Yes, I am working hard and have been working for a school where they are encouraging a culture of reading for pleasure and also helping to improve accessiblity to library collections.

As any Teacher Librarian would know, they can be timely but as to where I am on them, I feel a need to reflect when I really need to.

Dont panic or worry if entries decline short term or for three weeks or even a month passes by, There will be time to reflect.

Searching the Library OPAC

I have observed in recent times that secondary school students can easily fall into a habit of merely browsing the shelves and picking the first book that they see. They then read the book and may or may not borrow it. This is a missed opportunity to find a book that really interests them.

Recommended Reads brochures that I have created can stop this habit, but only to an extent because it lists some books. Some books cannot be included because of space or simply are overlooked. 
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I am working with one school to put a stop to this habit altogether.

All stage 4 students at the school have a fortnightly wide reading session which commenced this week. I am working on the soft skills that students need for using a school library.

I created a step by step guide for students to undertake a basic search on OLIVER. They were not even aware that the school library has an OPAC and that they can access it at home. Given their academic ability, I've had to keep it simple. Federated searches are too complex for them at this point. As part of the session, I asked students to type either a title of a book or a subject that interests them. I then guided them through reading the search results and then attempting to locate its availability and location. For some students, this helped them locate a book of interest, which they then borrowed. Some had bought in their own book and as such did not need to locate it on the shelf.

Library Brochures

I am in the process of creating a library services brochure for my current school. At this point in time, I do not wish to disclose it, but it is an interesting time to work there as their library moves forward. I will only be with them until Christmas, but will be a good opportunity to "make a mark".

Why make a brochure? I think of public libraries and how they use brochures as a tool to market their library services. School Libraries need to do the same as well. Some schools have embraced the initiative.

A new staff member for instance may find it daunting to ask the Teacher Librarian or colleague but a brochure can provide what they need to know about the library and what it can provide for them.

New students also need to know what collections and services are there. They may be unsure about how many items they can borrow and for how long.

It can be fantastic too to promote the services that they may not know e.g. scanning items to email.

This is a work in process.