Easter

Was gonna try and take a "clever" pic of a Peep reading a book. Didn't happen. :/
So I'll just say Happy Easter to all those who celebrate.
State testing this week. #mustadjustattitude



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Finally Friday Pins March 29

Happy Good Friday and Happy Easter!

*EYE CANDY AHEAD*



I do enjoy a good hockey game now and then. Don't you? As you can see from beneath his name he plays for Chicago. I'm now tempted to move to Chicago. ;)



I need to do this. Really. Meant to last year but never did. Even have two columns in the library. Just have to come up with the places our kids would know best. I like the different styled signs on this one. Adding to Un-Boring Bookish list right now.



Love the idea of a "Makerspace" in a library ... just don't know how to translate it to OUR space. When the new computers come (HALLELUJAH! ... We've had two functional ones for the past month and a half ... two) we will have significantly less table space. I wonder how the other groups that end up in the library are going to handle that. Two six foot long tables will be used for the new computers and one will be removed (we never should have had as many in our square footage as we did anyway). So that's eighteen less feet ... six chairs at each table plus four on the ends ... so twenty-two fewer chairs as well.



NON-LIBRARY PIN ... but isn't this table awesome? The closer the new place gets to being done the more I might get sidetracked a little bit on here. #saysnowwhenthefoundationhasntevenbeenpouredyet


Next year ... convince one class to do the rain forest. Group project after research is done!

Shelf Signs

Thank you. I wish someone had said "Here is the magic way to get a clear head long enough to even think about what to do with that stack of books or bunch of papers or leftover bookmarks before next year's holiday season." But it sounds like I'm not the only one drowning in mess. We're the one that gets called on to drop everything ... pretty often. Appreciate the mess? I would if I could find the things I needed later on.



So ... I'm getting rid of these. No one pays any attention to them. At all.

And trying these. Obviously most shelves would not have this many so close to each other. I was just playing around with the clip art. I have ... oh, about 15. Debating whether or not to get more or just use what I have. Do I steal all the letter ones from the picture book section to use in the non-fic? I think I will expand the little square shape to include the text. At first I tried to have both pic and text inside the square but that was too crowded. But when I cut out the text and the square together I don't really like how some of the corners turned out. Easier to follow a line.

The (Dis)Organized Library Classroom :/

Well, I wish this post could be about all the ways I keep the library classroom super color coordinated and themed and cute and neat. That my posters and cords and organizers and crayons and pencils were all put away in their ultra-chic upcycled Pinterest/blog inspired binders or containers.

Sigh. It's not.

The inspiration for this post? Finding this in a drawer this afternoon. The END of March. Granted, could be used at any time. But I didn't even remember them. And why were they in that drawer?

Super awesome. Maybe it's the tender feelings (it's testing season ... you know that's code for STRESSED OUT) lately but it was the straw. Had so many questions today that were just so frustrating (IM to teacher ... "Student X's Nook that he requested will be charged and ready to check out tomorrow morning" ... student appears in library 20 minutes later. IM to teacher "Great non-fic magazines to give away to grades Y-Z" ... student from grade A appears in library 5 minutes later. "Oh, I was just teaching and we totally forgot to come for your lesson." What, my time in prep was not important? If it was just once I would try to understand ... but it's a pattern with a couple people. "Why don't you have a book on mud puppies?" Um, cause we have loads of other books and do they even WRITE a book plus two grades doing research on the same topic at the same time? No, you're not going to get the best selection. "Oh, don't get rid of those VHS. We love those. We can use them in topic X lesson." "Um, we've had DVD or streaming content with equivalent topics and you haven't checked out this video in four and a half years.") I turned to junk food on the way home. #lesseffective

You're not even getting pictures of the "best" piles. And stacks. And stuffed totebags. And containers. They would make this post more compelling but they would I have my limits. You'd think "She's a mess" and never come back.

So here is my plea. This information organization professional (but I CAN keep books in order ... they have a system! Classification! Or author's last name! I know where they are supposed to go) can't organize to save her life. I don't stay late after school because the after-school care group comes in and I still can't get anything done. Try during times between classes and then people come in and need things and I'd rather help them (most of the time ;)) than figure out what to do with stuff anyway. I want our space to be neater. We're on display 24/7 being so close to the front door/office and having no walls. Everyone sees everything. So what can I do?

Set a torch to the place would be my first thought. But I doubt it would go over well. :/

What Are You Reading Monday ... on Sunday

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. It is a great way to recap what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. It's also a great chance to see what others are reading right now… who knows, you might discover that next “must read” book!

Our Kid Lit to YA version is hosted by Teach Mentor Texts.
GREAT IDEA! Check out all of the What Are You Reading? participants for title ideas.



K. Since I'm going to whine in a minute I have to post this pic cause it made me cry.

So sweet. These are some glyphs we made back before spring break. Are they not so cute? (PS Does anyone want the directions? Super simple.) The little paragraph just talks about how much they appreciate me. ;) Didn't ask them to do it. In fact I now feel bad because sometimes this teacher drives me nuts ... her room is RIGHT off of our biography section and she can be kind of loud. She "whooped" once to get her kids attention when we were on a field trip to the downtown branch of our public library. I about died of embarrassment. Should have been paying attention to how much her kids love her and how much they love reading!



Still behind in my reading ... it was bookfair. Can that be my excuse? So tired. Sounds lame but not much reading got done this week. Too busy with bookfair (or during the slow times some badly needed  weeding ... goodbye 80% of our VHS collection and 30% of our never used professional collection!) to stop and read much. Then at night? Conked out. AGAIN. I've turned into a sleepyhead.

I DID, however, start listening to an awesome BBC Radio adaptation of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere. If you like Neil Gaiman at all ... or James McAvoy, or Benedict Cumberbatch, or Anthony Head, or Christopher Lee ... you should totally listen!

What I can't quite tell from the website is for how long anyone can listen to it. In some places it says a year and in others 6 days. Wondering if it's maybe an international issue? Anyway. It's about 4 hours all said (Ep. 1 is one hour, Ep. 2-6 are about thirty minutes each) and done. I'm through episode four.

Source: bbc.co.uk viaAngie on Pinterest

For the next week? Plans include finishing my current Goodreads  ...

I'm actually almost done with A Mutiny in Time ... in fact according to my phone (I was listening to the mp3 book on Overdrive) I am done. Fell asleep near the end. Missed ... oh, about 30-40 minutes. Surprisingly not enjoying Potterwookiee all that much but will finish it just to be sure. Making Thinking Visible is not one I'll read word for word but I like several of the ideas. Would like to attend a real life PD session and not just have to try and do it all on my own ...  HEAR the real life examples and such. One of the blogs I follow talks about it ... can't remember the name but next time they post I'll try to remember to come back and link.


This is what I have from Netgalley and Edelweiss already approved.

Thoughts? Have a few books from the library, bookfair, and of course the ones I ALREADY had that I haven't read yet. Never mind that the weekend after Easter is our district PTA's used book sale. Apparently people come from all over the country for this thing. ;)

H is for ...

Seriously. Harry!
Let us just forget epic misfire of Pottermore and concentrate on the books, audiobooks, and movies, shall we?






LOOK AT THIS. I know, I know. I already posted this pic. And OK. So it's not for the library. :[ But  it is TOO COOL! I love it. Click through!





Love this e-reader cover. Shall I purchase an iPad just to get one?





SO CUTE. Comes with a free pattern. Even though his bottom half is kind of strange. No legs. Just a weight so he stands up. If we could have anything with fabric in the library I'd make him. But all fabric was outlawed cause that's what makes kids absent ... allergies from stuffed animals.




TOO COOL. I need to order these. Though ... you know, they don't get read like they used to. At least by our kiddos.


Then also ...
Duck and Goose by Tad Hills! They are so fun. If I was crazy enough to want to do another stop-motion I might very well choose them. So fun and innocent. I actually used the first book in a visit with first graders the week before spring break on "living and non-living." What makes the ball non-living but an egg living? It worked! And I was surprised at how many of them claimed they didn't know Duck and Goose. We've had the books for a long time.

Source: amazon.com via Angie on Pinterest

Finally Friday Pins Mar 22

SURVIVED BOOKFAIR!


I have a really sweet pic of a bulletin board a class did for me ... I need to get it off of the iPad. It made me cry they were so sweet. It's been a long week. 94 degrees on Monday morning and the AC hadn't been on all the week before (spring break). Setting up bookfair in ugly heat? #notfun Answering several hundred price questions a day? #alsonotfun Seeing kids get excited about books? #ALWAYSFUN



Would love to print this out and send it home to all parents!


This might be my Oz-related #bookishunboring goal for this year. Because it is adorkable. And actually ... I still need to see the movie. ;)



I like to follow photography blogs more than ever actually get out and take pics. Which you know because I'm terrible at remembering to get pics at school! The prettier more compositionally focused ones ... well, during the school year my attempts to get better and get out and shoot more stagnate. I've been sitting on the couch for an hour just cause I'm so exhausted! #bemoremotivated



Another photo pin today ... super cool urban exploration photos taken on an iPhone.


Click through to see it full size. Interesting. Would love to see the "other" increase with more reading and maybe some writing. Full on mobile is pretty awkward ... but some educational mobile blogging? #priceless

Now. Do I go read a book? Lesson plan for next week? Work out? Take a nap? Or participate in #bloggiesta? I should be at a friend's Pampered Chef party. :/ #justsotiredIseriouslymaynotmove

Could I be more of a whiner tonight? Thanks for reading!

What Are You Reading Monday

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. It is a great way to recap what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. It's also a great chance to see what others are reading right now… who knows, you might discover that next “must read” book!

Our Kid Lit to YA version is hosted by Teach Mentor Texts.
GREAT IDEA! Check out all of the What Are You Reading? participants for title ideas.


I forgot to send my pic for the swap. :( But I (and my nieces) loved Chu's Day and the cute bookmarks!


Not as much reading as I actually thought I might finish this Spring Break. Spent lots of time with nieces and traveling.


Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping by Mélanie Watt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars




Pete the Cat: Pete's Big Lunch by James Dean
My rating: 3 of 5 stars







Pete the Cat: Play Ball! by James Dean
My rating: 3 of 5 stars







Grumpy Gloria by Anna Dewdney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars





The Night Before Christmas, Deep Under the Sea by Kathie Kelleher
My rating: 3 of 5 stars




A Flower in the Snow by Tracey Corderoy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars




Open Very Carefully: A Book with Bite by Nick Bromley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars






Library Sparks Library Lessons: A Collection Of The Finest Library Lessons From Librarysparks Magazine / Grades K 5 by Diane Findlay
My rating: 3 of 5 stars





Library Research with Emergent Readers: Meeting Standards Through Collaboration by Christa Harker
My rating: 3 of 5 stars





(To be fair ... I didn't read every word of the last two. Lots of skimming. Not ones I'd purchase personally but worth it for a library system to get and then everyone could borrow and take what was useful to them to heart.)



Bookfair this week ... so maybe not a lot of longer book reading (so tired at night ... but I HAVE to get my exercise in anyway cause ... I have to) but some picture books, I'm sure.

Plus finishing the Infinity Ring book I'm listening to. I actually remembered I downloaded another audiobook. Can't remember what it was at the moment but I'll start that one. Audiobooks are good for exercising!

Finally Friday Pins March 15 on Sunday

Or, as the case may be ... ALREADY FRIDAY Sunday? WHERE DID SPRING BREAK GO?
Now I have bookfair and state testing to look forward to. SAID NO TEACHER LIBRARIAN EVER.

Shouting done now. Here we go.





So apparently I will need to do something like this to eat properly. Cause this pack as you go thing? Not working out so well.





One of my new favorite iOS photo apps. Not really sure why ... not like one NEEDS to be able to do this. But it sure is fun. ;)





LOVE. $500 love? Remains to be seen.


Cleaning up some boards and found this (well, not THIS one ... found it on my boards and opened the link but now can't find my pin--Dear Pinterest, please make it so that we can search our own boards ... PLEASE?). 100 empty DVD cases ... hmmm ...



Though how long would it be before a helpful child (or adult) brought them back to the circ desk? Or moved them?



Unless I used them for something like this. Then I'd need 100. And more shelf space.

Note to Self

Opening work email on spring break is compulsive and unnecessary. People asking me if I want 100 empty DVD cases. Seriously? Why?

Then I considered some little travel art cases I saw on Pinterest once. Or if I could ever get stations to work. Could they hold them?




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Spring Has Sprung Books

Or, depending on where you live ... maybe not so much. Good luck to you. Reading a spring-ish book might help! :) Here are a mix of some of our new and old favorites. Do you have a title you think should be included?

I'm excited for this one as we LOVED Red Sled. See preview pics here.

Loads of lesson possibilities.

Granted, it's a reader so not much of a "story." BUT I LOVE THE WEBSITE AND THE PICTURES. And so do the kiddos!

I feel like Bear a lot of mornings. Need a Mole with a trumpet.

Do you know this series? If you have a reader who's beyond leveled books but not quite to longer chapter books ... you should. Especially if she's a girl and loves horses ... though I've had boys check them out and love them, too!

 (Fair warning ... the trailer has a kind of annoying song. The photography is awesome, though. ;))

An oldie but a goodie!

Their little tails!

 A piggy that wants to be a bunny. Makes me laugh.

OF COURSE you have read Jan Thomas, right? Right?

Scaredy Squirrel Goes to Camp

Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping by Mélanie Watt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Scaredy Squirrel and I have a lot in common when it comes to thoughts of camping. It's a hate/love relationship.

Similar to other SS titles ... a little hard to read out loud with all of the small details ... but worth it.

Will DEFINITELY be getting this for the school collection! When I told a couple first grade boys that I'd just heard a new SS would be coming out in April they were all "Can I be the first one to check it out?" That's what I'm talking about, people. That's why I have a cool job. :)




On a totally unrelated note ... TLs out there.
Do you ever do a bunch of planning for something classes say they want ... and then have them back out at the last minute? Or (even WORSE) not ever show up and then "Oh, I forgot." I'm trying to be understanding and flexible but it keeps happening and it wastes so much of my time. Guess what. I work hard to come up with lessons. They don't just appear out of thin air. Once or twice I could understand. Several times? Makes me feel a little grumpy. Then I have to remember the kids appreciate what I do. :/

And I know the teachers do, too, for the most part. Just overwhelmed and not thinking. So what do I do? Quit "wasting" my time planning? Cause I can't find a pattern for when people will follow through and when they won't. Even gave them several times over the past week. Never showed up.



Now back to SPRING BREAK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Should have more reading finished by the March 18 What Are You Reading Monday. :)

Finally Friday Pins March 8

SPRING BREAK!!!!!!!!!!!

That is all.




Well. Not really. ;)






SUPER AWESOME iPad mini for 3rd grade.




How many of the less than great implementations have I seen in practice? I cannot not say.




IF ONLY the staff would find this as funny as I do. I know the students wouldn't quite get it.




Prefer my shorts Bermuda length but other than that love.





HA HA HA HA HA. ;)

Do you have any books on papayas?

Had a teacher come to me today all excited. "You'll never guess what my kids want to research. Never." "I give," I told her. "What?" "FRUIT!"


Fruit?

Source: bqfy.info via Karen on Pinterest

These are second graders. Most of them cannot independently navigate, read, or comprehend most of World Book Kids. Pebble Go doesn't have anything.

In terms of print resources we have a few books on apples. One Gail Gibbons on berries. And then  plant books and books on healthy eating.



Does ANYONE have an idea of something we could do that would NOT be copying interesting facts out of the few books I did find? SO not interested in that kind of project. But ... I do no think we have the age appropriate resources for like "design a fruit garden where something will be ready to harvest every month" or even "what kind of fruits grow best here in Texas?" She found the hole in our collection.

I hate to say no. But ... I would foresee a lot more success with something like animals or even a place they wanted to visit. Or an important person. Fruit? Yes, we need to give kids some leeway in choosing their topic. But when they choose something like this ...

Help me think this through if you can!

Currently

working on the RIDICULOUSLY LONG ESSAY PACKET. Really, I am grateful for the honor. But Oh. My. Word.

And actually it's currently Friday night. But this will go live Saturday. Did I go to the gym? ;)

Click on the pic to go see Farley!

Finally Friday Pins March 1

Not library related but awesome.

Hard. Necessary, but hard.

Tasty! I think? Will try this weekend.

Yup.


My brother's name is Tim. He can hand-bind books and restore manuscripts. I wish he could have a place like this. Now I need to go do a Google image search. This pin only goes to the tumblr login page. :/