LMS in training...question on classroom management

[Ellen McDermott]

Good morning! I am new to TeacherLibrarianNetwork. I just completed my BA in History and am certified for K-5 and middle school Language Arts and Social Studies. I live in NJ, where it is a VERY tight job market. I am just beginning my LMS endorsement.

My question is, how do you set your expectations in the beginning of the year? For classroom management, do you collaborate with the classroom teacher, or do you have your own rewards/punishments?

My understanding is that generally classes go to the library once a week, so I can see that classroom management can be challenging.

Looking forward to learning lots, and hopefully, contributing.

Thanks!

Ellen

[Judi Moreillon]

Hi Ellen,
Bravo for begining your LMS endorsement.

If students are coming to the library just once a week on a fixed schedule, the next important question is whether or not the classroom teacher comes to the library with the students.

When I served in elementary school libraries (10 years - 4 different schools), I had a just two "library rules." 1. Respect yourself and others. 2. Respect school and personal property.

In 1 school, there was a strong and well-enforced school-wide discipline policy. I followed it.

In 3 out of 4 of those schools, the classroom teachers were required to be present in the library with students. (This was a great incentive for classroom-library collaboration - but that's another conversation...) Therefore, we always followed/deferred to the classroom teacher's "rules."

In the school (my Waterloo) where classroom teachers did not stay with their students (for 3 semesters before our pilot flexible schedule), I more vigorously taught the two rules above because I was the only one enforcing them.

In my experience, there were very few behavior issues in the library because:
1. The space is bigger.
2. The space is novel (no pun intended).
3. The learning environment and the learning tasks (ideally) give students choices.
4. The learning experiences are designed to be engaging.

Welcome to the profession!

Best,
Judi

[Lisa Hunt]

I set my own expectations. They are positive, simple and few.

1) Use good manners. 2) Know your purpose for being in the library. 3) Come prepare for your purpose. 4) Behave respectfully.

Sometimes, I have sent a school email to remind everyone. I ask teachers to discuss this with their students, and I provide specific details about each expectations. Example: Use good manners - Tag or chase is an outside game. Running in the library is not good manners. Yes, I really had to say that.

I send students to class when they seriously fall short of expectations I email the teacher and follow up discipline can happen in class. Usually, students are not allowed to check out a book that day or visit. Of course they can come with a Library Pass almost any time. The next day students get another chance to rise to the library expectations.

When I'm teaching the teachers are present, and we follow their classroom rules.

[Doug Valentine]

I am in an elementary PK-6 school. My teachers stay during our lessons and checkouts and my discipline is just an extension of their classroom expectations and consequences. I do add some positive incentives such as awarding "hot dog of the week" to students in the 1st-4th grade classes. The winner gets to wear a giant hot dog hat and help me check books out to the class. I also take their picture and put it on our Hot Dog wall. This was very effective this year. I also award stars to classes who meet and exceed library behavior standards. Winning classes each semester get a party. Finally, during my lesson weeks I try and work in a way for them to earn "Valendimes." This currency can be traded in at the end of the year to "buy" library things off of a menu like custom bookmarks, personalized READ posters, or a scavenger hunt.
All expectations for the year are spelled out at the beginning class orientations. My advice would be keep rules simple and few and be very consistant in their enforcement. I have three rules: 1) Take care of yourself. 2) Take care of others. 3) Take care of your books. You'd be surprised how much you can cover under these three rules!

[Cathy Nelson]

My previous school (I am moving to a new school in the Fall) is going to a schoolwide management program that several of us tried out in April and May. I tried it out too, to see if it would work for a class where the kids come once a week or so. It is based on Sean Layne and his performing arts instruction approach. i have to admit i was skeptical at first, but we had him at our school for an artist in residence, and he worked with what we all considered the most misbehaved grade, and he had them totally buying into and being "in control" of their bodies, mouths, minds, and imaginations. It was amazing to see these kids being so totally respectful and getting so much done with his management approach. He identified a place in the room that he called an "observation deck," and it was a place where students were directed to go when they could not "keep their jewel" which was the equivalent of controlling their body, mouth, mind, and imagination. They were not kept in the observation deck long, but were instructed to observe the students who did have their control. Momentarily the one in the observation deck would be invited to come back and try again, and generally that allowed them to self assess their own behavior and see what successful students were doing that would get them to keep their "jewel." I have to admit that it was successful in the library too, even without the students' teacher there. My situation was that I had kids while their teacher had a planning period, and each kid quickly picked up on the "observation deck" concept, and didn't feel ridiculed or criticized by the teacher or their classmates, just because they went to the observation deck. That place was just a place where they could observe successful students (in terms of the activity or the behavior) so that when they did get to come back, they would understand how to be successful. This was an EXCELLENT inservice for our staff, and the students loved Sean Layne too. i highly recommend him, if not for a management plan, then for an artist in residence who will help you infuse arts into your curriculum.