Flexibly Scheduled Elementary Programs?

[Pamela Read]

Is anybody involved in a flexibly scheduled elementary school library? Our District is looking into the possibility for an Intermediate School (3-5) and we are looking for some models.
Thanks,
Pam

[Roxanne Mills]

My husband's school is 3-5 and they have a flex schedule.

[Tommie Jean Kelly]

I am the Library Media Specialist at a K-5 Elementary School and my schedule is almost exclusively flex except for the 3 K classes I serve as one of their enrichments for the teachers to have their planning time. Also, each class has a set time, they selected based on their schedules, for simply checking out books each week. I would be glad to answer any questions you may have or I could email you a copy of my schedules. Let me know if I can help. There are pros and cons of any schedule. TJ Kelly

[Pamela Read]

Hi Tommie Jean:
Sorry it took me so long to reply but I was having trouble navigating this site. I would love a copy of your schedule: I would also like to know something about the history of your schedule. How long have you had it, and how did it come about? I do know something about the 'cons' but would love to hear your take on that. And where in the country are you? I am in suburban NY state, in a district that is looking to redesign its intermediate school and maybe 'flip' its high school as per the learning commons model.

[Tommie Jean Kelly]

Hi Pamela,
I am located in Shreveport, Louisiana. I have had a flexible schedule for the last 6-7 years. My school has enough enrichments that I do not have to be in the mix of enrichments to provide teacher planning times. When the students come to the library, the teachers always stay. With one exception - Kindergarten does come to me once a week for 45min. and I am an enrichment for them. My supervisors in this school district have always been advocates of flexible schedules and therefore have gone to bat for all of the libraries to be flexible. Ultimately the principal has the final decision, and again, fortunately, the last 2 principals I've had both agree that the library needs to be 'a part of' every classroom. I will try to provide you with a copy of my schedule next week, however, I'm not sure how successful I will be in sending it electronically without your direct email. Let me know if I can help more.

[Deana Miller]

I am struggling with this as well. I will be a new media specialist in the fall. I've been teaching for eleven years and I've been in several schools. They have all had a flexible schedule, which I would like as well, however I gave my new staff a survey asking them what kinds of changes they'd like to see and many said they would like a fixed library time. I was wondering, with your fixed library times to just check out books..... if you are doing a lesson or story time and another class comes in to check out books, does this seem to be disruptive at all? Do the kids get distracted?

[Patricia McNeill]

Your post is nearly a year old but very timely for me. I have been the Library Media Specialist at a K-8 school for 11 years. We have always had a fixed schedule but I am very interested in changing to a flexible schedule allowing for more access to our resources. I would really appreciate a copy of your schedule.
[e-mail]

[Pamela Read]

Hi Roxanne:
I have been having a hard time negotiating this site: it seems to be functioning better now. I would love to know where he is, and whether or not it is completely flex or partial. Also, how long the school has been flexibly scheduled - let me know if he would be willing to give me some additional info: I am in a district that is open to moving its intermediate school (3-5) in that direction. Also, where is he located? I am in NY State.

[Roxanne Mills]

Do you have the site bookmarked? That makes it easier for me to find where I was. His school is in Virginia. And I have some background info that might be helpful because I was the librarian there ( before he arrived) about 8 years ago. It was open ,except for checkout times, when I arrived which was 2001, I think. I got permission from the then principal to open it up totally. It is still a totally open flexible schedule. I think it is important to note, a flexible schedule is only as good as the LMS who reaches out to every classroom. I had a great teacher assistant who eventually was there all day each day. She made sure all the students could check out. After several years we got a full time library clerk which was awesome!

[Pamela Read]

Hi all:
This is exactly the kind of info I have been looking for: how the flex and mixed flex schedules work, what their problems and benefits are. My email is [e-mail] and if you would be willing to send me your schedules, and brief descriptions of how the schedule came to be, I would love to receive that information as we start our planning process. It sounds as if there are some benefits to a partially flexed schedule. I was a lms in a fixed schedule K-5 school, and I set periods aside for kids to come down in small groups (not classes) to return books. It was also understood that kids could really come in any time to look for a book, if they did not disturb the class. That worked pretty well.

[KAREN KING]

I am the librarian in a K-5th school in Alabama. My principal is very innovative. We have a flexible schedule, and have had one for about 5 years. It works like this:
1. I have scheduled library classes for the first 7 weeks of school. This is when I teach library skills, online catalog training, etc. All of our specials classes (Art, Music, PE and Library) are 45 minutes long and the scheduled library class provides teachers a planning time. I have 2 more scheduled weeks in April during testing.
2. The remaining weeks of the year are flexible. Walk-ins come and go throughout the day, but some teachers prefer to schedule a specific time for their class to come together to check out. During these flexible weeks I offer additional training, review sessions and story times that teachers can schedule in the library or in their classrooms.
3. So teachers do not lose their 45-minute planning period when the 7-week library classes end, we have "Discovery" classes during the library's time slot:
a. During the first week of each month our school nurse meets with each class for lessons on dental health, water safety, bus safety, person hygiene, etc. She brings in speakers from our local children's hospital, the Red Cross, etc. We call this "Discovery Stay Fit."
b. During the second week of each month our reading coach meets with each class and has literacy activities, games, readers theaters, etc. Again, she follows the original library schedule so the teachers continue to have the same 45 minute planning time. We call this "Discovery Lit (for literacy) Plus."
c. During the third week of each month our counselor meets with each class and has character education lessons and activities, role playing, career exploration, etc.
d. During the fourth week of each month the library assistant meets with each class in our computer lab where she plans online activities ranging from current events, holidays, monthly highlights/celebrations, and literacy or math enrichment, to reviewing library skills using online games I created. We call this "Discovery Exploration."

This has worked well for us. I think the teachers and students enjoy the variety of lessons and activities presented, and the option of flexible checkouts; the teachers' and students' daily schedule hasn't changed since the Discovery classes fill the library's time slot; and I still get to teach additional skills or reinforce skills throughout the year. Hope this helps!

[Sandra]

Hi,

Is that standard library procedure in the whole state of Alabama? It sounds wonderful. I wish I could get that style implemented here.

SJF

[Beth Kiger]

My school has a flexible schedule for 3-5. Believe me it is not the norm here. My principal has seen what we can do with this schedule to pull in technology and how it has positively impacted our students. The teachers accept it, but they would rather have me for release time. BK