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habits of teachers and librarians
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From: Robin Smith <smithr_at_ensworth.com>
Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2011 22:50:05 -0600
Jeff Carpenter said, "One of the concerns I have is how the classroom teach er selects books to add to their collection. How can they have time to rea d the reviews? Teacher recommendations can be great when they come back fr om professional conferences and actually add to the school's collection in the library. Some titles being added to the classroom library are donated b ooks, and in some cases aren't even age appropriate. The Scholastic books aren’t as good as they once were."
***
I read lots of reviews. I also visit bookstores, read blogs, and visit the library to see what is new there. I also talk to the teachers and librarian s at my school to find out what everyone is enjoying.
Sometimes I think it's a bit easier to read as a teacher who only teaches 7 and 8 year olds, rather than a librarian who reads for nine grades. I know the children in my class very well and can use my book budget each year fo r just those students. This is especially important for the kids who love n onfiction--I often have one or two children with an unusual passion (planes , WWII, gorillas...) and I always want to feed that passion. Also, I can bo rrow books from the other teachers in my hallway if needed. The children in our school just go to the library once a week and so the classroom library is very important. We have a budget for each classroom, so each teacher is expected to have a strong selection of books. One positive side effect is that each teacher really has to read the books and the reviews, too.
I absolutely understand the need for a good school library and a great libr arian, but I also think each teacher should know the best books for his or her students.
Robin
Received on Thu 10 Feb 2011 10:50:05 PM CST
Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2011 22:50:05 -0600
Jeff Carpenter said, "One of the concerns I have is how the classroom teach er selects books to add to their collection. How can they have time to rea d the reviews? Teacher recommendations can be great when they come back fr om professional conferences and actually add to the school's collection in the library. Some titles being added to the classroom library are donated b ooks, and in some cases aren't even age appropriate. The Scholastic books aren’t as good as they once were."
***
I read lots of reviews. I also visit bookstores, read blogs, and visit the library to see what is new there. I also talk to the teachers and librarian s at my school to find out what everyone is enjoying.
Sometimes I think it's a bit easier to read as a teacher who only teaches 7 and 8 year olds, rather than a librarian who reads for nine grades. I know the children in my class very well and can use my book budget each year fo r just those students. This is especially important for the kids who love n onfiction--I often have one or two children with an unusual passion (planes , WWII, gorillas...) and I always want to feed that passion. Also, I can bo rrow books from the other teachers in my hallway if needed. The children in our school just go to the library once a week and so the classroom library is very important. We have a budget for each classroom, so each teacher is expected to have a strong selection of books. One positive side effect is that each teacher really has to read the books and the reviews, too.
I absolutely understand the need for a good school library and a great libr arian, but I also think each teacher should know the best books for his or her students.
Robin
Received on Thu 10 Feb 2011 10:50:05 PM CST
