For my internship project I decided to make a presentation for the students and brochures for parents on summer reading programs. The reason why is because a lot of students tend to have fun over summer and there is nothing wrong with that, I too like to have fun during summer as well. There is one thing that they don't do over summer that they have so much time to do, reading. They don't read because they don't want to sit down for at least an hour because their friends are having a play date or there favorite TV show is on right now. On the presentation there is the list of names of the organizations that are having summer reading programs near and in San Marcos. One of the organizations that I was surprised about is the San Diego County Fair. Theirs isn't really a program because it is a contest but it involves reading. They offer a free admission ticket when a child of 12 yrs. or younger reads ten books they complete the Reading Certificate and get the ticket. I think that the presentation will be awesome because I know a bit on how elementary school kids think because my little brother is in elementary school. Also telling them about prizes will get them pretty riled up to try to get those prizes. There is a downside to this too, the organizations haven't released a lot of information. I hope the presentation goes well and that kids leave the library to tell their parents about the summe
Today is my third day at internship and I have remembered so many things from elementary school. I have seen how the kids do their AR (Accelerated Reader) quizzes that reminded me of my AR quizzes. I used to be the top dog in my school for two years in having the most quizzes done and the most points in AR. I remember that the most points that I had in AR was in between 500 and 600 points and others had around 150 points by the end of the school year. Seeing what the librarian and the other staff is doing is that they are trying to have all their kids read as much as they can and at the same time have fun reading. That is what I saw and it reminds me so much of the readings that I did in elementary school. The new skills that i am developing is memorizing the areas of books that I have read in the past and recommend them to students who are eager to see what were the books that I read. One skill that improved the most is being able to listen to multiple kids at the same time because around three to four kids rush up to me and ask me questions on something about their reading level and where are the chapter books. The students make me feel like someone who is knowledgeable and knows what they are saying but at the same time I feel the other way because I get nervous and don't know if I was right. Most of the times I am right and some of the times other students say that they will help their classmate find the book because they saw it. Overall, everything is great and fine (except the mess that is left afterwards).
My first impressions of internship is that every class is different. They all have kids that are always talking over the librarian when she is reading aloud to them. There are also kids that are so kind hearted they help the librarian put books where they belong. Also the day I started my internship it was on the busiest day of the week, Tuesday, all the books from 2nd to 5th grade were being returned. I had never seen so many books come in through a door today. I was carrying around fifteen books every trip but I had to be walking to different parts of the library to find the spot that they go in. For lunch today, I was going to eat by myself but then some teachers came in to have lunch with the librarian and told me to eat lunch with them tonight. At first it was awkward because they were all women but that atmosphere dissipated when one of the teachers asked me about a show, The Voice. I said that I watch it too and then we had a conversation and that's how the awkwardness disappeared. The other teachers also asked me questions about internship and about the school that I go to. Although there was a lot of walking involved today, it wasn't that bad I thought. I met new people, teachers, staff, and students.
Mentor-Dylane White
What should I know about you before I start working there? I am pretty relaxed and low key. I try to make the library a place students like being not somewhere they are frustrated or bored with every week. As someone who worked as an assistant in a different school I have heard my fair share of moans and groans when it was time to come to library and that stuck with me. No one should be unhappy coming to library and that is my goal, for everyone to get something out of library, maybe not a love of reading but an escape into a book/fantasy world for a moment or a laugh at something silly I did. A genuinely happy part of their day. What are your main duties and responsibilities? I run the school library plain and simple: • Maintain collection of books (check in, out, repair, put away) • Provide lessons and activities to about 1,000 students each week • Encourage reading and meaningful library experiences • Order materials that satisfy current curricular needs • Tailor library sessions to the needs of the student population • Act as a reference source for staff and students • Occasional tech support • Create displays and information about library happenings Why did you choose to work here? Finding a job in California was extremely difficult so this was the first job I finally got an interview for and was offered. Prior to this I held a similar position in Maryland so a school library job was what I was looking for and found. How did you end up doing the job that you do? The same way anyone does what they do, I just fell into it and realized I liked and I was good at it. I was a library page in high school (I put away books and worked at the circulation counter at a public library) and while working there everyone teased that “one day you will be back to run this place.” I always thought, nope, no way am I going to be a librarian. Fast forward a few years and few majors and I got another job working in an elementary school library. After some time I realized the actual career potential of the school library and began to seriously consider changing my major once again to library science. Fast forward again and I now hold a Bachelor’s of Science and a Master’s degree in Library and Information Sciences. I am strongly considering going back to for a Master’s in Education or a PhD in Library studies. Questions about the school What is a typical work day like? My days vary greatly depending on the schedule and if there have been changes. Some days are very hectic seeing more than 300 students (k-5th) and offering before and after school library time. Other days are slower and allow me time to catch up on general library tasks, cleaning, planning, ordering books, etc. However not a day goes by where I don’t have students. No day is ever quite the same especially when you work with children. What does it take to be successful in this school? Well I have only been here since November so my time here has been short and much of it spent being brand new. What I have found is that I have had to go out of my way to get some information, there was a lot I didn’t know when I was dropped into this job because there was a large gap between librarians so there had been no time to get to know the schedule or how things were done. It was a start immediately situation and while in the end that has made me a stronger person it was really frustrating and nerve wracking at the beginning. So…really to be successful you need to be outgoing and ask questions because no one is coming around with answers if they don’t know what you are wondering. Knowing Spanish would also be a big plus in this particular school community. How important is getting along with other people in your career? School librarians are sort of in a funny place. While I rarely see the teachers as the students transition themselves to library it is important to maintain communication and a relationship with them. They are the best link to the students and families and also serve as the best connection to the curriculum, student needs and current educational themes. So while being in the library can be very isolating and leaves me alone most days it is important to have positive relationships with everyone in the school. |