Day 9

Today was another busy day in the library!  We worked with 5th grade students, and I was able to practice another booktalk.  Today I talked Brown Girl Dreaming by Jaqueline Woodson.  This was one of those books that I chose from a required list.  I would never have chosen it for myself because it is written in verse, but I loved this book!  I have discovered that booktalks are easy when you talk about a book you have read and love.  The words just tumble out.  I also feel that often a script is not really necessary...maybe just a few main points to cover on a sticky note.  Every time I have done a book talk, someone has selected that book.  It really shows the opportunity that we have to encourage students to read and to read new things.  Having overcome my anxiety about booktalks with encouragement from my mentor, I now see that they really are one of our most powerful tool for helping kids develop a love for reading.  I plan to schedule more times with teachers in my school to stop by and just talk about a few titles.

We also discussed budget planning and worked on a newsletter published bi-monthly to highlight things we are doing in our media centers.  These behind-the-scenes tasks are often just as important as the work we do with students.  Having a mentor to share my personal questions with and to get feedback on ideas and concerns is proving invaluable.  I wish I would have had someone like this last year as a new media specialist.