Managing a Successful Bookfair

Are your book fairs crazy?  Do you have enough help?  Do you get lots of students at once and then times when there's no one?

Here are just of few of my favorite tips to managing a successful book fair:

1.  Volunteers:  Before you even get started you must get volunteers signed up.  I started this step way back at the beginning of the school year.  When my PTA put out their annual "Volunteers Needed" flyer, I asked for them to add a line for library.  Then under library there were subheadings such as helping weekly in the library, helping with reading celebrations and helping with book fairs.  Then a few weeks before the book fair, I sent out a signup genius (www.signupgenius.com) for those that were willing to work.

2.  Organizing times:  The next was creating a schedule for when each grade level could come "shop".  In past book fairs my library has just been opened all day.  At the beginning of the day the lines to check out were an hour long.  Students were missing class, teachers were getting upset and I was going crazy!  So this year I created time slots for each grade level and we stuck to those times all week long.  Success!  Teachers loved how their day was not interrupted by students asking all day to head to the book fair and I was not overwhelmed with lots of students at one time.

 

3.  Boosting sales:  My favorite way to boost sales is with a classroom wish list.  My parents are wonderful about purchasing books for classroom libraries.  This year my principal added her 2 cents by picking books and creating a display.  Her books sold out!

Good luck at your next book fair!

Online Catalog Lesson

Starting at 1st grade I teach students how to use the automated library system.  It's always fun to see how the library is "opened" up to so many more possibilities once this lesson gets on the way.  Students feel so grown up.

It's also very frustrating on the part of the student and librarian when they are first learning.  So, here is a beginning lesson where I try to reinforce the basics of using the system, but really give them hands on learning to use the "clues" in the library that help them find what they are looking for.

Find the lesson here:

Where are the blank books? Online Catalog

Poetry, Googling and Tech Integration

This year on our campus, we are fortunate to have Technology in our specials rotation.  For the past several years our district has pushed integrating technology into the classroom.  This is a difficult task.  Teachers want to use the technology, but then when a lesson is complicated with the simple task of using the technology and hinders the integration it becomes very frustrating.  So now we have the best of both worlds!  Technology skills in the specials rotation while teachers integrate technology for  21st Century Learning.

Recently, I decided to try out how the technology skills were coming along.  In a short 45 minute lesson my 5th graders were able to accomplish quite a bit.  The teacher wanted me to go over poetry formats and I needed to get a searching skills lesson in.  Using a keynote presentation, we first looked at some poetry formats and created a bubble map comparing two formats.  I then gave them the task of using Google to find poems with the same format and explain how they could tell.  The had to use search terms to narrow their hits, take screen shots of the poems they found, drag the picture into a Word document and add a text box explaining their thinking.  Then they had to save their evidence into a student drive on our Network.  They had success and the discussions about poetry and searching terms were amazing.  Here is some of their work.  Although not "pretty", the work evidence is there.

Using Video to Engage Students in Lesson

Often I use short video clips to pull students into the learning.  I find these short examples are more paid attention to than me demonstrating live.  I use the iMovie App to create these short clips.  Here is an example of one I created to show students how to use the signage in the library.

Organization for Time Utilization

Many colleagues ask me how I manage to teach all I do within the time limits of my schedule (30 min lessons with 15 minutes of checkout).  My answer is how I organize before the students arrive.

First, I created a system of how the students come in to sit.  Many of my lessons involve either working in small groups or pairs.  Having to group students during the lesson takes up too much time!  So, I have signs to label where the groups are located and I number students as they walk in.  Students have learned (2nd and up) my expectations of grouping and sitting.  The first to be numbered and sitting in a group automatically is the "leader" for the lesson.  Leader has automatic tasks such as handing out supplies, retrieving the group's answer and speaking for their group.  Students know to sit with 2 on the first step and 2 on the second step and to leave supplies alone until asked.

Next is preparing supplies before they arrive.  I keep a supply of pencils and clip boards in the lesson area.  I preload and distribute the number of papers (on clipboards) and pencils for each group.  Often, students work in groups or pairs and I only give enough papers for one per group or one per partnership.

I am now in my 2nd year of using this system.  It took a few lessons of helping the students organize, but the time was worth it.  There is no more time spent haggling who will be in partners or which group they will work with.  I have even found many teachers come in with groups already made.  Even the teachers can be trained!

Library Orientation - Be the One!

I just finished getting all my 625+ students back into the library for the year.  This year our school has the theme of "Be the One"... the one to make a difference.  So going with that theme I chose to highlight Thing One from Cat in the Hat.

I had fun changing some decorations!

Me dressed up with "Reading is my #1 Thing" ready for students!

I created a short PowerPoint presentation so the students would have a visual.  The circle map was created so each phrase came in with a click.  I had the students first get the circle map prepared, then gave them about 6 minutes to define our library.  After time, I shared what I put on my map, then they were able to share what I forgot.

Instead of me going "blah, blah, blah..." about rules, the students were able to do the thinking and remembering.  I was sure to go over the highlights that really needed to be emphasized.  I would say this was probably my favorite orientation lesson and easiest to create.  

Here are maps students actually created...

Getting Your School Library Organized

How is your library labeled for optimal access for your students?  I've chosen the traditional sections in the library (Fiction, Nonfiction, Everybody and Biography) and to help students locate each section easier, I've color-coded the library.  I use this system in library skills lessons and giving directions to locate what they need faster and easier...

Student: "Mrs. Zipp, where can I find books about snakes?"
Me:  "Look for the orange, Nonfiction 500 sign to get started.  They should be near the 590's"

Much of my day is very busy and this color coding really has helped out.  When I do location lessons, I always use the color coding to help.  One of my favorites was with first grade. They had to create a map of the library with a map key.  The colors really came in handy!

Here is link to get the signs I've created.  They can also be used for many other decorating applications. They print out 4"x 6".  Enjoy!  Library Shelf Signs