Classroom Library

  Last year with it being my first year in the classroom, I feel like I have quite a few things that I want to do better - or organize better in my classroom.  My library is one of the BIG things I wanted to change and make better.  I didn't feel like my students used it, or really enjoyed the books in there and granted I didn't have much of a choice when it came to the books in there.  The teachers who I'm teamed up with were wonderful and gave me books that they had in their classroom that they didn't use so that I had a little bit to start with, and throughout the summer at garage sales I bought some more. But, those books that the other teachers had given me were older and I noticed throughout the year that my students just were not into them - they didn't enjoy reading them and were not taken from the library very often.

  I picked way too many genres for my library, and it was kind of closed off in our classroom instead of the "open" feel like I wanted it.  For a while, my kids would have to be reminded to book shop instead of begging me to do so. Don't get me wrong - they loved to read, and we built up a ton of stamina when it came to reading. They progressed wonderfully throughout the year.  But, I wanted my library to be an inviting place that they begged to go to or sit in.

At the end of the school year, I packed up all my library books and put it on my "Summer To-Do" list to re-categorize, label, and go through all the books in my library. It took me two days - which isn't so bad honestly - to go through all of the books that I had taken home with me.  I ended up with this big of a laundry basket full of books that I didn't want to use anymore.

I was incredibly surprised with how many of the books were so outdated and old. I was extremely happy that I was able to get rid of so much.  I felt like this was something I could finally do this year as Scholastic Book Orders and Book Fairs helped me build up my classroom library a ton last year.  My little peanuts raised so much money for both of our book fairs for our classroom and our wonderful PTA was able to give us some money as well. I am grateful for my go-getters last year and the parents that make our school rock. I'm planning on letting the new first grade teacher look through the basket and then I'm not sure what will happen to them. They're not a part of my library anymore, so I don't particularly want to keep them around.

After the sorting of good vs. bad books, I had to put them into categories.  I don't level my classroom library by level - I want my kids to love to read and learn to pick books for themselves instead of going simply by a level.  This year, I plan to have 3 baskets that are labeled by color that will have leveled books in them. The kids will get a color on a card in their book bin, so that they have a basket that they KNOW are good fit books for them. My kiddos last year were awesome at choosing good fit books for them and I'm hopeful that this year will be the same.  I did the rest of my labeling my genre or topic. I made my own library bin labels because I couldn't find any I liked that I could customize to my library and my style. Here's a picture of what those look like.

I really like them - and I don't feel like there's too many of them for the kids to get overwhelmed by.  Once I picked my topics, I had to go through all of my books and categorize them which left me with a back bedroom that looks like this - yikes.

The books have notecards on them to help me remember which group is which.  I ended up with 19 genre groups, and then 3 leveled baskets, and 1 magazine basket. I took the picture and the label from the basket labels that I made, and put them into smaller avery labels.  I printed them onto avery labels and then plan to stick them onto the books.  This way my kids will know which basket they belong in for easy storage after they read them.  I put the books back for them last year, but I'm planning on doing a system where they put them back themselves after they read them.  Crossing my fingers it works.  All I have left to do is laminate the book bin labels, and place the labels onto the books and my library will be complete and turn into something that I love.

Onto the next project next week - haven't picked one yet but I'm guessing it will be finishing up my substitute and teacher binders.  Also, good news! The Kids Inc summer program is moving out of our classrooms next week and moving to the other side of the building which means that my classroom will be open for me to go and work in it in around 2 weeks. I am excited and I  know the husband is too so that I get all the stuff our of our back bedroom. :) It's sooner than expected and it will be nice to start playing around with the set up and organization.

Until next time.