It can be difficult keeping young children engaged. They have a need to get up and move and talk to others. In addition to that, today’s technology has trained their brains to work with small bites of information.
Whether you just started teaching or have been teaching for quite some time, it can be alarming as to how quickly students drop out of our lessons.
I know that when I transitioned into the role of Library Media Specialist after being a classroom teacher and full time Responsive Classroom consultant it was a shift.
I was accustomed to saying a lot. I never worried about time because I knew that I could always get caught up after lunch, recess, or a break.
That was just not true as a Library Media Specialist.
Library Media Specialists have a finite amount of time. We have as little as 20 minutes and as much as an hour.
That means, everything we say and do has to be succinct.
It wasn’t long until I realized this and knew I had to make a shift in my teaching.
It became abundantly clear that in my 40 minute class period I needed to teach a lesson and give students time to browse and borrow books.
You see? This is what makes Librarians and Library Media Specialists unique from other teachers in the building.
Our team colleagues: PE, Art, Music, and World Language are super fortunate to have the entire class time to focus on only their content.
We have to split our time. In a way that meets a variety of needs. And typically in a space that is overstimulating for students.
You can have the most engaging lesson in the world, but if there aren’t a few things in place, then students will still not be engaged.
It’s important to know your rules, routines, and procedures.
Consider things like integrating your school rules into what is expected in the library. This is a great way to connect small behaviors to global rules.
Outline all of the routines students need to learn in the library. They may need to know how to enter in a safe and calm way, how to transition from a read aloud to independent work, and how to respectfully browse books.
Also be crystal clear about the library procedures.
What do students need to do when they are ready to checkout their books? Where do students go or what do they do after they checkout their books? Where do books get returned? How do they ask for help? How do they ask to use the bathroom?
Once you know everything they need to know to be successful, you know what to teach them in those first few weeks of school!
When students are clear about what is expected of them, it makes it a heck of a lot easier for them to focus on learning.
As Librarians and Library Media Specialists, we are all too aware of the need for a good flow in a library. Students need to be able to easily access books on the shelves. And we are always working towards making sure that kids can safely reach any book that they want in the library.
Once you add tables and other seating options into the mix, arrangement needs to be even more carefully considered.
If you have a large or wide space, think about how you can break up the space so that it feels less like an open gym or playground. And encourages a more safe walking movement.
If you have a small or narrow space, think about how you can use alternative spaces for students to work on. Does it really make sense to jam another table in the library if it means you or the kids can’t comfortably move around?
Carefully choose materials and how they will be stored.
As educators it is super tempting to get and hoard all the things. I have so been there.
Be super mindful about extra items you add in.
I have recently had to ask myself some hard questions about learning materials and storage.
When I’m in doubt, I ask our theme coach. She knows me all too well, and ask if it’s a realistic expectation to put on myself, if it’s going to create a lot of extra work, and if it’s something that I’ll give up on because it’s just too much to keep up with.
Get a buddy who knows you well and bounce ideas off of them before you buy another thing or consider adding on another routine or procedure. Those 1-3 minutes will save you a ton of headaches.
Once you’ve got those things good to go, you’ll have a conducive learning environment that you and your students are ready to learn in.
When designing lessons, you’re going to want to do it with a focus on keeping students engaged. Some surefire ways to keep students engaged during your lessons include:
While a classroom teacher, I used many of these characteristics of engaging lessons. As a Library media Specialist, I had to fine tune a few as well.
Keeping lessons short and sweet is something I definitely had to work on. I LOVE to talk and if you let me, I’ll say a ton. A hard truth is when my students told me that they loved me, but just didn’t want to listen to me rattle on.
When it came to directions, I was decent at giving them. But in order to eliminate confusion, I had to fine tune my structure for giving them to kids. I always know who is going to ask clarifying questions when I solicit them. And ya know what? I am so grateful that they do! Because it lets kids who tune out (like me) get the information again.
To be honest, I really like change. So having a predictable lesson structure is something that I’ve worked out over the years. I really like what I’ve come up with, and the students respond well to it. It keeps them moving and interacting with peers. While also incorporating student choice.
It’s not always easy to teach in the Library.
It can be pretty darn hard to meet the needs of a lot of kids in a lot of grades.
And it can be challenging to keep students engaged in our lessons. No matter how much we love what we are teaching. No matter how much we love our kids.
If you’re like I once was, and struggling to keep your students’ attention, I encourage you to check out the free digital course 3 Minute Lessons.
In this free course, you get a process for keeping lessons short, giving clear directions, and a predictable lesson structure. You also get no prep lesson plans, editable lesson planning sheets, checklists, and posters to support student learning.
