First Day Teaching

1. What are your feelings about overseeing peer tutors?
2. How do you monitor what the students are doing on the library computers when you are busy with other tasks?
3. How do you find time to communicate with teachers and the principal when everyone's schedules are full?

1. In previous years the librarians oversaw a study hall class in the library. They did not like the study hall because of the student's behavior and the amount of time if took away from every day library tasks that needed to be completed. The school implemented the peer tutors this school year. Seniors can choose from a number of locations in the school to work. They are then given a grade for their time worked. The librarians really like the peer tutoring because it gives them extra help that they would not other wise have. They have three peer tutors in each 90 minute block.

2. The Central library has a computer monitoring system called Impero. This system allows the librarians to see each students computer screen when using one of the 18 desktops in the library or in the computer lab. This gives them immediate access to a students computer without having to go look at each screen individually. It also allows them to turn on and off the computers remotely.

3. Communication with teachers is mainly conducted though email and phone calls in the school building. Communication with the principal was mainly done in person. These times were not scheduled, but more spur of the moment since his schedule is much more unpredictable.

Reflection:
I taught my first lesson at Central on Thursday, February 18th. The librarians had made plans with a ninth grade literature class to come to the library. I was informed of their current topic on Tuesday so that I would have time to prepare my lesson. Their teacher was the covering civil rights movement and the students were in the process of reading The Freedom Writers Diary by Erin Gruwell. Sticking to the civil rights theme I created a lesson that would expose the students to many different civil rights activists from the 1800's to present. The students were given a specific activist and asked to answer some basic questions about them. Once their questions were answered they created began creating a PowerPoint presentation about their activist

To be honest, I was a little nervous going into the first lesson, but all the nerves were gone within the first 10 minutes. The majority of the students were on task through out the entire class time. If I taught this lesson again, I would split it up into two class periods. The students were able to begin their PowerPoint presentation, but not complete them. I believe a second 90 minute class period would be sufficient amount of time to complete the assignment.