Industry Investigation Prompts
5/2/19 -- #17
The world would definitely change, and not for the better. The internet is taking most people's want/need for libraries away, but they don't know what they would miss if libraries were to disappear. Books are gateways into a whole new world where the reader can become whoever they want; and libraries are home to these books. Sure, you can get audiobooks, but having a person read you the book gives them the power to interpret it any way they choose which takes your imagination out of it. Kids in elementary school need their imagination, what fun would they have without it? Also, taking the library away from elementary school kids takes away a BIG part of their reading outlet. And I don't know about you, but I, and most kids, do not read if we are not interested in the material.
4/25/19 -- #14
There's never an endpoint, you can always learn more. In addition to new books coming out all the time, every time you read a book you find a deeper, hidden layer to it. You may see something you never saw before and realize you can make a whole lesson out of that one layer. Books also can be really dated, so changing the lesson to another, newer book is almost necessary. And as the books change, so do the kids. Every kid learns differently so with each new year you have to learn different ways to teach them. Some kids need lots of structure and attention, some need frequent breaks and quiet rooms, while others need a mix of everything in between, and adapting your teaching to everyone individually is a skill that many teachers could benefit from having.
4/11/19 -- #15
You have to pay attention to small details in the library. Having the kids play with legos seems like an easy class, but a lot of work goes on behind the scenes. You have to think of an activity involving the legos that can keep every kid engaged, you also have to keep in mind what kids don't work so well together and out them in groups where they'll be able to focus. Librarians are one of the few teachers that have you almost every year, and as the years go on, they get to know you and are able to understand what conditions you work best in.
4/4/19 -- #10
Ms. Karam inspires me at my job, she is beloved by all the students and teachers. Ms. Karam has wonderful relationships with the students and is able to tell which students are having bad days and they are comfortable enough to tell her why. She is able to adapt her teaching style depending on each class and gives them different strategies to help them if she is helping another student. Ms. Karam is a wonderful teacher and I am so lucky to be working this close with her.
3/28/19 -- #12
Lunchtime is often short. All the teachers eat when their class is off doing something in another room (e.g. library, lunch, P.E., etc.). I typically eat with Ms. Karam in the library when we have time between classes, it's usually no more than 30 minutes. Teaching is a very hard and demanding job, the kids take a lot of time and energy from their teachers, so much so that that they get limited time for lunch before being sent back to their classroom.
3/21/19 -- #11
The line between work and play is very fine when working with small children. We let the kids play in the library, as long as it doesn't interfere with their learning. For example, Ms. Karam, the librarian I'm interning with, borrowed a set of Rubik's Cubes from their website and was able to let some classes play with them. With the older classes, we projected a bullseye pattern on the board and they were given a certain amount of time (about 35 minutes) to make the same pattern with the cubes. For the younger classes, they were able to use legos to create the same bullseye pattern as the older classes. All classes were able to play and have fun with toys while still learning teamwork and coordination.
3/14/19 -- #7
The goal of the library is to get the kids to read and learn. At the end of every class the kids have a chance to look for books. Even if the kid left their books at home, they are still usually allowed to take out another book so they stay reading. The goal never changes, as long as the kids are reading we are doing our jobs correctly.
3/7/19 -- #4
In the library, the attitude changes from class to class. With some classes, particularly the younger ones, the plans are more structured while still keeping the class engaged. Although they get frustrated at times, all the teachers seem to love their job and their kids. The main teachers don't stay in the library long, just a wave and small greeting as they drop the kids off, so I don't get to interact with them very much, but from what I can tell they love the kids but they are thankful to have some time to regroup.