PK-5 in the LMC

As a classroom teacher, fourth grade was my jam!  When taught fifth grade, I worked to make it my jam.  When I became a third grade teacher, it took me a tick, but I made third grade my jam.   And then I became a Library Media Specialist.  I have the distinct pleasure of now teaching all grades PK-5.  I'll be honest.  I have been an educator just shy of 20 years and quite frequently I am struggling.  Anyone who teaches multiple grade levels over the course of a school year, week, and day know what I mean.

I am pretty in tune with third, fourth, and fifth graders.  Developmentally, I get and appreciate them. I intuitively know (for the most part) what I may need to tweak to help them be successful, when and how to use humor with them, and how to academically challenge them.  But the other grades, I am  teaching myself how to be a rockstar Media Specialist for them. 

 The first year as a LMS I decided to become a decent PK teacher librarian.  Let me be upfront and say that I consider myself a Media Specialist, not a teacher librarian.  Having made that 'disclaimer', I made it my goal to be able to meet the needs of PK students in the Library Media Center.  At the time, I was fortunate enough to have a toddler of my own and was able to use the child development books that I had bought as a parent to help me as a LMS.  I feel like I do a pretty great job working with PreK students now.  I have developed some pretty fun units with highly engaging lessons, if I do say so myself.  Don't get me wrong, the beginning of the year with a fresh PK crew can be tough with all of the crying and helping them assimilate to school; it is worth it.

It felt like as soon as I got my PreK teaching straight, I needed to tackle another grade.  Second.  Did I mention that I had taught second grade in a previous education life?  There's a reason why I don't frequently share that tidbit.  One thing that worked in my favor is that the year I decide to make second grade my education challenge, I got to see all grade two classes twice a week.  This worked to my advantage.  It helped me get to know what second graders are like, along with consuming the chapters about 7 & 8 year olds in Yardsticks by Chip Wood.

When I say that it feels like I will always be learning about different grades because this year I am really focusing on being a better teacher librarian for Grade 1.  I am finding it much more difficult to do this than I have for other grades in the past, but I am committed.  Even if it means that they are my focus for two years.  I will be the best Grade 1 Media Specialist ever.  

I am doing the same thing with Grade 1 that I did to better understand Grade 2.  I am using Yardsticks by Chip Wood to help me out.  And in some ways...it is helping.  I know what I need to work on and I know what I am getting better at every time that I see a Grade 1 class.  I also know that I still have a long way to go.  

If you, like me, are continuously looking to improve your practice.  To decrease behavior issues while increasing engagement.  The resource below that I created includes:

• information from Yardsticks 
• typical developmental characteristics that can be strengths for each grade.
• typical developmental needs for each grade.
• LMS curriculum ideas to meet their needs and strengths. 

This year, I printed out the pages for Grade 1 and frequently refer to them before, during, and after my Grade 1 classes and while I plan for them.  I hope that you find it as useful as I do.