Monday, August 26, 2013

Getting Back At It

After three weeks back in school, I think we've finally settled into a routine and I've been able to catch up on a lot of projects.

Here's a quick catch up of what's been going on...

A few days before school started I was able to get my shelf markers finished.


It took longer than I thought to duct tape wrap 40 paint stirrers, but here are some tips I learned along the way in case you want to duct tape wrap your shelf markers, too.


It takes about 8 strips to cover the entire length, not counting the strips for the ends.



So far the tape is not sticking to the books. That was my big fear.  I thought I might use some Mod Podge to cover the tape if that ever happens, but so far, so good.


I created a new wallpaper for the iPads to go with the "Get Wild About Reading" theme and loaded them.  Making sure the iPads are completely updated and charged is next on the list.

I also was able to get some library centers up and running.

I am trying to get a bit more serious about library centers this year.  I am looking to Cari Young of the Centered School Library blog and author of The Centered School Library for great ideas.

  I also found some good ideas in this book which I purchased on Amazon.


I found some fun Styrofoam cups at Walmart and used a dry erase marker to write the last name of some popular authors.  Students stack the cups in towers in ABC order and then use the answer envelope to check their answers.


Since it's the beginning of the year, I thought it would be a good idea to put this center out for students to review good book care rules.  There are a couple of different versions that can be played based on grade level. I have one version that is matching picture to picture and one version matching picture to words.


This is already a popular center.  Students love being able to decorate their own bookmark.  I just put out some strips of paper that I had trimmed from another project and was just going to throw away. But the strips were the perfect size for a bookmark, so I decided to put them at this center along with markers, crayons, colored pencils and stickers.  The students love it!


I had a few puzzles in the back that I've not ever put out, so I thought I break those out this year.  Second graders seem to really like this center.


I purchased magnetic Scrabble pieces on Amazon and a metal cookie sheet from Walmart to make this center.  I hope students will make words based on the information literacy skill (ILS) we will be studying each month. It doesn't show in the picture, but I also have recording sheets for students to write the words they create so that they can turn them in.  I plan to give a small prize to the student who comes up with the most words that go with our ILS of the month.


And because I had been working so hard, I rewarded myself with some fun Cafe Press items.  Now my ride and my wardrobe is stylin'!  =)


And since you stuck with me through this whole post and are still a loyal reader even though I haven't blogged in forever...here's a freebie for you.  It's all the center signs featured in this post as well as a few of the "extras" needed to set up the centers.  Hope you enjoy!

What are some of your favorite library centers?

*I'm an affiliate for things I've bought or used personally.  If you click through any referral links (if included), at no cost to you, I will earn a commission if you make a purchase.  Thank you for your support in this way.

15 comments:

  1. Your centers look great. I haven't started mine for the fall yet. I had book fair last week...I'll start centers the week after labor day. I've got to check out the Tiberian Handbook. Have a great week.
    Mrs. Brown Loves Bookworms

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    1. Thanks Sara! Can't believe you've already had a Book Fair. Wow! My isn't until November. Hope it went well. I definitely recommend checking out the Tibrarian Handbook. Good luck this year!

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  2. The Tiberian Handbook is all sold out on Amazon! I really wanted to read it this summer and just lost track of time. :-( Thank you so much for the awesome library centers!!! How did you create the numbers for your Ipads? I have been trying to that for a while and it just isn't working!

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    1. Hey Kelli,
      It looks like Barnes and Noble has the Tibrarian Handbook available. You might try there.

      The iPad numbers I made using PowerPoint. I saved them as jpegs and then loaded them onto the pictures file on the iPad. You can make them the background pic from the settings page once you have them loaded in the picture file. This post by one of the teacher's at my school might be helpful to you. Good luck!

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  3. I love the ABC order with the cups! I almost want to run to Walmart right now so we can start that one! I have started a question of the week center this week and I'm going to add a couple more next week. Thanks for the great ideas!

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    1. Thanks, Kim! I like the question of the week idea. I might have to add that one to my list. Isn't sharing great?! =)

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  4. What a fun theme! What I am wondering is when you wrapped your shelf markers, did you start and end on the edge or the back? And why didn't you go lengthwise? (I'm guessing it would bunch at the handle) This looks like more fun than painting. :) Thank you!

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    1. Hi Kathryn,
      When I wrapped them I had the edges meet on the middle in the back. I didn't go length wise because it wasn't long enough to wrap all the way around and I would have had 2 seams going down the middle of each stick. Just a personal preference. This way, the seems are all on the back side. Also by wrapping it, it keeps the tape more secure than having just one long piece of tape since the pieces over lap each other. Much easier than painting animal print on each stick. The kids are loving them, too. =)

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  5. I love these centers. Is your book care matching game available on your TPT store?

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    1. It's actually in the library centers "freebie" link at the end of this post. You can access it HERE as well. You can also find the link to this freebie on my freebies page. If you want the center directions signs that are more generic and not connected to a theme, I do have that available on TpT. The matching game is included in that pack. You can purchase that pack HERE. =)

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  6. You are very generous, Thanks a lot! Your blog has helped me lots.

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  7. I love the idea of using centers in the library but don't know how students would have time to use them. How long are your library periods?

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    1. I have K-1 for 30 minutes and 2-5 for 45 minutes, once a month. The weeks 2-5 does not come for a lesson, their teachers can choose to bring them for a 15-20 minute class checkout. These are the days I put out centers. When they finish checkout, they can work on a center while waiting for their classmates to finish. I put out different centers every season so I change them 4 times a year. I don't do rotations. If a table is full, the center is full. However, when I do MakerSpace lessons, I do center rotations and I have students sign a clipboard so I know what they have been to. I have four center rotations during those MakerSpace times over 2 visits. Centers are one of those things that if you want to do them, you have to make it work for you. It took a bit to figure out how I would make it work, but after a year I was able to figure out a system that I could handle. The kids love the centers and sometimes teachers will stay just a little bit longer to let their kids do the centers if I don't have a class scheduled to come in after them. It works for us. Hope you can find a way to make it work for you as well. =)

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    2. Thank you! That's really helpful. I was trying to figure out how to have a lesson, check out books, and use centers in one 30 minute period!

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  8. I rotate my centers. They include: Drawing (I printed out some "how to draw" sheets & blank paper; Geometric Drawing (coloring sheets that have those intricate designs); Origami (I cut the paper into squares first); Corner Bookmarks (get the directions online); Marble Runs; Laser Maze (or other STEM games); mini robots such as Ozobots or Cubelets (that I got with grants).

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