Class Library One Last Time

[Logan Robinson]

There are so many images that come to mind when I think back on these last couple months I’ve gotten to spend in Mrs. McLaughlin’s fourth grade classroom. Throughout the term, there have been many laughs and smiles as well as post-tutoring car ride discussions and dissections of the little moments with Sophia. But, if I had to pick one, the image I keep coming back to and have used as an example in a lot of my blog posts is the classroom library. Since it was one of the first things I noticed when Sophia and I first entered for tutoring, it seems fitting that it’s also my last. The library sits to the left when you walk through the door, against the back wall of the classroom. As you can see in the image below, there are three cabinets with shelves full of bins of books. The left side is the fiction section, while the right houses non-fiction. In the middle, Mrs. McLaughlin places her favorites of the collection or new additions like you’d see on display in a public library. Each book was hand selected by Mrs. McLaughlin, often with individual students in mind. The books are neatly organized in bins with topic labels ranging from “Rocks and Fossils” to “Series” books. There is also a wide variety of reading levels available, from picture books to Harry Potter. Mrs. McLaughlin has added lists for four different reading challenges with eight to ten books on them that kids can complete to earn a pizza party! The challenges start at a below grade reading level and go up in difficulty to above grade level. By making the challenges about effort regardless of students’ proficiency in relation to their peers, they allow all of the students to succeed, feel included, and, ultimately, continue to be engaged in reading.

As I’ve mentioned previously, each student is assigned a certain day where they get to go “book shopping”.  The kids get super excited about getting to pick new books, which is really fun to watch. They all have around three to five books that they “check-out” and keep in their desk organizers until they switch them out the following week. The cool thing about this is all the kids tend to have a collection of books that are representative of the variety I just described. Mrs. McLaughlin encourages them to read what interests them. So, to them, it doesn’t matter if it’s a really basic info book about spiders or a thick graphic novel about friend relations; they pick what they are excited about and figure out how to read it.

This is representative of my tutoring experience as a whole in so many ways. It highlights each individual student and their diverse interests. It also shows how motivated these kids are, as they are constantly needing to replenish their pile due to having finished all of the books they currently have. It shows collaboration. As, for example, Mrs. McLaughlin always creates space for students to share with the class after their daily individual reading time, asking questions like what did you learn, what went well, etc. Often students take this time to recommend books to each other, some even specifically for a particular student.

In conclusion, through the library, I have seen that kids are most excited about learning when they are able to make a choice or figure something out on their own. While the fact that I work with fourth-graders may have some impact on this, I believe that students should always be able to have a say in their learning to some degree. School can often feel like an individual sport in a unified classroom, so granting students autonomy can be really empowering. While I definitely struggle with trying to find a balance between full student autonomy and classroom structure, I think the book library is a good example of something that works.

I have so loved being with the fourth-graders twice a week for the past couple weeks. It really was a highlight in my term. I am excited that Sophia and I are going to try and go back consistently again next term. Seeing the progression the kids have made in such a short time has been amazing, and I’m excited to see that through.

[Hannah Piper]

Hi, Logan!

This is such a lovely program that your teacher runs.  I remember similar experiences in elementary school, where our teachers would bring us to the school library and set us loose to read and check out books.  Now armed with my Ed Psych glossary, I can retrospectively understand just how critical that trust and independence between teacher and student really is.  To be entrusted with school property, as well as given resources to explore and enjoy is so helpful to fostering identity development, I believe.  That your teacher actively encourages their interests, wherever they lie, is also so great; to be praised for your interests — which directly feed into your passions and identity — is so validating as a student and a child.  I’m glad you had such a great term!

[Author]

Posts