I am moving back into a 10th grade ELA position this fall and I am thinking about my classroom library. Initially, I used the traditional "alphabetical by author" book organization method. Books could be located as long as knew the author.... Unfortunately, I am not good with names!
Next, I tried to organize the books by genre. The kids and I had fun going through all the books, reading the back and discussing genre. I liked the new set-up as kids could find books in the genre they were interested in more easily. I wanted more...
Recently, I have been arranging the books by topic. Each topic has it's own basket. The baskets are still stacked on shelves and the shelves are sort of arranged by genre. If, for instance students want a Sci-Fi title, they have several baskets to choose from including: dystopian, medical sci-fi, space, technology etc. Popular fantasy choices include: witches and wizards, vampires, the undead, medieval and paranormal. With the increased emphasis on non-fiction, I have mixed fiction and non fiction on the realistic and historical shelves. I am hoping that students who prefer fiction will eventually pick up a non-fiction title or vice-versa.
Other benefits include: more book fit on the shelves (a major plus since my library is approaching 3000 books!), The kids don't have to strain their necks looking for books. Using baskets allows the books to be arranged cover out - so they can be drawn in by the artwork. Finally, students love flipping through the titles in each basket.
Looking forward to seeing where this goes next!
Showing posts with label genre. Show all posts
Showing posts with label genre. Show all posts
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Change is in the Air
"Great leadership is not about having all the answers it is more often having the courage to have a great dialogue."
Lolly Daskal
I am working with two new teachers this year - one teaching 7th grade and one teaching both freshman and seniors. I love working with new teachers! They have new, fresh ideas, but are also willing to listen to and try out other ideas. We have had multiple discussions about how and what to teach and what sticks out in my mind from those conversations is their ability to reflect on how they were taught and improve on it.
Both teachers looked at genre categories this week. Instead of handing out a worksheet or handout (as we all experienced), students were asked what books from their independent reading fell into each category. Next, in groups, students listed characteristics of the genre based on their knowledge and the book selections.
This activity led to lively discussions of not only genre, but also individual books. Students were enthralled with the discussions, offering examples of genre characteristics, favorite books, characters and plot lines and a whole host of what if's. What if a story has time travel but the time travel is to a historical place? What if it is based in the past, but has ghosts? What if the book says it is based on a true account? And what about... They weren't asking us, per se, but were challenging each other.
I remember thinking all through high school that when I got to college, I would finally get to the good stuff. These are the types of conversations I remember having in college and more often in grad school. This is the good stuff and it can and should be done in middle and high school!
Lolly Daskal
I am working with two new teachers this year - one teaching 7th grade and one teaching both freshman and seniors. I love working with new teachers! They have new, fresh ideas, but are also willing to listen to and try out other ideas. We have had multiple discussions about how and what to teach and what sticks out in my mind from those conversations is their ability to reflect on how they were taught and improve on it.
Both teachers looked at genre categories this week. Instead of handing out a worksheet or handout (as we all experienced), students were asked what books from their independent reading fell into each category. Next, in groups, students listed characteristics of the genre based on their knowledge and the book selections.
This activity led to lively discussions of not only genre, but also individual books. Students were enthralled with the discussions, offering examples of genre characteristics, favorite books, characters and plot lines and a whole host of what if's. What if a story has time travel but the time travel is to a historical place? What if it is based in the past, but has ghosts? What if the book says it is based on a true account? And what about... They weren't asking us, per se, but were challenging each other.
I remember thinking all through high school that when I got to college, I would finally get to the good stuff. These are the types of conversations I remember having in college and more often in grad school. This is the good stuff and it can and should be done in middle and high school!
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