Reflection and Goals for the New School Year

By Becca Munson on 08/23/2018 • ( 1 )

As I transition from one year to the next, I review what went well the past year and determine areas for improvement. Since I was new to the building last year, I focused on developing relationships with staff for greater collaboration and determining the needs of students and staff in regard to library services.

Here are some thoughts from the past year:

Developing relationships takes time for true collaboration. I was fortunate to work with many teachers who would jump right into the process. With others, it took more time.
As classroom teachers make some instructional shifts, the library can be a place of support and partnership. We were able to partner with teachers on several project-based learning (PBL) and Design Thinking activities among traditional assignments.
NoodleTools has transformed our instruction with the research process. Teachers loved the accessibility and organization of this tool. We need to develop an implementation plan for each grade level.
From 3D printers and laser cutters to cardboard, students are demonstrating their learning in a variety of ways.
Power Hour (as it is called in some high schools) took a lot of time to establish protocol. Students appreciated a studious environment. We averaged 200 or so students each day during this time.

Goals for the Upcoming Year

In reviewing my notes, I created the following goals for the upcoming school year:

Continue to develop relationships with staff for further collaboration.
Provide more resources for PBL and Design Thinking activities. (The art department was overrun by students in other areas needing paint, hot glue, etc.) Teachers will work with us to determine the supplies needed for students. We are fortunate to utilize non-library funds for the supplies per our administrator. We also want to determine how to make these resources mobile and available any time.
Work with math teachers to integrate research and other activities in their lessons. Last year, we collaborated on a quick 3D printing activity with pre-calculus classes. The teacher loved the activity and would love to explore using this technology in a variety of ways.
Continue to provide an online instructional presence through Libguides. Our district implemented Canvas K-12 last year. How does this work with Libguides and the library online resources? Do libraries utilize Canvas only? How can the two tools work together?
Continue to review and adapt our space to meet the needs of classes and students.

Library Report

When setting goals for the upcoming school year, the library reports from the previous year help determine our focus. The following report included first and semester statistics and was shared with our administrators.

Author: Becca Munson

Becca Munson, Librarian, is a National Board Certified Teacher with over 23 years of experience in education. She is currently a school librarian at Blue Valley West High School in Overland Park, KS. Becca continues to find ways to positively impact student learning with literacy initiatives, technology integration, and building rapport with students and staff. Follow her on Twitter to view the library in action @bvwlibrary and @beccamunson .