Cristina has great ideas. We also have a roster book with pictures which
helps, especially in a large school like ours, to put names to faces of the
regulars. Last year we started letting students be noisier in the main
part of the library and making what had been a "collaboration room" a quiet
study area. We had to fight the administration for this, but many students
have told us it was "wonderful, the best thing we've done," etc. The quiet
room - which we do enforce, though we only occasionally need to as those
students really do want to be quiet - is only full occasionally. The
students in the main area are often working even if also talking. We do
have one out-of-the-way area with study carrels we keep quiet, and noise
cancelling headphones students can check out. This change has led to
students feeling much more comfortable in the library and gives us a chance
to build rapport instead of just shushing them.
On Fri, Jan 11, 2019 at 9:17 AM Ms. Christina Wenger <cwenger@xxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Hi all,
Cara and I were just talking about this at our library, because building
rapport with students is something we believe we do well at our school. Our
library is a happy place. Here are a few specifics:
Hours: The library is open from 7:30am to 5pm. Students are in the library
every moment during that time. They know it's a place to study, to relax,
and to collaborate on projects.
Desk Interactions: Every exchange at the library desk is an opportunity to
get to know our students. We check out books, tech equipment, arts
supplies, and freely offer almost every school supply a student may need.
Whenever a student approaches the desk, my catch phrase is "How's your day
going?" And, students usually want to tell me.
Floor Interactions: While most of our work is behind the desk, we do make
efforts to regularly walk through the library. We smile at kids whose eyes
meet ours, and if they look like they're open to a conversation, we ask
them how they're doing. When we don't know students' names, we ask.
Students want to be known--they certainly aren't offended by us wanting to
know them.
Non-Library Experiences: Each of us proctors one or more non-library
related clubs. We also participate in all parts of our school community,
going on retreats with students, attending performances or sports events. I
teach a class. Cara drives the van for the Friday morning Martin de Porres
service opportunities. Since we believe in helping students become
well-rounded individuals, we work to do that as well.
Openness to Play: It's hard to define this, because I think it is
something that comes naturally to both me and Cara. Even our disciplinary
actions can be fun or funny; we laugh with the students. We allow for humor
and play with words and ideas. Next week, the school will put on it's
annual sketch comedy show, SILive, and we were active participants in a
video piece for it, a parody of A Quiet Place set in the library. Learning
should be fun (and often, very funny).
Cara has some great input on Personalized Reading Lists as a way to build
rapport. I'll let her jump in with that.
Happy Friday!
Christina
On Fri, Jan 11, 2019 at 8:19 AM Lemon, Katy <klemon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
I agree that this is a great question, but my problem is that I don't
have classes coming in on a regular basis. I do, however, have "regulars"
who come to the library everyday but they all wear uniforms and no name
tags ☺so unless someone checks out a book, it is pretty hard to discover
her name. I recognize faces but I struggle to put names with faces and
that makes building rapport a bit harder.
Katy Lemon
Librarian
klemon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Presentation High School
2281 Plummer Avenue
San Jose, CA 95125
408-264-1664 ex. 2433
On Fri, Jan 11, 2019 at 8:06 AM Thomas, Brian <bthomas@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Wow, is this a great question! I work with high school students and I’ve
found I have the most success building rapport before school, during break
or between classes, at lunch, etc. contexts in which neither the students
nor I have specific tasks we are working on. I think learning every
students name is important – I still haven’t been successful at it, but it
is the quickest most specific thing I think we can do to gain rapport with
students.
Brian Thomas
Director of Library Services
Saint Mary’s College High School
(510)559-6228
1294 Albina Ave
Berkeley, CA 94706
*From: *<baisl-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> on behalf of "Perotin, Tana" <
tperotin@xxxxxxx>
*Reply-To: *"baisl@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <baisl@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
*Date: *Friday, January 11, 2019 at 7:50 AM
*To: *"baisl@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <baisl@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
*Subject: *[baisl] Re: Building rapport with students
What grade(s)?
*From:* baisl-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <baisl-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> *On
Behalf Of *Judy Cha
*Sent:* Thursday, January 10, 2019 4:53 PM
*To:* baisl@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
*Subject:* [baisl] Building rapport with students
Hi everyone,
Can anyone share if you do any activities or anything on a regular basis
to build rapport with students who come to the library for weekly classes?
I'm open to ideas from a librarian perspective.
Thanks,
Judy Cha
Granada Islamic School
Librarian
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--
Katy Lemon
Librarian
klemon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Presentation High School
2281 Plummer Avenue
San Jose, CA 95125
408-264-1664 ex. 2433
--
Christina Wenger
Ask me about what I'm reading:
In progress: *Hawaii*, Michener
Just finished: *The Descendants, *Kaui Hart Hemmings
Director of the Library
AMP Teacher
St. Ignatius College Preparatory
2001 37th Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94116
Desk: 415.731.7500 ext. 6756
e-mail: cwenger@xxxxxxxxxx
www.siprep.org
