Name
_____________________________________________
email
_____________________________________________
School or
Library _____________________________________
Age group(s)
served __________________________________
How
do we encourage teens to WANT to read and write better? Some teens have already
experienced that first compelling novel that keeps them coming back for more.
Some have already written a story or passage that was so outstanding that the
thrill of it made their insides jump around and their eyes tear up. But others
need a friendly environment, some honest encouragement, and perhaps an extra
helping of external motivation in order to experience that first great literacy
adventure. How can school media centers operate in such a way to promote a love
of reading and writing in teenagers? As
school media specialists, we have literally thousands of tasks within our job
descriptions. What does Harvard Business School teach their MBA candidates who
will soon step into fast-paced jobs that require them to be responsible for
thousands of tasks? At Harvard, the number one lesson is: “If everything is a
priority, then nothing is a priority.” In order to ensure the success of our
students reaching a high level of literacy, we must first make it our number
one priority!
What are you
doing that you think is helping your students read or write better?
What do you do in your school or library
to build good PR with your students, staff, or community? (At Boltz, our business philosophy is “Be
kind…and “sell” some and give some away.)
How do you manage to get out of the media
center and into your students’ classes
or extra curricular
activities?
What
promotional activities have you sponsored successfully in your library? How do
you think these increased your students’ interest in reading or writing?
What
have you found to be successful ways of getting students involved in writing?
Management consists of decision-making
under conditions of uncertainty. What good management practices do you employ
on a regular basis that you feel increases your students’ joy of reading or
writing?
Examples: Are you “fine friendly?”
How do you make your students feel
valued or safe?
What are the rules about food and
drink in your library?
How do you approach teens who might
be “breaking the rules.”
Who is in charge of “fluffing and
greeting?”
Who is most important, your
customers or your staff?
“Sell” some and give some away.
Other best practices: display books face
out, rotate your stock,
display,
display, display! Leave good books “laying around.”
How does the Pareto Principle (80/20
rule) apply to your library?
What have you found that successfully
fosters an atmosphere of mutual
respect among students sharing their
own writing?
How
are you selecting the books to buy for your students’ pleasure reading?
What
booklists do you use?
How
often do you shop?
How
long does it take to get bestsellers onto your shelves?
How
do you feel about graphic novels?
What
“tricks” have you found to be effective in getting students interested in
expanding
the genres they read?
HINT:
Smart selection is the most important aspect of getting teens to read!