Why is it that after the first week back from winter vacation, it feels as if we've been back for ages?
2025 has featured a flurry of "new" things in my school library. Here are a few of them.
New Layout
I am not a visual-spatial person, but I am fortunate to work with many people who possess that skill. Matthew Malisani, one of our kindergarten teachers, and I were talking about the unused interactive touch-board that was lingering in the library. We decided it was high-time to put it back into circulation and that we would set it up. Matt helped me find the perfect location, which then involved reconfiguring how I usually set up my tables and chairs. Honestly? I like the new set-up better than my old one! It allows for both "sitting on the carpet" instruction as well as "sitting at tables" instruction. It means there's more space to move around, and clearer sight lines. It does mean that I need to learn a new system, as it's a Promethean board with Active Inspire software, instead of a SMART board with Notebook software, but there are enough similarities that I shouldn't struggle too much.
New Approach
I mentioned in last week's blog post that "I'm tinkering with my ESL schedule and approach for 2025, to update things and provide it with strength and energy." Thanks to consultation with Rizwan, an educator (and ESL expert) I first met back when we both took the Mentoring AQ in 2015, he helped me reshape the groups I see for ESL support and instruction. I told the teachers that are impacted by my new schedule that we would revisit the timetable change to examine the impact. In combination with the new layout, it's been a positive switch so far. The students are grouped by STEP (Stages Towards English Proficiency) level, as opposed to homeroom, and it means that the students at earlier stages of language development get the appropriate pace and focus for instruction, and the students at later stages aren't bored with work that is "too easy". I was particularly pleased with how I was able to differentiate the lessons I taught related to wrapping up our "body parts / puppet" unit. For the STEP 1-2 students in the Junior Grades, I was able to do a targeted lesson on the difference between using he/she/they and his/her/their (pronouns vs possessive pronouns) in sentences. (I must say that the puppets the students created turned out quite well!) My family also helped me put together some booklets that will (hopefully) help review important things like basic sight words for the learners at the beginning of their English journey.
New Collaborations
My co-planning / co-teaching / co-assessing "partner periods" often flip after a two month period. Now that we are in January, I'm working on Grade 4 social studies with the Grade 3-4 teacher, Grade 3 science with the Grade 2-3 teacher, book clubs / literature circles with the Grade 6 teacher, and infusing indigenous concepts with a Kindergarten class. The very kind teacher-librarian over at a neighbouring school has offered to share their huge floor map of Canada with us, so I hope to integrate it with some of these collaborative units. Photos coming soon!
New Club
A new club is starting at my school and I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes. Three of us on staff were recently trained on how to coach Goal Ball. Goal Ball is a sport specifically designed with blind and visually impaired people in mind, although people of all sight levels can participate. We are running two clubs as well as a staff drop-in club. One of the coaches has been trying goal-ball activities with their class and it's been well-received. I'm not the athletic type, but I'm up to the challenge. We wondered how many students would sign up. We were worried we'd have too little interest AND we were worried we'd have too many people sign up. Thankfully, we did not have to turn away anyone who expressed interest.
New Prize
I feel like I would be deliberately obfuscating if I failed to mention this last bit of news. Last week, it was announced that I was one of the two recipients of the Angela Thacker Memorial Award. What makes this award extra special is that the other person receiving it, besides myself (https://www.canadianschoollibraries.ca/diana-maliszewski-receives-angela-thacker-memorial-award-2025/ ) is my dear friend Jenn Brown, from the Peel District School Board (https://www.canadianschoollibraries.ca/jenn-brown-wins-angela-thacker-memorial-award/ ). This award is now distributed by Canadian School Libraries, and I will receive my plaque at the Treasure Mountain Canada 8 (school library research symposium and think tank) evening dinner and awards ceremony.
I want to thank Jonelle St-Aubyn and Francis Ngo for nominating me. It's a great honour. I've got to get around to writing my acceptance speech - but I think writing report card and TRELLIS comments will probably come first!
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