Classroom Management for Librarians

Hi friends!
Today we have a guest post from Stephanie Vukovich. She’s an elementary library media specialist in Ohio. She’s been sharing in our Learning Librarians Facebook group, about her classroom management system that is PERFECT for the library.

Classroom Management for Librarians

Stephanie says:

“Last spring I accepted an offer for my dream job- I was going to be a Library Media Specialist in an amazing elementary school. Like any good librarian, I did my research. I read books. I learned all the ins and outs of the library. I even went to several elementary schools in the area to job shadow experienced librarians so I could learn what made them so successful.

One librarian in particular seemed to have the perfect library. Her students were model students! I marveled at their quiet straight lines, their listening skills during story time, and even the manner in which they used whisper voices as they milled around looking for the perfect book. I asked if all her classes behaved as nicely as the few I had seen that day did, and she proudly assured me that yes, yes they did. I asked if she had a secret, and she simply said “I model everything. They know what the expectations are and strive to meet them everyday.”

That was truly a light bulb moment. It was so simple, but it was a detail that can sometimes be overlooked in the hustle and bustle of a library full of eager little learners. I knew I needed to put just as much time and thought into my classroom management strategy as I did in maintaining the library.

classroom management book

Enter Michael Linsin’s book titled Classroom Management for Art, Music, and PE Teachers. His point strategy was straight-forward, no-frills, and easy to manage. Each class would work together to earn points for expected behaviors. I modified his strategy to work for me and my students. I decided on five points.
One point for entering quietly.
One point for good listening.
One point for good effort.
One point for lining up quickly and quietly.
One point for returning library books on time.

Bulletin Board for Classroom Management Points

I set up a bulletin board near the library doors and posted all five points. In the middle of the board I placed a chart and listed each class. On the other side of the chart I posted my “Five Point Hall of Fame.” Classes who earned all five points that week had their name displayed on the board. When classes reached a certain goal, they’d earn a whole-class reward.

Classroom Management Charts for Librarians

Implementing the point system went so much better than I had ever dreamed. I modeled every procedure, and my students learned quickly. Some of my older students were more reluctant in the beginning. There hadn’t been any sort of expectation under the previous librarian, and to them, my expectations seemed strict and unnecessary. “Mrs. So-and-so didn’t make us do that!” was a common phrase I heard during the first few weeks. “I’m sure your classroom teacher does things differently than your teacher last year. Sometimes change is good!” was my standard reply. Within a few weeks, they were all on board. When everyone followed the procedures, we had a lot more time to have fun!

Point Tally

At the end of library, I go over their point tally after each class while they are standing in line waiting to leave. “Did we enter quietly today? Were we good listeners?” Surprisingly, they’re much tougher critics than I am! I look at the overall behavior of a class. I won’t ever penalize a group if one or two students are struggling to follow the expectations. I’ll then write their total for the day on the chart and we’ll look and see how many more points we need to reach our next reward.

Library Classroom Management Chart

Handling rewards is super easy with this system! Once a class reaches their goal, I’ll circle the number on the chart. I’ll give them their reward the following week, then make a line through the circled number to indicate that they’ve received their reward. They’ll then start working toward their next goal. The most popular reward has been an extra book checkout. Free choice seating, new bookmarks, and a free day with centers are also very popular and cost little to nothing.

The point system has been a simple and straight-forward way to manage classes in the library. Every student knows what is expected and is able to meet those expectations. Sometimes they might fall short, but it strengthens their resolve to do better next time. Each trip to the library is another opportunity to earn five points. I don’t have to address behavior issues very often, which leaves me time to do what I love- share the magic of reading with my students.”

Thank you so much for sharing, Stephanie! You’ve helped us all get a great start to a new school year!

Friends, if you want to continue the discussion or ask questions, please stop by our Learning Librarians Facebook page. It’s easy to interact there and collaborate with librarians from around the world.

 photo credit for the top photo: Diari La Veu – http://diarilaveu.com gettyimages – Passallibres via photopin (license)
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    26 Comments

    1. I love this idea but am confused by the poster in the middle with the numbers. Are the teachers’ names listed along the side and then you fill in the number for the day? What goes under the grade level signs?

      1. Terry,
        This is what Stephanie says: The right side of the board is missing laminated sheets that are reserved for classes who earn all five points. Their class name goes on the board. They really hate to see their class erased, so it’s a little extra motivation.
        Thanks for asking! Others might have been wondering the same thing.
        Cari

      2. I thought about doing something similar but I’m limited in bulletin board space so I plan to use Class Dojo and each student is a class. Points for good behavior and for returning books. I’m still working out the kinks!

    2. DO you have anymore pictures to share? Where do the class names go?Each row is a different class? You have 25ish classes? Thanks!!!

      1. Katie,
        Here’s what Stephanie says about the class goal: The first goal was 25 points. The next was 30, and then after that was 35. There’s not a time limit on it…they get there when they get there. I keep the goal the same for all grade levels just to keep it simple for me. I did increase the number each time, but it was also easier for most classes to rack up those points more quickly as they fell into the routine.
        Thanks for your question!
        Cari

    3. I did this last year, and it worked like a charm! I like your set up better than mine, though. I tried using Class Dojo, but it was hard for me to remember to do it each time. I might try it again, because my new school uses Class Dojo throughout the entire school for individual students. My students thought up their own class rewards. I was at a uniform school, so they always wanted free jeans or free dress day passes, but doing “Mystery Boxes” was a big hit. These were just boxes with cool stuff that they didn’t usually play with – crafting materials, STEM kits, etc. I kept them in old Book Fair boxes and each table had to pick a mystery box. What their table got, they had to stay with for 15 minutes. After that, if they wanted to trade, they had to talk someone else into trading, too. Lots of Fun!

    4. I would really like to know where to get the chart, too!This system sounds really workable, and I want to try it.

      1. Kimberly,
        You can use any incentive chart that you find at your local teacher supply store. Just make sure you have enough lines for all of your classes. If needed, staple two charts together.
        Thanks for your comment!
        Cari

    5. Outstanding idea!!! Exactly what I needed.

      I would also like to know where to purchase the charts and what your goals are.

      One more thing, one of the requirements is returning books on time. Do they only receive credit for this only if everyone returns their book?

      1. Kristina,
        You can purchase any type of incentive chart at your local teacher supply store. Just make sure that you have enough lines for all of the classes that you teach. Stephanie gives a grace limit of 4 students who can have overdues, with the class still earning the points for book return. For points goals, she says: The first goal was 25 points. The next was 30, and then after that was 35. There’s not a time limit on it…they get there when they get there. I keep the goal the same for all grade levels just to keep it simple for me. I did increase the number each time, but it was also easier for most classes to rack up those points more quickly as they fell into the routine.
        Thanks for your comment!
        Cari

    6. I’m excited to try this idea! When a class reaches its goal, do the points zero out for the next round, or do you give the class the balance of the points to carry over? For example, a class needs only 2 points to reach its goal. The students earns 5 points that day. Does the class start over with zero points, or do you give them the balance of 3 points to start off the next round?

      1. Hi,
        I have the same question as Mary. When a class reaches its goal, do the points zero out for the next round. Also, what do the slashes mean on the chart?
        Thanks!

    7. I have also found the book by Michael Listin VERY helpful for my primary (elementary) library class management. Teaching lots of classes is just not the same as having your own class every day! Interesting to read about someone who’s tried the points idea, I’m thinking of it as I plan for back-to-school next week (in Australia).

    8. Hi,
      I am a school librarian at Abhay International School (ICSE board), Mumbai, India. I liked this point system very much for classroom management in a school library. But just wanted to clarify few doubts. Suppose today I have 5 library periods, say: III A, VII B, II B, VIII A, V A. Now when the classes come to the library do I have to observe every child entering the library and mark the points? Or have to judge the class as a whole. say: if even one student has not succeeded in getting any of the points, the whole class will suffer?

      Thanks & Regards,
      Monica

    9. Thank you for sharing your point system management strategy, Stephanie. I also like the mystery box idea that Kim does.

      I would like to hear other strategies people have for their classroom management? Do most people use a point system?

      I am still new to the K-8 school library scene and looking for more ways to encourage better library behavior and having routines that students can get used to. Thanks!

    10. I am looking to refresh my classroom management for this school year and absolutely love this idea. Are the materials used to make this board available for purchase somewhere?

    11. Thank you very much for the point system! I love this idea as I begin my new position as a Library Media Specialist at an elementary school. It is easy to use and I think students will be motivated to practice good behavior everyday!

    12. Thank you! I’ve been struggling for 10 years to use and be consistent with an incentive system. I’m going to go all in on this one this year!

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