Coffee Klatch

The SDUSD Teachers' Media Center

My staff and I, along with support from the TMC staff, are teaching a Back to School Coffee Klatch next Tuesday morning. In a fast one hour session, we will provide tips for classroom management, ideas for instructional/management bulletin boards and best uses of the Teachers Media Center. And yes, there will be coffee.

For those of you who haven’t been to the TMC or if it’s been awhile, the TMC is a make and take it area of the Instructional Media Center. SDUSD staff can visit during our regular hours to cut out letters, bind books, laminate or make posters for their classrooms or libraries. It’s our very own do-it-yourself-without-spending-as-much-money Teacher Store. You are only charged a small amount for anything consumable.

It’s a little overwhelming, so we decided to offer this in the morning, so that people can have the rest of the day to work. We’ll start in the lab to show online resources, but spend most of the time giving ideas and demonstrating how to use the TMC. The IMC/TMC is much like your first visit to DSW (shoe warehouse). There is so much to choose from, it’s hard to start. Our thought is that if we can get you started, you will be able to take it from there. Handouts will be posted on our website.

For example, every room in the school should have rules- even the library, which, as you know, is the largest classroom in the school. We will teach you that the rules should be less than 5, positive and posted. (We are disciples of Harry Wong for a reason.) Rules might be:

1. Take care of classroom/library materials.
2. Use quiet voices.
3. If you use it, put it away.
4. Stop, look and listen at the bell.
5. Mind your manners.

At the Coffee Klatch, we will show you how the rules can be made into a power point or Photo Story. Then we will take you into the TMC and show you how to make a great poster that can be posted in your classroom or school library. You could also take the same rules and/or procedures and make a Jeopardy power point game.

So many ideas, so little time. If you belong to SDUSD, join us on August 31 from 10:00 to 11:00 in the Lab, Room 3. Register at ERO so my numbers look accurate. If you haven't gotten a PIN number before, you'll have to sign up. Then search "coffee."

“The Powers That Be” need to know that Library Services does more than check out books. Help us toot our horn. Tell your principal, parents, school board members and upper administration about what we can do with and for you. Don’t know? Just ask…