This year began my first year teaching at Prestige Academy, an all-boys charter school in Wilmington, Delaware. Prestige is a Title I school that serves mostly low-income families and students from an urban environment.
When teaching at a Title I school, funding can be difficult to come by. In some cases, there are needs that simply cannot be met. This often includes foregoing a classroom library.
But for me, having a classroom without a library was not an option. I have always loved reading, and from a young age, I knew that I wanted my future students to learn to love reading as much as I do. Having a classroom abundant in books was important to me. So, I had to get creative.
It turns out there are a multitude of ways to create a wonderful selection of books within your own classroom—and your stretched-to-the-max budget. If you’re struggling to build out your own classroom library like I was, consider trying out some of the following:
Donate some of your own books to the classroom library. Chances are, you already do this. But have you stocked the library with some of your favorite books? Students love to read books that their teachers recommend—even the classics that can be read at many ages. For instance, I made sure to include “The Westing Game”by Ellen Raskin, “The BFG”by Roald Dahl, and the Harry Potter series in my library.
A word of caution: Don’t bring in books that have sentimental value to you. They will most likely get worn quickly! This means that autographed copies and special print editions should be left at home (unless you’re completely okay with the possibility that they could become worn, ruined, or lost).
Go to garage sales and Goodwill. This is my best-kept secret! Throughout the spring and summer, pick up as many cheap books as you can at garage sales, where you can often purchase books for as little as ten cents. This allows you to not only buy a greater number of books because of such a low price, but also to expand the genres in your classroom library. Goodwill is also a wonderful resource for similar purchases year round.
Ask for donations. There are so many individuals willing to donate to teachers, and especially teachers in a Title I school. Don’t be shy! If you happen to come across a member of any type of educational, professional, or reading coalition, speak to them. Odds are that they will help you in any way they can. Plus, it’s a great networking opportunity for future events.
A wonderful resource to look into is First Book, a nonprofit organization that provides low- or no-cost literature and resources to schools that are Title I, or serve a large portion of low-income families. You can register online to determine your school or organization’s eligibility.
Create a sign-in and sign-out sheet. In my classroom, I have a specific student responsible for my classroom library. Each time a book is checked out, he writes down the title, the student who is checking it out, and notes on the condition of the book. This helps to cut down on lost books, and ensures that students do not take a new book and return it in less-than-perfect condition. After all, the fewer books you lose, the fewer books you have to replace!
Although creating a classroom library is important, it is equally as important to do something with it. Great educators use their library to inspire their students to love reading. This can mean incorporating read-alouds, excerpts during lessons, and even month-to-month features on different authors.
One thing that I recently began doing in order to instill this quality in my students is a reading group. I felt that I had many students who could be pushed to higher heights academically, and were even longing for additional engagement. About half of my current students elected to join our small “book club.” We decided to begin with “Island of the Blue Dolphins” by Scott O’Dell. Each week, students complete a reading of certain chapters, and are required to fill out a packet of discussion questions. Then, we meet one afternoon during lunch and have a low-key discussion about the story line, elements of literature used, and any other hot-button ideas brought up in their readings. If students complete their assigned chapters and discussion questions, and attend our meeting, they receive extra credit in my class.
So far, I have seen great results from my scholars. This was a simple way to encourage reading, and at the same time strengthen our class culture.
Building a great classroom library can be difficult without the budget to do so. But over time, utilizing the helpful hints above, I’m confident you’ll be able to create a well-rounded library for your students. The key is to persevere, and make the most of every opportunity.
Taylor Swalm is from Middletown, Delaware. She currently teaches 5th grade at Prestige Academy Charter School. She has her B.S. in Middle Level Education (Spec. English & Social Sciences) from Wilmington University and is pursuing a Master’s degree in School Leadership.