Yet another day at Bookworm and there is a buzz among the Resource Persons (RPs).
Melcom- Can you please advise what will be a good extension activity.
Stephie- Can you check if I am singing the song correctly?
Jewel- I need to print a worksheet.
Terence- Anything else to be taken?
Sakshi- All the big books are kept in this bag.
Vandana- I have packed the soft toys.
Sujata- What do you think is the theme of your book?
All these conversations and questions take place while the team is preparing for the upcoming session. Everyone wants the session to go well and see the children enjoy it. While many aspects go into a session, the team feels that planning is the most important part of it.
When we plan for a Libraries in Schools sessions, we revisit the library syllabus, which is prepared by the team at the beginning of the year. It is done keeping in mind the objectives and the children’s age group. The syllabus helps us with our book selection and the different activities we have put together for the year. Once we know which book we are doing, we plan the session using lesson plans created over the years to support all the Read Aloud books. Here we get different songs, games, discussions and pointers on how to unfold the book to the children and capture their responses. While sometimes we follow the exact lesson plan, at other times we add different things as well, keeping in mind the children and the possibilities.
So when we plan, we prepare all the different things that we need for the session. Firstly, being interested in the story, practicing it and knowing it well is essential for a good engagement. Practicing songs, playing games, cutting craft material, creating worksheets, packing the big books, finding matching puppets and much more happens when one is preparing for a session. These steps help us to be mentally prepared.
Planning and preparing are aspects that I personally consider the most important for sessions to be successful as well. The times that I have planned and prepared well for sessions, they have been good. Even though sometimes they don’t go as planned, just the thought process involved makes the execution easier. Especially when I need to think on my feet, the planning comes in handy.
While knowing that preparation is important it is not always possible to give the time it requires to do everything. Sometimes it takes more time as we have to learn new things like getting folds of the origami craft that we want to do in class, or an art activity we have never done before, or even a complex story that needs more practice to deliver it better. Hence, engaging ourselves deeper gives the joy of learning, as we prepare, we experience new things.
As and when the session demands, we plan of changing the setting of the class itself like taking the children outside to experience the outdoors. These little joys and change of scenery, holds the children’s interest, breaking from the monotony. The process of planning makes sure we are always thinking, imagining, and cooking up ways to make the sessions exciting, keeping the child in us alive. We keep trying to think from the children’s perspective which helps us with personal growth, never letting a single day in our lives go dull.
All in all, preparing for sessions is great fun and requires dedication. It does not mean that every session we plan goes well. Sometimes when things don’t go as planned, we face disappointments. We learn from our mistakes and look for ways forward. The joy on the children’s faces and the experiences we have during the sessions keep us all going.
