[CASL-L] Study halls in library

[Cathy Andronik]

I have finally gotten a meeting with my principal regarding the new (this school year) decision to base one study hall per period in the library.  It was one of those wonderful surprises I discovered on the first day of classes; the administration didn't even give me a heads-up, much less ask how it would impact us.  Is there any research (or even anecdotal information) on whether this is a "best practice?"  There is a teacher assigned to the study hall; some few watch those kids like hawks to make sure they're following school and library rules, others bury themselves in their computers or grading with their backs to the kids and my aide and I end up supervising their kids along with the library drop-ins.  During one period there are about 50 kids assigned to the study hall, and we generally get upwards of 20 drop-ins; the study hall kids during that period treat it as recess (eating, using devices, playing games, being generally loud) and the
 supervising teacher lets it all happen.  After a few "this isn't working" emails to the administrators (who decline to observe the mayhem), I finally sent a SERIOUS "this REALLY isn't working" email after a kid asked if he could go to another room in the school to sit and read quietly.  Administration's response was that they love seeing lots and lots of kids in the library.  I have stressed that they need to think less about warm bodies and more about CCSS, embedding information literacy skills into the curriculum, securing funding for databases (we had a $0 budget this year) and enough computers in the lab to accommodate a class of 28, etc.  
Thanks!
 
Cathy Andronik
Teacher Librarian
Brien McMahon HS
Norwalk, CT
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