We are very proud of the co-curricular classes that we offer to our students. It is our amazing specialist teachers, who make these engaging courses happen!
This is the fifth in a series of Q & A articles highlighting our specialists and some of what makes their programs so unique. This month, I spoke with Luke Robertson, our new Library teacher, about himself and his program.
Mr. Heffron: Mr. Robertson, can you tell us a bit about your background and how you found your way to Wise School?
Mr. Robertson: I’ve been in children’s literature for twenty years. I’ve been in school settings for eighteen years. I found early on that my passions came together with teaching and the library. Both are a dash of performance, both involve working with young people, and both revolve around one of my favorite things – children’s books. I have worked on and off at Children’s Book World on Pico Blvd. for twenty years, and you can still find me there occasionally helping out when they have a big author come into town. Bookstores are where I started, and that evolved into moderating book clubs for children, and that evolved into working in school libraries. I’ve taught and been a librarian for students from preschool through high school, but working with the elementary years is my preference – it has storytimes, my favorite kinds of children’s books, and the types of library activities that most engage readers.
Mr. Heffron: What are the most important things you want your students to learn and experience when they come to visit you each week in the library.
Mr. Robertson: Aside from the curriculum, which is important, my main focus is how students “feel” when they are in the library. I want them to feel comfortable and safe and engaged as soon as they step foot into that space. I want them to know that there is a book, an adventure, or a new passion to discover, for every reader at every level. Basically, I want them to learn to love reading and to love books.
Mr. Heffron: What is your favorite thing about teaching and working here at Wise?
Mr. Robertson: The community – this extends to the students, the teachers, and the families. Here at Wise, community is at the center of everything, and that reflects both my personal and professional values. I loved it when the book fair took place and I could see how much effort and care the parents and faculty invested in creating such an exciting and impactful experience for our students.
Mr. Heffron: What are some of the overarching themes/ideas that you hope Wise students walk away with after their years of visiting the library here with you?
Mr. Robertson: I am hoping to instill a lifelong love of literature in every student, because as long as they are reading they are learning, and the goal is to help them become lifelong learners. I want students to know that for every question they have, there is an answer somewhere between the covers of a book. I want students to know that they can discover a great deal about their own place in the world and their own personal challenges through immersing themselves in stories and biographies – a student’s own struggles and passions and obstacles are almost always reflected in an author’s voice, a character’s journey, or a hero from history.
Mr. Heffron: You teach all seven grade levels. Can you give us a glimpse of what the library curriculum might look like for a kindergartener vs. a 3rd grader vs. a 6th grader?
Mr. Robertson: For the kindergarteners, the emphasis is on exposure to different types of stories and exploring their interests. This involves lots of storytimes, themes such as “Friendship” or “Pets”, and teaching them where to look for materials, depending on their interests. For the 3rd graders, we get more into the nuances of the library – reading levels, literature genres, the Dewey Decimal System, and teaching them how to navigate the space on their own. For the 6th graders, we start getting into research skills, how to find useful and specific information, and how to evaluate sources for validity and accuracy. The common thread throughout the grade levels is teaching them to appreciate and value libraries as a place of study, a place of exploration, and a place of discovery. And if they can take ownership of these skills, then that helps them to be self-sufficient and well-rounded learners.
Mr. Heffron: What are your favorite types of books to read for yourself? To young people?
Mr. Robertson: For myself, I most enjoy fantasy adventure – like Robert Jordan, Ursula Le Guin, or Guy Gavriel Kay. As far as reading to kids, I most enjoy sharing the latest and greatest picture books, and authors like Drew Daywalt, Jacqueline Woodson, Mac Barnett, or Jon Klassen..
Mr. Heffron: Can you share with us some of the exciting or interesting renovations that might be coming up in our school Library?
Mr. Robertson: Our library is evolving in big ways. I’m getting an influx of new books and materials for every age range. I’ve updated the displays so that they are more child-friendly, with book covers facing out to engage our young readers and invite them to take a look! I am coordinating with the Temple to cull older, outdated religious and academic texts and artifacts. I am making way for new and popular materials to adorn the shelves. I’m trying to modernize the space and systems to make the books and materials more accessible to students and teachers.