Together Each Achieves More (a TEAM effort)

Another afternoon spent reading to children. Here is how it went. Well, the bones of it at least. 


As I approached the library today I noticed the car park had many cars, and there was even a bus parked sideways across the parking bays at the far end. Many people seemed to be milling about! Good lord I thought, just as well my friend Jeanette is joining me in reading and storytelling today, looks like some crowd. But, alas, it was only a political rally at the adjacent community hall, the loitering groups were made up mostly of young men holding brown bottles and not parents as I had thought? hoped? Ah well. Such must be my story telling ambitions……

Inside, our smaller and much less noisy rally of readers were 10 strong and my co-opted friend (yay, we are two now) was already earnestly reading her own copy of the Fantastic Mr Fox, definitely a favourite of mine. The children were engrossed. Pupils from Northwood Adventist Primary School, Grange Christian College and Mount Pleasant Primary School were in attendance, but no boys this week! As I joined the listeners I recorded this conversation when attention waned:

‘Are you all tired?’ asked Jeanette, sensing an energy dip.

‘Yes’ several listeners chimed.

‘Shall I stop reading now?’ returned my anxious co-storyteller.

‘No, we want to hear it all!’

Classic.

It must have been an exhausting week. One young lady fell asleep, and when our snotty nosed toddler turned up a little late with his sister, he also ended up zonked out on the carpet (a boy, finally, but a sleeping boy). The young man sadly did not wake up and had to be carted off by the librarian. The young lady did awaken and she joined us in the series of short stories I read after Jeanette departed. The main highlight was Grace and Family. This went down well with the girls.  

What I noted today in my change to an observer role, was the very restless nature of smaller children. Time tested educators of course know this, but as story tellers we also need to get our heads around these lovely little listeners. Just because I enjoy reading to them doesn’t mean it is going to go swimmingly! But I learned today that they are notorious multi-taskers. Quite criminal really. They may be perusing the shelves, wandering around the room and fidgeting, but they know where you are in the story and when you near the end, they do return.

To end this lovely afternoon a representative from the main library in Harare, Roger, popped in to see us. Wouldn’t it be great if this story telling at libraries could go large and happen in all the libraries in Harare, Bulawayo..beyond...? Institutionalising this small effort of mine is exactly why I am setting up this blog and sharing it widely. Just one small strategy of many needed. Thanks to this visit, a team effort now begins.  How odd that my afternoon seems to have come full circle……well, in my head at least for now!