Using Old Textbooks from School Bookshelves
Don't Forget the Good Material Already Available on the Shelf
Aug 19, 2009
Take a second look at the textbooks which were bought in the past, used for a time, and never looked at again. These books are filled with ideas and lessons that can still be used.
Not only on personal shelves, but in the school-room too, a large number of books waste away in a corner or drawer. How many teaching books have already been purchased by a school department based on demands of teachers? The answer is many. Sadly, a large number of texts are hardly used before being abandoned completely.
Most teachers’ resource shelves are filled with books presenting ideas for their field of study, be it grammar, reading, writing, science or history. However, quantities of books are used very little, and are unused and lost behind the newer arrivals. Teachers always want new books with new ideas. Yet, probably, like most dedicated and hard-working tutors, the same set of books seem to be returned to again and again, while most of the others are overlooked. This seems a pity.
Free Study Materials
Here is an idea. Try “grabbing” a book randomly out of the bookshelf. Look for an idea or lesson plan for lessons this week. Choose something never tried. Try going book by book with the aim of finding one new idea in a number of the old texts. Sorting through the old material can achieve some worthy goals:
- finding something different instead of a usual choice
- choosing something not typically used in the daily format of the class
- scanning for the ideas that were considered when the book was bought; the reason the book was purchased in the first place
- discriminating between books that need to be kept or thrown out
The result, therefore, is a revival for some books, or a good spring cleaning for the resource shelves.
To renew and uplift the dowdy shelves, another idea is to reorganize the display of books with new, specific labels such as “Ideas for writing”, “Games”, or markers showing themes such as “American Culture”, “Seasons”, “Short Stories”. Rearrange the shelf so it looks more interesting and may bring forgotten books that were underneath the others, to the front, making old titles more noticeable and attractive.
Advertise Old Books
Plan an “Advertise Old Books” party. All teachers choose one old book and give a presentation to explain the contents. The reason is to advertise the materials available in the book, showing the rationale, exercises and positive aspects of the book. The idea is to illustrate that materials already purchased still have wonderful worth and can be used in classes today.
Creating Free Worksheets
Many outdated books can be cut up into work cards or worksheets. Illustrations are priceless and a lot of material can be reused in other ways in the classroom. Creating individual work cards that students are able to work on when they have extra time after completing their class work, will enable the teacher to offer alternative material for further practice. Boxes of themed cards can be created by the teacher for workshops within the lessons.
Book Swap
And how about a book swap! Get together with a group of other teachers, and decide to have a book fair. Each person can donate a given amount of books and receive coupons to take the equivalent number from the donated pile. With luck teachers will find themselves with a pile of new, although used, books.
Books are expensive. Many creative ideas are still useful in a more modern world. Arrange a whole new bookshelf with old materials, and get pleasure from renewed creativity.
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