Happy New Year — Advice for Project LIT Chapter Leaders

Happy New Year, everyone! If you’re planning to launch a Project LIT chapter in 2019, see below for advice and inspiration from our community. (And thanks again to all of the educators who completed our winter survey!)

What advice would you offer a new Project LIT chapter leader? 

• Just ASK people to help – you’ll be surprised how YOUR passion excites others!
• Take your time. Don’t feel the need to rush.
• Passion, persistence, patience!
• Don’t give up! Keep reading and keep putting books in students’ hands.
• Plan ahead.
• Start as small or as slowly as you need to.  Allow your chapter to naturally define itself by its membership.  If you’re felling called to do it, just do it. It is totally worth it.
• Just have fun with it!
• Ask for help! You do NOT have to do it alone. In fact, you shouldn’t. And don’t worry about starting out small. Yes, there are chapters out there doing a book club a month. They’ve been doing it for longer than you have. This community is locally focused. You do what’s best for you, your school, your students, and your community at that particular time. Remember that it’s all focused on the kids. Keep them at the center of everything, and you’ll always have a great guiding point.
• Share, share, share, what you are reading with your kids, your parents, and your community. And read what your kids are reading!
• Get kids involved in book selection and communicate with teachers on books, events and goals.
• It’s not the amount of people who show up. It’s just about getting more students to be reading relevant text. That’s all that matters.
• Go slow to go fast but just go!
• It’s important to let the students decide which books to read next.
• Just do it.  SO much support from other chapters.
• It comes easily once you start. Learn from your first event and grow from there.
• Persevere, and be prepared in some cases, to support the book choices.  Read the books you assign so that you can see what is appropriate or inappropriate for the grade you assign the books to.  Have fun!
• Don’t focus on the size of the group. It’s the quality of the work and once the students become invested the club will take on a life of its own.
• Get kids excited about the books by reading them first yourself.
• Take the time to teach your kids how to lead.  Eventually they’ll be able to take on a lot of the work.  It’s great to watch their skills grow in this way and keeps you from burning out.  Seek multiple funding options.  Talk to your leadership about title one funding and other avenues.
• Take your time and remember to breathe. Don’t get discouraged when you get a negative response from your higher ups or the community, because it will happen. Instead, focus on the positive feedback and the feeling you get when students who are non-readers get excited about reading a book. The students are what it’s all about, nothing else matters.
• Get started, what are you waiting for?
• Start small.
• Just do it! Reading these books and talking about them with young people has been a joy this school year.
• Love books. Read them deeply. Treat them with respect and dignity. Kids will do the same. Dive in. There are way too many reasons NOT to try something new, but the truth is people love amazing stories and will gather in community around them. Give your kids that chance – they deserve it.
• Ask your community for help. Our Amazon wish list has been fully funded by the community.
• Just do it, I mean, just READ it!!!
• The more energy you spread, the better!
• Enthusiasm is contagious!
• My advice would be take small steps and it will all come together!
• Even if you only impact one student, that student matters.
• Start small, have fun!
• Love reading! Have fun! Have help 🙂
• Don’t feel stressed or overwhelmed about what you think success should look like! This will look different in every school building based on the students and your unique circumstances. Be flexible and persistent 🙂
• Do what you can as all steps are progress.
• Enjoy the ride! It is more rewarding for you.
• Learn from those seasoned Project Lit chapters, seek ways to involve caring and compassionate adults.
• Just stick with it and the excitement from the students and staff in it will catch-on to the other staff and students.
• We know that what we are doing is the best for our kids. Don’t be discouraged enough to give up because you’re not getting support within your building. The kids need us.
• Lean on the amazing community of educators that are doing this work! Don’t overthink things -just get started. It doesn’t have to be fancy or complicated…
• Go to your local public library and ask the YA librarian to get you multiple copies of the book and invite him/her to join you for your discussion.
• Start out small. Reach out for help. Don’t stop trying.
• Recruit fellow educators who are just as passionate about relevant literature to help you.  Talk up the books!  Personally invite kids you know that like to read or who don’t but you think would be interested in these awesome books.
• Even if you start small it is worth it. I just have 10 8th grade girls and it has been a great experience for all of us.
• Find a good support person or volunteers to help spread the work out if you can. It helps if you have someone who can be the hype person as well as a logistical person so the wealth can be shared.
• Don’t get discouraged. Kids will catch on and then reading will spread like wildfire!
• Even if it is small–keep going!
• Take your time!  We have tried to squeeze in a lot and everything ends up half done.
• Take it easy.  Follow the hashtag!
• Reach out to your Project Lit family for support and encouragement
• Have fun with it, try and have a clear purpose for what you are doing
• Let it come together naturally! It’s okay if things begin slowly as long as the students are leading the way!
• Spend time reading the list ahead of time as much as possible.
• Jump in! Start with just a few students and watch it grow!
• Don’t be afraid to start. Allow kids choice and voice in the process.
• Although I am just getting started at my school, I have learned so much following different leaders and chapters on social media.  It has also been beneficial visiting local chapters in the Nashville community.
• Just Do It (I mean, Just Read It :))
• If you don’t ask, you never know.  I would have never dreamed my district would have fully funded our chapter.  TItle I funds are ideal for the goals of ProjectLIT.
• Stay strong, have fun with it, reach out to other leaders.
• Electronic communication and collaboration with the students has been key for me with my two schools. We are using Slack and it’s going well so far.
• Create student leaders by creating different activity committees in the chapter.
• Find a few partners. I love collaborating with the other librarians who are leading chapters and learning from the teachers who are engaging entire classes.
• Don’t stop. Get it. Get it.
• Be patient. Great things will come.
• Take time at the beginning to have a general game plan and ask students to help you along the way.
• Never underestimate your students and most importantly don’t be afraid of challenged novels.  Just read it and you won’t regret it.
• Like many things in life, temper your expectations. Realize that your vision of the rocking book club with 20 kids on the wait-list and super-lit parties doesn’t happen overnight. Having said that, don’t be too careful or obsessive with the details. I’ve learned so much through trial and error, then asking kids for THEIR feedback.
• The potential for district and community outreach/education is incredible.
• Give yourself a pat on the back. You’re a leader; you’re my hero.
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to be a risk-taker and think outside of the box with your book club ideas. Follow other chapter leaders on Twitter.
• Don’t be afraid to start small!  A small but passionate group can be great.
• Connect with an ambitious chapter leader who will share ideas with you
• Keep at it!  it will fall into place when the time is right
• The community—Twitter, Facebook and Padlet—are gold.