Category Archives: edublogsclub

As part of the #edublogclub year-long challenge to blog on education. While the official club has ended, they have shared posts to continue the journey through 2017. This week’s prompt was what an alternative career would have been.

When I saw this prompt, I had to laugh out loud a little and then I got really quiet. What would an alternative be? I don’t think I have ever really had a crisis of conscience that I wasn’t in the right field– well except for those fleeting moments during a stressful day or March (educators– amiright?). Luckily those are few and far between.

And I can read the prompt one of two ways– 1) a dream job that I could do without worrying about things like income or 2) if librarianship went extinct tomorrow, what would I then do?

Humor me and I’ll answer both. First, my dream job would be reading and writing. Reading children’s, young adult, and adult literature and blogging, speaking, and sharing everywhere and anywhere people would have me. Luckily that seems like something I’m doing on the side now, which is a good thing and I won’t rock the boat. It’s a nice balance.

But, if school librarianship went away? Gosh. That’s a tough one. If I trusted my horoscope, I should go into something like mortuary science or investigation. Maybe psychology. But I’d have to take a long hard look at what’s out there in the job market. There were times where I thought about being a paramedic. The truth is that it is too difficult to think this way.

Because Allen Smith’s quote rings true. Everything I do in life prepares me for being a librarian. While I know I sound super annoying to love my job as much as I do, it is good to dream and think. What would you do if you weren’t doing what you’re currently doing?

As part of the #edublogclub year-long challenge to blog on education. While the official club has ended, they have shared posts to continue the journey through 2017. This week’s prompt was short and long term goals.

Taken from Pinterest and saved from spoken.ly

As part of the #edublogclub year-long challenge to blog on education, this week’s topic focuses on an article of interest.

I read widely because of my job and because of my interests. I find Pocket, a Chrome extension to be useful in curating the articles that I want to save, read, re-read, or remember for the future. This Huffington Post article is one such article about why libraries remain essential for school.

After a short but very fruitful week this week, I’d like reflect on what Williams’ shared and specifically their quote from Timothy Healy that “the most important asset of any library goes home at night– the library staff.” Whether it’s my drive home, the moments before I fall asleep, or even during the work day, I’m constantly reflecting on my purpose. And now re-reading Healy’s words, it’s likely the most important thing I do each day as we celebrate student success and fill our cups with positive human interaction for our young learners.

Like today, I spent two periods with AP Language classes of thirty students each booktalking and then zeroing in on a narrative nonfiction or informational text for their outside reading project. I was buzzing with adrenaline sharing my favorites and seeing the light in their eyes as they made a connection with what I was sharing or what they found.

I also use the library’s social media to share what we’re doing, but my personal social media to recognize the importance of my work to me. My mother even recently commented on a Facebook post I had made during my presentations and attendance at School Library Journal‘s Leadership Summit that I epitomize the saying that when you find a job you love, you don’t have to work a day in your life. That is true.

So yes, libraries are essential. In the public sphere in and in public education. But ultimately, what moves you in your own position?

As part of the #edublogclub year-long challenge to blog on education, this week’s topic focuses on World Teacher Day.

Dear Mrs. Clark,

Here’s what I want to thank you for

• Bunnicula and Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes.
• Sesquipedalians by the week– how else would I learn awesome words like ambidextrous?
• Kindly smiling and (hopefully) loving the homemade canned pickles that my mother made and we lovingly gave you each year for a holiday treat that you then received two years later… then two years after that since you had both of my younger brothers.
• An energized classroom that valued writing
• Your kindness and love for quirky eleven year olds in all their shapes, sizes, and attitudes
• And the most important was a love of the news and information. You did riddles. I can’t remember now whether they were daily or weekly but I began reading the paper every morning because sometimes they were about current events and I needed to get the answer right. From that year on I have NEVER, ever, ever stopped reading at least one newspaper daily. It’s a habit and a need that you created.

Thank you for being one of the handful of teachers I will always remember fondly. Yes, I do remember the chain that dangled from your reading glasses and your mid-calf skirts, but I will also remember enjoying fifth grade because of you.

Happy World Teacher Day.

As part of the #edublogclub year-long challenge to blog on education, this week I’m combining two prompts into one on interviewing and something that you wouldn’t see in a classroom today that used to be learned or used. 

I regularly blog for our local newspaper’s Books Blog contributing with other locals on what else… books! Two years ago, I wrote a June post entitled I’m the lucky one around five seniors graduating who I hold dear to my heart. One of those seniors I have kept in touch with regularly and decided to ask her a few questions about her high school experience and life post-graduation.

What were your expectations for high school and were they met?

I don’t think anything has wasted my time as much as high school did. I guess what I really expected out of high school was that it would really prepare me for the “real world” or for college at least. But it didn’t do that. It just genuinely was complete nonsense. It wasn’t reality and I’m glad I realized that early on unlike my peers who were really consumed in all that rubbish. My expectations weren’t met until it was finally over. Because I was happy it was over because high school just wasn’t for me.

Are you where you thought you’d be after graduation?

It’s been two years since I’ve graduated, and although it has seemed like time has flown by. I think I need more time to be where I really want to be. I think I settled for too much after graduation and now I just need to figure out where I really want to be.

What goals do you have for your future? 

I have many goals for my future. I plan I being a Radiologist at some point in my life so that if my current goal that I’m working on. But I don’t want to settle on one thing so another main goal for after I get my life started as a radiologist is to learn photographer and just photograph people from all over the world.

How did the adults in school have an impact (or not) during high school?

Personally, every adult in this school has had an impact on me whether it being negatively or positively. But one adult who’s impact really has stuck with me forever is Ms. Lawyer. She really impacted me in a positive way. Her devotion and passion was really inspiring. She was really there for me when I struggled the most around my sophomore. She just made me feel like there was someone who genuinely cares and who will listen to whatever I had to say. I really felt heard.

What is one thing you wish educators would know or learn when teaching youth? 

One thing that I think educators should learn when it comes to teaching the youth is to actively listen to some of the things students have to say, I guess it shows that someone actually cares to listen. I’ve seen teachers really shut students down and that makes me upset to see that. I just think that really listening to a students feedback makes a difference and makes class less miserable.

*****

What she speaks to several times over leads me to respond to the second prompt around what used to be used or learned in schools that might be missing today. I could talk about filmstrips or the pro/cons of teaching cursive in elementary schools, but I’d rather address teaching the whole child. What my former student refers to about the connection with Ms. Lawyer is an emphasis that she was listened to, not “put in her place”. There are still teachers and certainly not all, who would rather sit and spit, getting through their lesson for the sake of sanity and the upcoming state test than stop and talk about a topic affecting a student emotionally or greeting the class with a smile and a handshake.

Every educator needs to be reminded that it’s not always about being right, it’s about people-building. I am guilty of letting frustration or anger getting the better of me, but upon reflection, I try to rectify that directly. That’s more of a lesson than ignoring it could ever be. Let’s remind our colleagues and ourselves that we need to continue to remember that these little or big bodies (at 5’1″, many high school students tower over me!) are as much in need of kindness as ourselves and that everything is a learning opportunity to grow ourselves.