Big News & Lessons Learned

I am so excited to announce that I will be a
Library Media Specialist next year! 

I feel so lucky to have landed this job, and I can't wait to get started! I'm sure I'll be blogging all summer about my plans and books I'm reading. The library is shared between a junior high and high school, so I'll be serving students in grades 6-12. It's a little scary, since I haven't worked with 6-8 before, but I think I'm going to love it. The junior high students actually have scheduled time to come to the library and listen to me talk about books. It's a dream come true, but I also have a lot of young adult reading to get to!

While I truly feel that this is the right time for me to move on from classroom teaching, it is still a bittersweet transition. I am changing districts, so I have to say goodbye to a lot of wonderful colleagues and students. This has also been one of the best years teaching that I've had in a long time, and I have received more love from my students than ever before. I mean, I've always been a "good teacher," but I've never really had a "fan club" before.

So I've been thinking a lot about why that might be, and I have a few theories:

1. Being a student again (albeit graduate school) has made me keenly aware of how hard it is to sit still and listen to someone else drone on and on and on and on. I think I've kept my students more active and hands-on this year. I've cut every worksheet and activity that isn't entirely necessary: no more busy work! Instead, I've spent that extra time connecting with students, telling stories and sharing our lives with each other.

2. Taking a year off ('16-'17) to stay home with my son really was rejuvenating. I feel less burnt out and anxious, and the kids can tell. This is why I believe summer break (or even better: long, year-round breaks) are so crucial. Teaching is a grind, and you need to take some time away to remember why you love it.

3. Before my year off, I worked at an alternative school for a year. There, I had smaller class sizes and a looser curriculum, which made it easier to differentiate; the challenging nature of the student body taught me not to sweat the small stuff. So even though I've been back in a traditional classroom this year, I think I've maintained a more laid-back, personalized approach.

When I was a student teacher, one of my mentors advised me to loosen up and share more of myself with students. At the time, I was only 26 and looked like I was 21. I was so self-conscious about maintaining authority, I couldn't let my guard down and follow his advice. In some ways, I feel like I learned the lesson too late. However, I have to remind myself that I'm still going to be a teacher. Library Media Specialists may not have their own classes, but they still have to connect with hundreds of students every day. I hope that I can continue to grow and build on what I have learned this year, and really rock it in the Library next year!