The "Yes" Librarian

Who is more nervous about going back to school? The teacher or the students? If you ask me, it's a tie. After 17 years of teaching, I am still nervous about going back to school. Why? Shouldn't I have this down pat by now? I think I am feeling uneasy because starting the school year is like getting on a roller coaster. There are going to be highs and lows, twists and turns, moments that are thrilling and moments when it's all a little too fast and a little too much. And the roller coaster lasts for 180 days. "Summertime and the livin' is easy." Sing it Ella Fitzgerald! It is SO true. I have been waking up when I want instead of rising before the sun. I have been doing as I please instead of living life in 45-minute increments punctuated by a bell.  I have packed up the lanyard with my school identification tag and settled into my summer uniform of leggings and t-shirts that transition well from pajamas to lounge wear to trips to the gym. Do you remember th...

“You’re a ‘yes’ librarian.” I had the pleasure of hosting Newbery Honoree Adam Gidwitz in my library this year, and that’s how he described me. As I welcomed Adam to the school and showed him the big stacks of books to sign, he observed that I had said “yes” quite a bit as he was settling in for his visit. It was a great compliment, and “yes” is a great motto. More than ever, I realize that I have been saying yes to things, even if they scare me. Planning Genius Hour and STEM lessons? Serving as a mentor for struggling students? Becoming a Google Certified Educator?  Tweeting more at citecitebaby? Writing another grant?  Three Scholastic book fairs, three author visits, and three clubs? I have said “yes,” to all of the above. There is a flipside to yes, and that is the word “no.”  These days I focus less on fines and more on students. I have messy shelves, a crowded storage room, and I’ve lost a few books. My motto is “Better to have loaned and lost than to have neve...