The "Yes" Librarian

Photo by Julia Raasch on Unsplash What if every day were Halloween? Initially this sounds like a very, very bad idea. Children going door to door demanding and consuming large quantities of sugar? Every day?! It's a teacher's and parent's nightmare. But hear me out. In school, there are some very specific guidelines for celebrating Halloween that would be useful if we could abide by them every day. No masks On Halloween students are not allowed to wear masks to school for safety reasons. What if children never wore emotional masks? What if the child who WON'T do the work told you the truth is he CAN'T do the work? What if the children who insist that they are fine when they are anything but told you how they are really feeling inside? What if that overachiever admitted that she was really desperate for your approval instead of being desperate for the extra point you didn't give her? It would make our jobs a lot easier if our students never wore masks. B...

Photo by Benjamin Voros on Unsplash I wrote and rewrote this blog several times. First draft? Too negative. Second draft? Too preachy. Third draft? Negative and preachy. I finally decided on heartfelt honesty. You see, I've messed up. If you have been teaching for more than a week, you have probably messed up, too. We're humans. I didn't reach every single child that I ever taught. Sure, they learned about literature or grammar or the Dewey Decimal System. But I didn't connect with every student. I saw missing homework instead of a child who needed me to motivate him. I saw overdue books instead of a girl who loved reading but lacked organization. I saw what my own ego was reflecting back to me. I saw a child as somehow not living up to what I expected of him or her. I didn't see the challenge for me to try harder, do better, or dig deeper. I failed. I didn't see the whole child. But I'm trying to see the whole child now. And as far as weeks go,...

Photo by Cole Keister on Unsplash I didn't feel like waiting for a special day to spread some love, so here are some shout-outs to all of the teachers and other staff members who make a difference in the lives of students everyday. In no particular order, I would like to thank you. Special Education Teachers You matter. You teach me that learning is NEVER "One size fits all." No one explains things better than you, advocates more fiercely than you, and appreciates every gain in learning more than you. Thank you. Classroom Aides and One-on-One Aides You matter. You are unsung heroes in my book. You do a million little things and don't often get the credit you deserve. You make sure students are ready to learn and help smooth out all the little bumps on the way to success. Thank you. School Nurse You matter. You boldly go where most of us fear to tread. Puke, blood, and mucus? All before 10 a.m.? Wow. You amaze me. You heal the little boo-boos and you...

Photo by Davide Ragusa on Unsplash The leaves are falling, the pumpkin-themed products have established their dominance over all, and despite an unseasonably warm month, it's officially fall. The shiny new school supplies aren't so shiny anymore, the newness of the school year is wearing off, and the marking period is half over. May I be so bold as to say that the honeymoon is over? What I mean is that the students, the teachers, and the parents are fully into the swing of things. We all know what that means. We are all just a little bit exhausted. Homework has been forgotten, assignments have been lost, and students may be getting just a little chatty or a little unfocused. They're kids after all, not robots programmed for optimal learning performance. So now is when the real work begins. That book I recommended? The student didn't like it. I have to dig a little deeper and think about something else to recommend. That vow I made to keep my desk neater ...