The "Yes" Librarian

Congratulations to the HBW Class of 2018! Thank you to Ms. McNeal for inspiring me to write this poem, which she shared at the ceremony today. Photo by  Matheus Ferrero  on  Unsplash Messy in the Middle It’s messy in the middle. You’re not grown up but you’re not little. You’re still a kid, but not a baby. Life in the middle can feel crazy. Mom and Dad don’t seem so cool. The teachers are cringey at your school. Grownups saying, “When I was a kid…” Then some long story about what they did. And sometimes it’s all too much The projects, the sports, the rush. And there’s a friend that you’re not sure Is really your friend any more. When Mom and Dad ask you all the time It’s easier to  say you’re fine. It’s so messy in the middle. You’re not grown up, but you’re not little. Taking selfies and making silly faces Trying to smile to hide your braces Wishing for days when life was simple And your skin was...

Photo by  Ron Smith  on  Unsplash I dedicate this poem to all of the inspiring teachers I am proud to work with at H.B.W. 'Twas the night before PARCC, when all through the school, All the posters were covered, for that was the rule. The chrome books were charged in the classrooms with care, In hopes that good wi-fi would always be there. The desks were arranged, in rows that were neat, Where students would soon ELA tests complete. And Mr. S. in his sneakers, and I in my flats, Were ready to pace 'round the classroom in laps. Then deep in my soul there arose such a feeling, Just what would these PARCC scores one day be revealing? I knew in my heart that the Common Core Wasn't all that a teacher was meant to be for. The pride of a child who has finally gained The concept he worked so hard to attain; After some soul-searching that does appear, To be the real reason that we are all here. Knowledge, compassion, patienc...

Don't worry. I'm not a curmudgeon exclaiming "Bah Humbug" at every checkout. I'm like Ebenezer Scrooge because I've seen the error of my ways, and it's time to make amends. A few years ago, I chased kids who wanted to play games like Slitherio and Mope.io out of the library. Literally.  Then, like Ebenezer Scrooge, I woke up and realized I was doing it all wrong. Photo by James Vaughan on Flicker Here's what happened. A few months ago,  I  wrote about why I decided to allow gaming in the library. This decision represented a change of heart for me. I wasn't  completely sure if I was making the right decision, but I thought a little experiment couldn't hurt. I promised readers an update on my gaming policy, so here it is. I never advertised the fact that I had lifted the ban on playing games, but somehow word spread. Now that the weather is getting colder, more kids want to play games instead of going outside for recess. Had I turned a ...

Photo by    Nick Hillier   I've been thinking a lot about special education students lately. I'm not a special education teacher, but of course, I teach special education students every day.  I was reaching for a gallon of milk, and my eyes gravitated to the "Sell By" date. I zoned in on those words and I thought, "I hope that when I am teaching a special education student I remember to see more than just a label." Some of our students have an  Individualized Education Plan (IEP), but shouldn't we be individualizing education for ALL of our students? Shouldn't all education be "special"? In 17+ years, I have worked with over 100 different teachers.  I have seen teachers come and go. Some of my mentors have retired;  others teachers were peers who relocated, started families, or switched careers.  I can honestly say that the teachers I have come to know and love are good people. We care. We really do. But we are human. Sometime...

Photo by  Mayur Gala  on  Unsplash "Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries.  Without them, humanity cannot survive." -Dalai Lama I think all educators lose sight of the big picture from time to time, myself included. We are so busy doing what we think we MUST: grading the papers, making the copies, sending the emails, and perfecting the lessons. Do we always find time for the things we OUGHT to do? Do we smile more at our students? Do we say hello in the hallways? Do we compliment our students? Do we ask them how they are doing-- really doing-- and wait for the answer and actually listen? On my good days, sure, I do these things.  On my bad days, the days I am caught up in doing what I think I MUST, I send a child over to the stacks alone, telling myself I'm teaching  independence when really, I just want to finish the email I am writing. When I am too wrapped up in my own agenda, I scribble the pass to the library for lunch, bare...

Photo by  Patrick Hendry  on  Unsplash Recently,  I attended an Eagle Scout Court of Honor for the son of a close friend. I knew that his achievement  was very special, but  I didn't realize how emotional the ceremony would be. The part that touched me the most was when my friend's son gave out "mentor pins" to three people who helped him achieve his goal of becoming an Eagle Scout. As  I dabbed the tears welling in my eyes, I started thinking about the three people who have most influenced my career as a school librarian and educator. While there are many people who have had a  positive influence on me over the years, my three "mentor pins" go to my mother, Ann Swift; my predecessor in the library, Mary Lou Purpura; and a phenomenal teacher and  dear friend, Barbara Kistner. My first mentor is my mom, a retired science teacher. I know that my mom was a great teacher because I was actually in her science class in 7th grade in Saint Th...

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...