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As always, I learn and am inspired by so much in these classes, my top takeaways might be:

“Be Kind to Yourself” - I am my harshest critic and I often feel either inadequate or subpar especially considering the wonderful teachers I am surrounded by during the day and the amazing MI students I have taken classes alongside.  So I am not often kind to myself.  So I am working on this; using it as a mantra even.

The AASL Standards - I was very excited to learn that these would be a big part of our coursework.  I was aware of the standards, but unsure of how to utilize them.  I think that it is wonderful to have these standards to guide our instruction.  In studying the AASL Standards, I am already seeing areas of needed improvement, areas that are meeting the standards, and areas that are completely lacking.  The AASL Standards will be a valuable reference to me.

The Collection Development Policy and Book Challenge Procedures - Both of these concepts have been mentioned in other MI courses, but not discussed to the same extent.  They seem invaluable as guidance, support and protection.  I am not aware of a collection development policy or a challenge procedure that was in place prior to my time at the library.  There is a generic BOE policy; it is very broad and lacks definitive guidance.  Following our readings and discussions of the collection development policy and the book challenge procedures, I feel that developing these must be a priority.

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Connection and Collaboration are key
My biggest takeaways thus far are all related to connection and collaboration.
First, to be effective, school librarians need to be connected to the goings-on within the school. Library planning, curriculum design, professional development, and technological integration can all fall within the domain of the school librarian, and the more points of connection a school librarian has, the better off they will be in terms of guiding the school and the library.
Second, school librarians should strive for collaboration with classroom teachers. Collaboratively-taught units may take more effort for all parties involved, but offer the potential of deeper, more significant, and more inquiry-based learning, all of which benefit students.
Third, school librarians should create or find a PLN for themselves that helps them grow and stay connected to others in the field, to the latest innovations, and to current best practices.
Finally, school librarians should not be afraid to reach out and use those connections and ask for help when needed! The job is labor intensive and can be overwhelming, but there are good people in the school library world that are willing to offer guidance and advice.

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1.  The importance of Yes: To make the library a dynamic and welcoming place, we need to be prepared to say "yes, and..." to everyone who crosses our threshold (and even those we talk to outside our libraries who have not crossed the threshold yet. In this way, being a librarian is like doing improvisational comedy--you need to be ready to roll with whatever comes your way. (This is what I love about my job--I thought every day was different as a teacher, but now every day is different to the nth power.) Saying yes empowers every user to meet their needs at the library.
2. The importance of Flexibility: Having so many educational partners challenges us to meet each one of them at their time of need. What I can provide for a teacher who came in a month before starting a project is very different from what I can provide the class entering the library 5 minutes into the period with no prior communication, but the library is a place for all and, with some creativity, there are so many ways we can add value to students' educational experiences.
3. The importance of Advocacy: We are in a unique position to notice students whose needs may not be met elsewhere in the educational environment. Not only is a library a place where every student can succeed, it is a place where differences are valued and respected. Advocating for students and noticing those who might otherwise slip through the cracks is a powerful part of our job. At the same time, we need to be our own advocates and advocates for our programs, making the time to be sure others know what we are doing to support teaching and learning.

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1-Each level of school requires different things from the school librarian. Elementary is an all day, go, go, go whirlwind. For me the biggest drawback of being an elementary librarian is the lack of time to eat lunch. I honestly don’t know how they do it. Where as middle and high school depending on when school projects start the librarian has more free time to work on collection development, planning, and developing with other teachers.

2-I was surprised at how much I like being in the high school library. It has a completely different feeling than elementary and middle school. The students have more independence but not so much that you don’t know any of the students. The high school library has quite a college library feel to it.

3- Making connections is crucial! I’ve met almost all of the school librarians since I’ve started my FE since. They all get along well and are so willing to share their knowledge and connections. To me they really embody the best parts of be a librarian. In this process I have built my own network of school and public librarians.

4- The library doesn’t have to be immaculate. Not every book has to be on the shelf in exactly the right order. It’s ok that there are books laying on the shelf or a side table. They don’t tend to stay there long. They get checked out pretty quickly. If a student will pick it up and decide to read it that's more important than an immaculate library.

5- Know what’s going on in your district!!! Be active in the union, committees, boards, in meetings, etc. Know what is happening because it will affect you. There is a lot happening in my FE town that could change the schools and school libraries for the better but the ideas and politics hasn’t been received well by the larger community.

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1. As a SMS you wear many hats. You are a teacher, a friend, a book lover, a truth seeker, quasi administrator, friend, barista, and on and on.
2. Be the Kitchen figuratively and literally. One reason parties end up in the kitchen is the food meaningful conversations happen over the counter, at the table, side-by-side preparing food and cleaning up. Laughs are had and stories shared around the table with a cup of coffee (or wine). While you can't bring the wine in the school, having a coffee maker and shared bowl of candy brings staff into the library and relationships can begin over chocolate and coffee that will lead to that great Collaboration that will benefit everyone.
3. The burn-out is real. As a librarian you wear so many hats and are called upon for such a variety of things it can be hard to say no. Completing this field work is just a taste of the exhaustion and business we could potentially find ourselves in if we are unable to learn good self care. The burn out can happen even to those of us not on a national, state, or local stage. Even if we are not Inez, or Margo.

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Mid-semester reflection:
1. No two days are ever alike, even if they are appear similarly on a schedule.
2. Don't let the turkeys get you down. Find the positive, if not in the moment, then at end of day, preferably during commute home. Reflect if anything differently could have been done. Reflect on your role. Were you a leader or an enabler?
3. Be a listener. Many times people need to vent. Sometimes, you will be the one needing to vent - find someone you can open up to yet remain professional.
4. Don't be hesitant to ask what is the expectation how a task should be completed. Each school and library has very different subcultures. Be adaptable.
5. The to-do list will never be complete. It's okay to leave books on the bookcart - this is a sign of a busy, revolving library center (or lack of help ;-)
6. Receiving wide smiles, from young students, when they are excited about about something you shared with them, erases the tough moments of uncertainty and bumps in the day.
7. Reach out, be curious what is happening in other classrooms but be careful not to come across as intruding or pushy.
8. Ask classroom teachers if they are interested in adding a new digital tool to their lessons.
9. Hanging up Halloween decorations and being a team player is more important than organizing books.
10. I haven't had a moment to myself, on a personal level - since September, my daily routines have been consumed with school work, field work and working full time. Thankfully my daughter understands and respects that this is temporary - though I feel I am missing so much of her senior year.  College applications are in the works. By the end of December hopefully she should hear back from her top schools. I am exhausted but feel if I can get through to December 22nd, I will be able to get through whatever the future holds.

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Mid-semester Takeaways

1. Most people (teachers, students, parents, administrators) don’t know what the school librarian does all day.  Our job involves planning and teaching lessons, assisting teachers, handling requests from administrators,and managing the physical collection. One minute you are on your hands and knees searching for the book on werewolves (marked in on Alexandria but nowhere to be found) and the next minute you are on the phone trying to place an order for barcode labels while a teacher asks you for the perfect Halloween read aloud for the music classroom (that she needs now).  This is just a tiny snippet of an hour in the library!   I feel that we need to do a better job of letting people know more about the many hats we wear each day.  Does anyone have an idea about how to do that?

2. Reader’s advisory is a very important part of my job.  These small interactions with students have a major impact on how kids feel about the library.  Right now I find this challenging because my physical collection is limited.  I need to work with the public librarian to help the kids get access to e-books.  They can use Epic! But it is only available during the school day without a subscription.

3. The AASL standards are amazing, but we need to get administrators to learn about them.  In my district, they have gone back to a more traditional literacy based media program (read alouds), and I have to tread carefully as a non-tenured staff member.

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1. PLN's are important. It is very important to develop a network of fellow people to help you answer questions that may come up when you start the job. I don't like to make waves and being able to ask another qualified person a question helps me ease into situations with more confidence.
2. I am not sure that I want to be a school librarian. This really isn't a takeaway but I am seeing more and more that there are so many different environments and there isn't a lot of autonomy to your work and how you do things with the students. I defiantly thought it would be a little more cut and dry. I have two FE experiences that are so different. One I am with the kids a lot and I like it but there is a lot of Administrative rhetoric. The other I am only with one or two tech classes and I help maintain and build the collection but not very much administrative influence.
3. Curation is amazing. I love curating for a lot of things. I lean towards being a very organized person so for me curation is natural. I like making sure resources are easy to find and I love that I am learning new tools do it with.
4. Is it bad if you don't strive to be Margot? I want to have a good work life balance. I love that a lot of people in the class and in my PLN are so great at joining and advocating. I can do a little of that. But at the same time I want to relish the amount of time I have left with my child. I want to be a working mom but still in touch with my home life. Does this make me a bad librarian?

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COLLABORATE, COLLABORATE, COLLABORATE.

This is a lesson that I am learning over and over again. It is super important for librarians to build relationships with teachers and to visit classrooms to present lessons. The less a librarian visits classrooms or has classes in the library, the less valuable they are to the school.

Every Library is different

Each library is going to be run differently from one another, teachers are all different, librarians run things differently, and administrators are different as well. Understand the vibes of the school you are working at and roll with it.

LibGuides are the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Curation is very important to our career!! LibGuides is a fantastic tools that allows librarians to curate information and share with teachers and students. Librarians can always update existing guides.

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1. Achievements aligned with the ISTE and AASL standards are beneficial for all learners and can enhance classroom instruction.

2. Planning and executing a good program is similar to planning and executing a good lesson. Time, organization, commitment, supplies, and user buy-in are all required for optimal success.

3. My colleagues, for the most part, want to see me succeed. This is the most important takeaway for me because I have been met with a lot of administrative resistance. However, my colleagues recognize what I am capable of providing via the library and its resources and are very supportive in helping me change the culture and attitude around us. We are all in this together.

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1. Networking and building a PLN are important.  It is important to get to know people in your field.  You may be the only librarian at your school, but not in the world.  There are plenty of people out there to help you and point you to great resources.

2. Don't be afraid to try new things.  It is sometimes hard to step out of your comfort zone.  However, you won't grow if you don't try.  If you try a new tool and it doesn't work or you don't like it, oh well.  Onto the next one.

3. You will always feel like you could have done something differently or done more.  There are only so many hours in a day and everyone has a big to do list.   Do what's really important and remember to have fun while doing it.  Everything will work out.

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I can be a positive force in my district. Starting this year has been challenging and I quickly discovered that the part of the district I see has a prevailing negative vibe. This class has taught me that I can be a part of the positive change that I see tucked into tiny corners all over the district. I am working out how this can be done and I know it will take a lot of time, but I believe it is possible. We are leaders and it is something we can prove over time!

I have to echo what others have said so far. We are not alone. We have a community beyond our walls that stretches far and wide in every area of school librarianship then we can imagine. While I am currently not utilizing this community as much as I would like, I know that once my own courses are completed, I will have more time and a greater need for the outside support.

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There is no one way to run a library. Every library is different in size, shape, staffing, programing, ability, etc. There is not just one right way to do it, but a whole plethora of ways to try.  It's okay to try something and change it if it doesn't work, as long as you are looking out for the betterment of the library and the students.

We are not alone (as Jazz mentions) we do, at least I do, tend to trap myself in my bubble since I am the only librarian. There are so many great ways to reach out and get in touch and collaborate with others in similar situations and it can be extremely beneficial to do so.

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1. You are not alone. Especially if you're an independent worker/introvert like I am, it is easy to lock yourself in a bubble. But there are so many wonderful colleagues and classmates to borrow ideas from and turn to for advice. I've been loving my field experience and during my time, I've had opportunity to meet with various other media specialists in the district and see their spaces too.

2. A positive reading culture can lead to a positive school culture. We've talked a lot about these separately, but it's also important to talk about their influence on one another. As a leader of the school's reading culture, the librarian can also be an effective leader in instilling a positive, welcoming and safe school culture too. A reading culture is not just about getting students excited to read, but connecting and empathizing with one another. Story time: while at work, a 6th grade patron came up to check out her books, which she had a lot of. She said "let's start with the stupid books first," referring to Geronimo Stilton books she was checking out for her younger sibling. We had a really great conversation about respecting each other's reading choices. When I told her that I heard another kid say that Harry Potter was dumb, her eyes widened in horror! She said, "Harry Potter is NOT stupid." And I replied, "See? Just because you think a book is dumb, doesn't mean it's dumb to someone else." Her response was, "Miss Jasmine...you have a really good point."

3. Every teacher is a special education teacher. I am moved and inspired by everyone's dedication and perseverance in ensuring that all of your students are being reached and receiving the accommodations they need to succeed. While not foreign to me at all, working with students with special needs is something I want to feel more comfortable with. My exposure to patrons of all abilities at the public library has truly helped and I am glad to also see such students in a school library setting where I get to interact and work with them more closely. I will be listening for even more of your experiences and tips on how I can improve my practices.