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First, I want to thank you for dealing with my rants because I am having one of those fantasy and reality issues with the modern day Librarian.  I am trying to cope.
My biggest Aha is that " I am not a teacher." As much as I want to be there for my future students, I have learned that I am there as a liaison and curator for staff. I am the hub for making ideas into lesson plans by knowing everyone's standards. I know all the possibilities of classroom management and learning theories. I feel like I should be in Administration now.

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Ben Spoelstra - Take Away - "So Close but So Much to Learn!"

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Ben Spoelstra - Take Away - "So Close but So Much to Learn!"

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Week 8 finds me at a time of mental fog. 3 classes plus two 0 credit courses is proving to push me to my mental limits. Add to that an adoption process of my foster son and a daredevil 10 month old who just learned to walk and you get very little time to dedicate to learning. Despite this, I am half a semester and 1 summer course away from being done! And as I consider that reality, I can't help but feel that there is still SO much to learn. If there is anyone else who is feeling this way, I want to clarify that this is not a negative thing! With each module and blog post, I feel like my eyes are opened to how much there is for us to learn. I find it inspiring that in our field, we are never truly finished learning.

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I'm almost surprised we're at the halfway point! My FE started later than most, and then this week I started a position to complete the year in a high school where I am the only librarian with a principal with big goals. I have learned so much from the conversations happening in the discussion boards (even if I'm not the chattiest) and seeing the different methods others are employing.
One of the biggest take aways I have right now is the attitude of collaboration and connectedness that this group is sharing. The sharing of tips and resources, and even the support of having others available to listen to, is just such a comfort.
I know I'm not alone in saying that I do sometimes feel overwhelmed with all there is to do, create, and prepare for. All of our libraries are different, but we can put our heads together to find some real solutions to issues we're having.
A few weeks ago we talked about "low hanging fruit" and that was certainly one of the very first things I started to look for when I started my new job on Tuesday. So far it looks like I have a couple teachers who may be interested and willing to work with me on some things in the next few weeks, which is heartening.
Right now my focus is really on the basics of the library, because I'm coming in mid year, after a docile librarian had been in place for a few years. My library is empty, which is disheartening (and not shared at the interview). I'm starting off trying to find ways to bring the students back in and restore the role of the librarian as an important one.
I hope you all know how inspiring you are, regardless of where you are on this journey. I'm always taking notes of the things that you say and share, and that's really been one of the best parts of this course so far.

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During my career as a business/technology teacher I have had to fight for others to see the value in electives for students.  This will continue in fighting for school librarianship and school libraries. Working as a depatment of one is not new for me. I hope I have the opportunity to spread my wings and create a new narrative and share a new story as a teacher librarian.

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School Librarian or School Library Manager or both?

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School Librarian or School Library Manager or both?

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I am learning that there is so much more to being an effective school librarian than knowing books and leading information literacy instruction. The weeks on leadership and staffing were especially eye-opening for me. I feel like

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OK - one “Aha” I’ve had this semester is that ya’ll are crazy. I’m seeing crazy amounts of thoughtfulness and dedication to students, to the job, and to each other. I’m seeing crazy-creative ideas for displaying thoughts and information. I’m seeing crazy amounts of generosity in the sharing that goes on, and the time that is given freely to help “talk” though ideas and issues, to provide suggestions and solutions, to share advice and feedback and encouragement. And I’m seeing crazy if any of you think I’m a leader of this herd of felines! =)

Another “Aha” which is related to my first is that there is a potential network of folks whose thoughts I would be lucky to be able to draw on. I have always been a loner professionally - if I couldn’t do it myself, it wasn’t worth doing. And as a teacher, that’s often encouraged - we close our classroom doors and have our own fiefdoms and we do our own thing, maybe in concert with some of the other folks around us, but generally we’re both in charge and on our own. And through most of this program, I’ve maintained a similar orientation as a student - I’m on my path to librarianship, others are going their own way, and while we’re headed in similar directions at the moment, we’re eventually going off to our own version of running a library, which, as Jonathan noted, is probably going to mean we’re all in different versions of the librarian-ship - from leaky row boats up to mega-yachts, with undoubtedly some bamboo rafts and some pirate corvettes tossed in for good measure.

But this class has been the first time that it’s all starting to feel real, like I am taking part not just in a class, but in a community of professionals who either know what they’re doing, or are figuring it out really quickly. This is the first time I feel like I’m not just going to be a guy taking over my middle school library and doing whatever I can do there for the next dozen years; instead, I’m joining the ranks of (and with) some really amazing first-class librarians who are going to help make schools better and who are going to make major differences in the lives of students. You all are really inspiring me to rethink my preconceived notions of what the rest of my career can be like, and making me see that trying to go it alone is not only just one option, but it’s the lesser of the options out there.  I’m a pretty old dog, but you’re all teaching me some new tricks, and I’m glad I’m going to get to work with you!

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As Dr. Valenza and Dr. McNally both know, my main goal is to be a regular classroom elementary teacher. Then, when I feel ready, I would like to transition into the role of a school library media specialist. That being said, I have been pleasantly surprised by all of the connections between the school librarian and the classroom teacher. As a SLMS, you are not just stuck within the library: you are a TEACHER librarian. You are not just pointing students in the direction of the materials they require: you are TEACHING and GUIDING them along the information search journey. I have been able to use so many of the applications and concepts that I have learned in my graduate courses to my experiences in the regular classroom, and I love that I can do this. I am much more excited about the school library field than I was before, and I cannot wait to apply what I have learned in the future!

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So many options, so little time, but keep trying new things.

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So many options, so little time, but keep trying new things.

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I think what sticks with me is from the first weeks of class when we discussed the fact that "there is no box" and that we will all make mistakes, but that by trying new things we will get a lot of positive outcomes too. I have at time felt overwhelmed by the number of options available for many aspects of our work, but thinking about all of the options, in the context of one's individual library environment helps one to focus and evaluate and find options that works best or is best suited for one's unique library. So the big aha for me is that there is a balance between new ideas, the needs of one's patrons, and the needs of one's teachers, within the confines of structures like schedules and budgets.

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Jaime: This course made me realize my strengths and also skills I need to work on. For instance, I'm really good at generating ideas but I need to learn how to plan. Setting goals and objectives needs to become second nature to me. At my FE, my librarian showed me the lesson plans she needs to submit each month. They include goals, objectives, roles, and common core practices the learning activity supports. I've been finding it challenging to try and rein in my ideas and form a solid statement. I'm a hard worker but I need to become more organized so others will be able to understand my plans. I think this course will help me build these skills.  

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Jaime: This course made me realize my strengths and also skills I need to work on. For instance, I'm really good at generating ideas but I need to learn how to plan. Setting goals and objectives needs to become second nature to me. At my FE, my librarian showed me the lesson plans she needs to submit each month. They include goals, objectives, roles, and common core practices the learning activity supports. I've been finding it challenging to try and rein in my ideas and form a solid statement. I'm a hard worker but I need to become more organized so others will be able to understand my plans. I think this course will help me build these skills.  

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I started my new job in September, there were a few big things that stood out to me as being priorities right away. The biggest was probably revamping our LibGuides and moving to version 2. I also wanted to get the library on social media, so I created a Twitter and Pinterest account to get started. Although this is all good and I feel like I am on the right track, it almost seems like the more I get to know this job, the more room for improvement I see. My positive efforts so far started to feel like a drop in the bucketWhen, and the bucket continued to swirl with apathy and disinterest from both students and faculty. I think that the importance of actually creating SMART goals and objectives is the biggest takeaway for me. It isn't a natural thing for me to make concrete plans (just ask my husband!), so the needs assessment will be a challenge for me. However, as much as I like things to happen organically, change requires some planning. In the long run, I think I will actually feel better once I clearly outline my goals. -Lisa S.

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I think so far, our modules and interactions have made me take a deep breath, look around, and reflect. Initially, starting this new position, I felt like the Energizer Bunny; eager to change. What I've realized though, is that "Rome wasn't built in a day." Despite my passion, energy, and commitment to make meaningful change in my school, all of these things are gradual. Instead, I introduce initiatives to teachers, students, and administrators gradually. For example, the monthly rollout of programs, newsletters, and the "listening in" on conversations to suggest how I can help other teachers. Rebranding my library will take some time, but chipping away slowly will ensure more meaningful change rather than a storm surge of alterations that will leave students and faculty overwhelmed.

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Something that keeps echoing in my mind is from our week four lecture when Dr. V quoted someone she was speaking with who said, "What makes you think there is a box?" This way of thinking, as well as the growth mindset, has made me see things in a new light, from a new perspective. I love the idea of encouraging our students to add the word "yet" when they say they can't do something or aren't good at something. Also from this week, a new idea of what it means, or can mean, to manage and how many different styles and approaches there are and what is most effective (and who can forget the video of the dancing guy who suddenly create a large group of dancing friends)
. From week 6, an important takeaway or AHA was when Dr. V stated, "Don't wait to be asked, create the things you think teachers will need" this idea has also really helped me to rethink collaborations, knowing what is needed beforehand is not only helpful and time saving but can establish positive relationships.

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The thing that's sticking with me most so far this semester is our continued discussion of leadership in school libraries. This course and field experience is truly showing me how school librarians have to be leaders in their schools. Our jobs are so unique in that we work with just about every member of the school community. This unique position provides us with a natural opportunity to lead.
I've also learned that being a leader is what will secure our jobs when budget cuts happen. I think it was Ben who mentioned a librarian in his district was let go essentially because she wasn't leading. We have tremendous tasks ahead of us, but so far this course has taught me that those first followers are the first step to becoming a successful school leader.

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My biggest aha from this semester is that we all ostensibly do the same job, but we all have drastically different goals, expectations, and realities. Prior to my experience in this class, I thought a school librarian was a school librarian was a school librarian. Then I learned that there are drastic differences in our jobs. And I'm not talking about differences between elementary secondary. Even within my own subset of secondary school librarians there are such drastic differences in our experiences that it almost defies belief that the AASL was able to codify standards that apply to ALL of us. Nonetheless, I've been floored by some of the work I've seen my colleagues share thus far this semester and cannot wait to see how I can learn more from everyone's unique perspectives and experiences. I thank everyone for showing me the "real world" of school libraries outside of my own.
- Jonathan Kelly