# data[].attributes.headline
Summer Paris - Reflecting on the End of the Semester

# data[].attributes.subject
Summer Paris - Reflecting on the End of the Semester

# data[].attributes.body
This semester has been a wild ride and one of a lot of learning. Getting to actually be in the library space, interacting with students and staff alike has been essential in my processing, converting theoretical knowledge into practical skills. It made me realize how much goes into being a librarian, even though I already knew theoretically (and in reality) that it wasn't just 'sitting down and reading' all day. Each week helped me to further my understanding of the library field, making me a more effective field experience student.

I think this class made me a better future librarian because it showed a lot of the practicality of what I will need in order to succeed. While I didn't like working on a budget (at all!) it is a skill that I will need when I do become a librarian.

# data[].attributes.body
It is hard to choose one thing to say is the most valuable, but I will say that before this course I had not properly considered the importance of planning. The process of evaluating the community and its needs, and thinking about how to address those needs through improvements in the library space and program was so instructive. (And I do not consider myself much of a planner, so this is saying something.) Learning how to present program improvements through a lens of student needs is a takeaway as well, because what board is going to say no to helping the students when they can?

I learned the importance of relationships in the school building. It is so important to build trust with teachers so you can find collaborators to create engaging and sticky learning opportunities and experiences  for students. Building and knowing when to leverage social capital is a delicate dance, but is important to consider.

In terms of real world preparation, I think there have been many great examples throughout the program. I really appreciate that we are not just cranking out papers to show understanding, but creating digital shareable products that show our learning and act as a model for our students. I think the very fact that we were given so many relevant assignments that reflect tasks we can and will do during our tenure as librarians speaks to the power of teaching by example. As we have been given relevant, sticky learning opportunities with choices of topics and presentation method, so we shall go forth and assign relevant, sticky learning opportunities with choices of topics and presentation method.

I have learned so much in the past 2.5 years (to think I had to ask a classmate how to make a hyperlink so you didn't have to look at that long url!)  and feel so grateful to the challenging but nurturing professors, and my thoughtful, caring, talented classmates for sharing your experience and  insight.  I will miss our regular discussions if they must come to an end, so please keep in touch.  Thank you!

# data[].attributes.body
It seems like only a few months ago that I was working at home due to COVID and just starting the program, suffering every week through coding (definitely not my strength) and now I am at the end of the program. My most valuable takeaway from this course is the importance of collaboration and intellectual prep. It is important that you know your stakeholders and what is important to them, both educationally and personally. Our first and most important stakeholders are our students but knowing the wants and needs of teachers, administrators, and parents can help school librarians to be successful. Collaboration, however, goes way beyond "here are some books for your unit" or letting a teacher use the library space. Those are great ways to start to build trust and relationships with teachers. It's being an active participant in the planning and execution of the lesson, including goal-setting and evaluation. It's sharing the work with the homeroom or content teachers. It's helping to make sure that students are developing cross-curricular skills and that they are invested in the unit. Collaboration also goes beyond the walls of your building. I was fortunate to see several opportunities for community and global collaboration at my field experience from walks to the public library to Zoom visits with other participants in Global Read Aloud. As a librarian you are not alone and should be sharing and borrowing ideas from one another.

Going into the "real world" I am feeling more prepared with ideas for how to start and a vision as to how I want my library to be. Of course, I know that it will take time and work to get to that vision, especially when first starting, but I do feel prepared to navigate some of the "trickier" situations. I will admit that I am still feeling overwhelmed at the prospect of starting a new job, especially mid-year, but also excited because I feel that I would have a few months to get acclimated and be able to jump into the 2023-2024 school year with strong goals and objectives for my program.

# data[].attributes.body
For me, one of the most valuable aspects of this semester has been the opportunity to pair the Field Experience requirement with RU 575.  Doing so allowed me to learn some of the "theoretical" aspects of school librarianship and then to see those theories in action in the FE situation.  In my experience, sometimes when the theoretical meets practical application, the theory comes up a little short.  I was glad that this class aligned theory and reality well.  I thought our weekly discussions were especially valuable, as we shared all of our experiences and made the application of the various topics more "real."  I think the week we spent learning/discussing culture to be particularly valuable, as it cemented the idea that so much of what is done/can be done in a school is dependent on the culture and the values and priorities of the principals and teachers.  It is not just about being a knowledgeable and committed librarian; it is also about using interpersonal and influencing skills, building trust, and looking for ways to be a partner.

This semester also highlighted how much the school library is different from every other "program" that occurs in a school - sort of it's own "thing" but integrated and integral to everything else that is happening in the school.

I'm grateful to all of you for your inspiring and thought-provoking comments and feedback throughout the semester. I loved hearing all of the different ideas, things to try, warnings, frustrations, successes - all of it. THANK YOU!

# data[].attributes.headline
Debbie Fulmer: End of Semester Reflection

# data[].attributes.subject
Debbie Fulmer: End of Semester Reflection

# data[].attributes.body
I came into this program thinking I had a good idea of what a school librarian does, based on years of observations, but it turned out I knew pretty much nothing! I remember really struggling with some of the earlier courses, learning how to create inquiry projects, learning how to adapt lessons to different learning abilities, learning how to use some of the technology out there (still so much to learn!).  This semester was scary going in, because I still felt like I had no idea what I was doing, and wasn't anywhere near ready to be set loose on my own in just one semester.  And while I still know I'll have a lot to learn once I do have my own library, I now have a much better feeling of how the previous coursework fits together.

In addition, the projects we did, coupled with the process manual we made in a prior class, really helped walk us through the really BIG tasks that we will face, breaking them down, and making them manageable.  (Boy, the Strategic Planning book/slides/expectations were scary at first!). I feel now like I have a lot more practical resources (including Dr V's LibGuides!) that I can use to refer back to, once I have my own library.  And I've learned more about how to form vital connections at my future school. I've gained confidence in creating the workshop for this class and PD presentation/curation we had to do for the FE - actually creating a real thing for a real need, not just a model or practice item.

Everyone had such different situations for their FE, I also feel like I learned a lot just from seeing people's discussion posts about how they were handling something in their particular situation.  You think you have a grasp of how schools operate, and then discover there's a huge range, of both good and bad.  In some ways that makes me nervous because as much as I think about how I could handle things at my FE school, those same tactics might not work at all in a different environment.

I left my previous master's field 25 years ago, and it has taken me this long to figure out what I wanted to be "when I grew up." While I definitely still feel like an absolute newbie, I also appreciate how much I've learned in the past 2.5 years because, wow - it's a LOT. I want to do the program proud, because I feel so fortunate to have been able to learn from such top-notch professors, and such intelligent, thoughtful peers.

# data[].attributes.body
Overall, the most valuable aspect of being in this course and field experience at the same time is that I realized it is all about who we surround ourselves with. It is not just about building a PLN, establishing trust among colleagues, and joining professional networks, but it is about the actual relationships one develops within all of those. About eight years ago I was fully immersed as a tech teacher in my building, and loved finding new things to try and share with my colleagues. When someone came looking for an idea, I would turn to my PLN, to my professional organizations, and other colleagues for ideas. Within my field experience I observed my cooperating librarians doing much of the same, if they needed help, an idea, or support they reached out to the networks they build, and everyone’s network looked different. The office hours for this course were filled with expert perspectives from all fields and experiences, and despite being in office hours before, I felt more confident and knowledgeable about what they discussed and shared. They shared new ideas, like the importance of not being myopic in an interview, new resources like The News Literacy Project, and frightening but necessary perspectives of those out there fighting for the freedom for everyone to read.

The biggest surprise to me was that I used to think that well funded libraries were lucky. The library in which I served is in one of the best and wealthiest districts in our state yet the librarians still worked to get grants and they both were not allowed to attend the spring conference for our professional library association. One was allowed to go because she is the lead librarian in the district and was the former president of the organization, and she had to fight for that. There is no doubt that this district sees the benefit and contributions of the librarians to the communities, but that should mean that they are supported in every way they can be. To truly be successful, not within just the libraries, educators have to be trusted, supported, and feel that we are an investment in the education of our students. I now think that it is another thing I will happily advocate for, but thought in districts where librarians and libraries are supported, one would not have to try so hard to get professional experiences.

When experiencing some of what my cooperating librarians had to face, such as the coverage of classes, restructuring of the administration of school, minimization of the library space, and challenges to their collections, I felt a little overwhelmed. What I quickly reminded myself of was that we may work in isolation as one person in a library, but we are not alone  The biggest real world dilemma in my state is the challenge to texts within our library and school, especially after a house bill passed in September of 2022 that fines and jails teachers for using “sexually explicit material,” I realized I need to be more aware of law regarding my rights and that of our patrons. After Amanda Jones was our guest in office hours a few weeks ago, and I reviewed the book challenge policies both in my FE and future school, I not know that I can’t just be aware of the law and the rights of our patrons, but I have to be prepared and poised to fight. I have attached a PearlTree with articles about the Senate bill and the Missouri Association of School Librarian's response.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Pearltrees lets you organize everything you’re interested in

# data[].attributes.headline
Caitlyn Kelly: End of Semester Reflection

# data[].attributes.subject
Caitlyn Kelly: End of Semester Reflection

# data[].attributes.body
I've truly learned so many valuable things in this program. One of the biggest things I've learned is developing relationships with your teacher colleagues, to promote yourself and collaboration. I was thinking that when I first started in my position I would be getting bombarded with requests to work together, and I was shocked when I didn't really get any interest in collaborating. Overtime as I've come to know my colleagues I get asked more and more often to collaborate or help support some of their lessons, and I'm always more than happy to do so.
The most surprising thing to me was learning about the ins and outs of librarianship in a school setting. Learning about the politics of schools, and how important it is to be determined yet patient. I learned a big lesson in terms of my budget and trying to get answers to some questions about my SGOs and PDPs. As these were things I have never had to do before, I thought there would be some clear cut answers, but there weren't and I spent a lot of time finding my own way with some guidance from my FE librarian. I  didn't realize how much you have to actually walk through a situation to understand it, as you won't always have the answers and will be figuring things out as you go. And that's okay!!
I said in another reflection that I feel as though this program prepared me, but you don't really understand the realities of the day to day work of a school librarian until you are actually living it and doing it. I think that this course really offered the support I needed in order to get through some of the more difficult situations that you don't really expect or think about when you start to plan your budget and goals. This program was just so valuable to me, and this course especially prepared me for the things that are going to be significant in my professional practice each year.

# data[].attributes.headline
Christie Nelson- End of Semester Reflection

# data[].attributes.subject
Christie Nelson- End of Semester Reflection

# data[].attributes.body
I’ve said this so many times, but I am still so extremely grateful that my situation with certification led me to take classes here because no other educational experience led me to be as prepared for the “real world” as my classes here at Rutgers. I am not trying to hate on my education from Drexel, I enjoyed it there, but my classes and coursework here at Rutgers has had so many more real life applications because of the project-based learning that these classes encourage.

This course itself has prepared me for the real world in so many ways by covering the most important topics to leading a library from collection management, advocacy, reading culture, planning, budgeting, and so much more. I think the projects were well designed to get us thinking about these important topics as well as getting us to learn how to plan for the future. I think the field experience aspect of this course is extremely helpful because learning on the job is the best kind of “sticky” learning you could have!

I also think the most valuable thing I learned through experience while in this course was to keep improving. I have always been very critical of myself, sometimes to an extreme, but I have been very grateful to the feedback from my classmates, Dr. V., my cooperating librarian James, my administrators, fellow staff members, and students as well that encourage me to keep learning and pushing myself to improve and be the best I can be. Something that stuck with me that one of the guidance counselors at my school said to me one day when I was really upset with myself for forgetting something important was: “Did you forget that you’re great?” and I was so confused. He said again “Did you forget that you are great at what you do?” and I sat there dumbfounded but he was trying to tell me that it is okay to make mistakes sometimes because I work hard and always do my best. I think about that when I get hard on myself because I know I am still at the beginning of my career and I still have a lot to learn but I am doing my best and I am going to keep seeking opportunities to grow and learn.

# data[].attributes.headline
Dionne Silver: End of Semester Reflection

# data[].attributes.subject
Dionne Silver: End of Semester Reflection

# data[].attributes.body
Narrowing done to one thing is hard because there were so many valuable things I learned this semester. To synthesize everything, I’d have to go with Maya Angelou’s quote: 'Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.' Essentially, to always be open to learning and making changes if needed based on your school and its stakeholders.

I used to think the librarian and library were in their own little world but now I think it is a vital and central part of the school community and the librarian is an important leader in that work. That realization really scared me at first because I’ve never really seen myself as a leader. However, now I’m actually excited about the possibilities of making changes for the better in a school library.

I really liked how every theory we learned we then had to turn around and apply it into an activity, an assignment or in our field experience.  It was very helpful to see the direct application of digital tools (Canva, Google Sites, Google Forms, etc.) into daily library tasks and to experience the process of a Strategic Plan process. The course was a great overview and synthesis of everything we’ve learned in all our courses and how it aligns with the AASL standards framework.

This course and the whole MI program has been a wonderful place to learn and expand my thinking. It’s been challenging and rewarding. I won’t miss the work load but I will miss the level of learning and collaboration with all of you and others in the program. I hope to keep in touch with everyone. If you are on Twitter, I’m at @DionneSilver4.

# data[].attributes.headline
Elizabeth McGookin: End of Semester Reflection

# data[].attributes.subject
Elizabeth McGookin: End of Semester Reflection

# data[].attributes.body
Throughout my time in this program there were many assignments that I found to be practical and useful as my future as a school librarian. However, our major assignments for this class felt the most real world applicable. Perhaps it was because I was actually working in a school library and was invested in these projects knowing I could potentially apply them to my current position.
I echo Jacquie's reflection point regarding technology. The amount of online tools I now have knowledge of and experience using is tenfold prior to these courses. I've grown to love Padlet and Canva and use them regularly. This semester I also branched out and tried Wakelet and Slido. Getting to try out these tools and sharing them with colleagues has been a great experience.
My biggest takeaway is probably the importance of building relationships and collaboration. You can't do the latter without the first, and the first can sometimes be difficult. The Library Manager pointed out that building relationships with everyone in your school is vital. And it sounds silly but until I read that, I didn't even think about how important it would be to have strong relationships with the custodians or the secretary who I now know are absolutely vital to the running of the library.
I've appreciated the honesty and feedback from my classmates and came away each week inspired by their experiences and ideas.

# data[].attributes.headline
Jacquie Daddato: End of the Semester Reflection

# data[].attributes.subject
Jacquie Daddato: End of the Semester Reflection

# data[].attributes.body
It is very hard to narrow down the most valuable thing that I learned in this course.  There have been so many different things that I have learned that I will take with me in my career.  Knowing that I am not alone, and that there are a community of people out there that are willing to listen, share, and learn from.  Collaboration is way more important to our job than I have even thought.  Working together as a team is the key way to best instruct our students.  Again we are not alone here, We have other classroom teachers and special area teachers to work with.  If you continually put it out there, people will be receptive to working together and collaborating.

What was most surprising to me was the amount of digital tools that there are out there in the world.  We are so lucky to have all of these websites and platforms.  There are so many new ways to make our lessons interactive and engaging.  So many ways to collate and curate information for our students and patrons.  Before graduate school, I had no idea about ⅓ of these sites.  My lessons have evolved so much from what I have learned.  So basically, 2 years ago, Google Classroom was my way to curate resources.  But now, I use Padlets, Wakelets, Smore, and Pearltrees just to name a few.

This course has given so much real down to earth advice.  That alone had prepared me for the real world. The textbook by  Woolls, Valenza & Dawkins, The School Library Manager, was the perfect handbook for us as we are all about to enter the world of school librarianship.  Each chapter added a layer or a new aspect of our job that we might not have thought about.  I know that I will be referring back to a lot of the text as I go on in my career.

One last thing, thank you all for your inspiring words.  Your thoughts, your comments, your advice, and your real life sharing all helped to make this class so informative.  I will miss you all and hope that we can stay in touch.  Best of luck to everyone! Jacquie

# data[].attributes.body
For me everything about this course is a takeaway. To be honest, I really struggled with this course. More specifically with the whole strategic plan and the first 2 assignments. I had never even heard of a strategic plans before and despite having both the assignment descriptions and checkbrics and trying to follow them to the best of my abilities I still had a lot of things I need to improve on and change in terms of the environmental scan, needs assessment and board presentation. However, I am glad that I went through this and now I can say that I can put what I learned here to good use if I ever again need to come up with a strategic plan again. I really loved assignment #3 however and felt like I could kind of redeem myself. I had an opportunity to participate in professional development at my FE and it was great to have a chance to come up with a workshop for PD in the assignment especially on a topic that I feel so strongly about. I think if I were called upon to present PD to other educators I can do so with confidence.