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Aside from working with teenagers and their teachers (who I am convinced are the most creative people in the world), I've learned that there really is no limit to what we can do as school librarians!  There is always a new technology, a new educational idea, a new way to reach struggling students.  Just judging by how much I have learned in the last 8 weeks shows how much there *is* to learn!
And when we connect with other librarians, we are each stronger and better professionals.  I love how librarians are always willing to share, I think it's in our DNA.  :)

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One of the biggest realizations for me is that I will never be in a place where I have finished my work and not sure what else I can do with my future library. That just won't happen! There are always new ideas popping up each and every day, either online or in the form of new books to be discovered. There are new challenges with technology and teacher collaboration, and making those relationships as strong as ever. If a new teacher or principal arrives at the school, there is a whole new process of building that relationship so it will be fruitful for everyone involved. The library is in a stage of transition and as a librarian we can either stand as a roadblock or jump on that train to something amazing. It'll be very interesting to see just where I end up in the future.

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I can't believe how much I've learned in the last 8 weeks! I'd say that my biggest takeaway so far is that we don't have to manage and operate our libraries completely alone; there is help to be had and we should absolutely utilize it wherever possible. At my field experience, the librarian is very lucky in that she has a full-time secretary to help her with budgeting, book drop, and a host of other things, but she also has volunteers. Even if we work in libraries where we're the only paid professional, we can and should bring in both student and community volunteers wherever possible and reasonable. Without them, an already heavy workload just gets even heavier and it becomes harder for us to do everything we want to get done.

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I think my biggest takeaway is how important forming connections with people are to being a librarian.  In our schools we have to be able to connect with administrators, teachers, students and parents in not only a professional capacity, but also on a personal level if we want to build a vibrant, future-ready library that is at the center of our school’s learning culture.  We have to understand how the needs of each of those groups can be met by our library and work proactively rather than reactively to build a library that truly serves all of their needs.  This means being able to apply what we’ve learned about working within a school culture, creating instruction that is inquiry-based and fosters transliteracy, managing a diverse collection of information resources, providing equitable access to those resources both virtually and physically, and finally creating an environment and atmosphere within our library that is welcoming to the entire school community and conducive to learning, exploration and fun.

As the AASL points out in Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Programs, creating those connections involves wearing a lot of hats – teacher, information specialist, instructional partner, and program administrator (p.  16).  To be honest, it feels a bit overwhelming at times, especially when I consider the fact that I’ll likely be a one-man band.  I know that in just the span of the few weeks I have been working in my FE school, I have already experienced moments of bewilderment and eureka,  but I have been buoyed and energized by the realization that I will not face these moments alone because I can tap into the collective knowledge and support of the library community by developing a strong personal learning network (PLN).  Being able to create personal and professional connections with my FE librarian, Dr. Valenza, and you my classmates, as well as with the larger community of librarians accessible through social media, has not only given me peace of mind, but also provided me with valuable insights, support and practical ideas that I can use to improve my proficiency as a school librarian.  Therefore, the importance of developing a PLN and the connection it provides to other librarians is another major takeaway for me thus far.

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The reality is that not everyone will care as much about libraries as we do (though frankly that's a pretty high bar to set). We have to make sure to get other people invested in how the library is doing by bringing them in to the vision. Let everyone have a say, make everyone a stakeholder. The school library doesn't exist in a vacuum, it's inherently part of the larger school. By getting others invested, going the extra mile, and being a visible presence, you can make yourself an indispensable part of this greater community.

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This class has been such an inspiration for me. I have thoroughly enjoyed helping those of you I have been able to share my knowledge with, as well as learning from many of you! I feel refreshed and rejuvenated to create a school wide program that will enable our students to be successful in academics, as well as growing personally. Helping you, my classmates, has enabled me to gain the self confidence to present to my peers. Sometimes, as a School Librarian, you get exposed to, and utilize so many different resources, and you get so proficient at them, you forget that others probably haven’t even heard of some of them. I have to remember that I need to share these with my teachers, and that I am the expert at many things.

Since this class started I have noticed something that has been occurring just about every week. As I go through the playlist, or reading, or attending the Google Hangout session, at least one, but sometimes more, ideas have been sparked. Sometimes it is not necessarily in the information provided, but something in it becomes the catalyst for an idea, a lesson, or a way of doing something in my library. I imagine that if I start providing workshops for the teachers that the same may occur for them. It also reinforces the message that you must continue to be a learner, as well as a teacher. I had this energy when I was originally going for my masters, but lost it through the years.

The most impactful message from this class has been to be a risk taker. As Dr. Valenza said very early in the course, that it is okay to try and it is okay to fail. Nobody will die because your lesson or activity did not go as planned or hoped for. Failing and then reviewing and revising what you did is an example of a Growth Mindset. I was so excited for our Mystery Hangout with Stony Evans’ class in Arkansas. I was nervous when I first said I may be interested in doing the MH, but Stony walked me through what I needed to before-hand, and then the students went to town!

Finally, make sure you use the best resources that we have available to us – the other School Librarians and SL groups that are so willing to reach out and help their peers. Twitter has grown to be an amazing PLN for me. I now spend more time on Twitter, than Facebook.

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One realization I’ve had is how much I did not know about the practical aspects of working within a school system. Having never been a school employee, I was under the impression that the school librarian had a lot more freedom to manage the library program and facility. Although there is a lot of freedom to make choices on collection and instruction, I now realize you have to consider and operate within the school culture, organizational structure & policy rules, and specific expectations established for the library media specialist. I also agree with Amy that having a PLN is also a major takeaway from the first half of the course. There has been so much current, relevant information presented that it’s hard to absorb it all. Having a PLN and being able to stay in contact with the connections made to people and resources discovered this semester will be invaluable going forward.

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My biggest takeaway thus far is the importance of a wide-reaching PLN. Up until now, I primarily relied on professionals within my district, or a very few whom I've met at conferences. I am lucky to have several librarians within my district, but I think that the convenience of having them so nearby and in similar situations has been somewhat limiting. Exploring other SLMS through social media, blogs, and classmates this semester has been really eye-opening, and it has me excited to keep learning from others in the field—in all types of schools and libraries!

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We have learned and discovered and uncovered so much already this semester that I’m honestly feeling a bit overwhelmed right now, trying to distill that into a few take-aways.  The breadth of it all is truly incredible … and we’re only halfway done!  For me, it comes down to community, an awareness of resources, and an understanding of how much I don’t know (or, alternatively, how much possibility exists).  I think Eric said early on that his wife remarked on how welcoming and open this community is and, as wives usually are, she is right!  It’s astonishing, really.  This mini community of 575 is remarkable and positive and helpful, and given the names and voices and topics we’ve been introduced to by Dr. V and by each other through the social media discussions and hopefully though our FE placements, there are a lot of smart, energetic, exciting people out there who care about the same things and who want to help, to share, to benefit the community of TLs and the greater community of learners.  That is a great and powerful thing … it’s a privilege.  And the other side of that for me has been a great number of “I’ve never heard of that …. I’ve never done that … how am I possibly going to master all of these things that all of these other people use/do/know?”  And, ultimately, an acknowledgment that I’m not going to master it all right away, but I am aware of it and interested in it and absorbing it, and this community doesn’t end in early May, so neither does my learning.