I have felt prepared for the real world for my very first class. This program was honest about the challenges of finding and retaining a school librarian job and I’m thankful for my field experience so I can see that it’s challenging but possible! 

Another big takeaway is the power of the PLN. I am so grateful to have it demonstrates again and again how important it is to reach out to others in the profession. From the macro of who to follow online to the micro - the numbers of other school librarians I now have in my phone and can reach out to with a text or call.  Having my fellow students to message not just about an assignment but about the actual components of my lesson plans or behavior management strategies is so empowering. When I was a public librarian collaborating with school librarians, I remember one high school librarian telling me how good it was to talk to another librarian. She spoke of how isolating it can feel. I’ve already experienced that in my one year of school librarianship - but I’ve also experienced how it feels to talk about it with a group (Camden County Association of School Librarians) or other school librarians. 

Rutgers has an incredible library program - I am certain that these 5 classes I took to complete my certification have given me the foundation I needed to be a successful school librarian. 

I used to think of the library as just a place of knowledge, but now I know it is also a place for creativity, collaboration, and innovation. School libraries have the potential to be truly dynamic and we have so much power in helping to shape our school culture and community. 

There are quite a lot of things from this course that I think will help prepare me for the “real world.” One of those things were the connections I made with my classmates and Dr. V, relationships I hope to continue to nurture in my PLN as I finish out the program. My field experience was especially helpful for many reasons, most notably since I’ll be working in the other upper elementary school in my district next year and will be able carry over so many of the lessons I learned through this course. Finally, this course helped prepare me for the variety of roles that the school librarian has by presenting so much valuable information (my bookmarks list grew exponentially in this course) and opportunities for experiences. 

It’s hard to believe that this chapter is really coming to a close but I’m so excited for all of us to continue forward in our professional growth and I hope our paths cross again!

I used to think that I needed to have all the answers or solutions to be a good librarian. I now think that struggles do not equal failure. What I have seen in discussions, readings, and viewings this semester is that not everything is going to be a home run. Not every library space you walk into is going to be a perfect one, and you can still create a meaningful program. There is always room for growth and improvement is part of the process. I think that I have come out of the program knowing that being a school librarian is a marathon, not a sprint. 

I believe that this course really helped me become prepared for the advocacy work required to be a school librarian. By completing the Assignments and learning deeply about the school I was doing my field experience, I felt as though I was capable of making cases and defending them with both my own observations and sources and data. Being able to make these decisions and put together cases for a school library program will be an asset in professional practice. As a school librarian, I know I will have to navigate conversations with administrators and board members about the library program, and doing this work with the opportunity to practice and get feedback has created a framework to take with me to a job. I also think that the career discussions such as types of resumes and interview experiences have helped me prepare for the “real world.”

One of the most valuable takeaways from this course was the strategic planning information, discussions, and assignment. The strategic planning assignment and discussions regarding goal setting were extremely helpful and useful to assess the needs of the space/program and then set realistic goals for how to make changes within. 

I honestly used to think that those who could tweet all day about what’s going on in their classroom had the most time on their hands, but this semester was a big ah-ha for me about how important it is to utilize social media to grow my PLN. One of my biggest goals for next year is to use social media and my PLN not just to continue to grow professionally, but also to make my teacher librarian’s voice heard and share the magic that is happening. I probably have close to 200 pictures of students doing fantastic things in the library and media center already, but have yet to post a single one to my professional Twitter account. I think my own insecurities have often prevented me from posting or created roadblocks, but this semester has helped me to work through those. I no longer see those who utilize social media as ‘weak teachers’ and instead see them as teachers who are extending their experiences beyond their own eyes.

Considering my field experience was actually “the real world”, I guess all I can say to everyone who isn’t in it yet is to get excited. This has definitely been the most challenging year of my life, but the journey has been incredible and I can’t wait to see what next year brings. Like I mentioned before, strategic planning was extremely helpful and useful in assessing the needs of the space/program and then setting realistic goals for how to make changes within. I also think that giving yourself a significant amount of grace as you work through the first year is also important.