RU 575: What have you learned? (Spring 2022) by Joyce Valenza https://padlet.com/joycevalenza/Final575Spring2022 In this end-of-semester reflection, please share your biggest takeaways. What have you learned that will continue to resonate? Consider this prompt to get you started: I used to think . . . , but now I think . . . en-us 2021-11-24 02:13:50 UTC 2022-05-08 22:51:13 UTC hello@padlet.com https://imgglb.padletcdn.com/v13/image?t=g_auto&url=https%3A%2F%2Fpadlet.net%2Ficons%2Fpng%2F231b.png India Ross - Final Reflection ikr5 https://padlet.com/joycevalenza/Final575Spring2022/wish/2169948203 I'm honestly getting a little teary-eyed writing this! I can't believe my time in the program has almost come to a close, and I will be venturing on to my next stage in life. I feel so much more prepared to be an effective school librarian after this semester. Both the field experience and this course have given me so many tools that I consider necessary to starting out in my career. 

The most valuable thing I learned in the course was to trust myself and step outside of my comfort zone. Before this semester, I considered myself a shy, introverted person who was terrified to share anything unless it was perfect. I've learned in these past several months that literally nothing is perfect, and it's all about what we learn from the process that really matters. I (and we) can always try again! So much of my creative potential gets lost in worrying about the outcome or how I will be perceived, and this course helped me to step outside that and just do the darn thing! 

This course has prepared me for the real world by providing excellent opportunities to learn and integrate new skills. Every step of the way, I was applying what I was learning in class to my field experience and/or to my daily life. I was able to get a feel for what it would really be like to be a school librarian through the needs assessment and action plan. Using what I learned in class, I evaluated the school library in which I was completing my field experience, and I saw how critical it is to do these types of assessments regularly to ensure the library is providing all it can for its students and the school community. Learning how to present more effectively was also a huge step forward for me, as I was unaware just how dull some of my presentations have been. Seeing as this is a skill I will not only need to cultivate for my own personal and professional needs, I will also need to make sure I can teach this skill to learners, and this course helped me tremendously in being able to do that. 

If I had to give any advice to students entering this course it's: have an open mind and trust yourself! You hold the keys to your own effective practice, and this course is like a map that helps you find those keys and then gradually unlock those parts of yourself. You'll learn and grow, and sometimes it will be uncomfortable, but growth as a process is just that sometimes. You got this! Have fun and enjoy! 


]]> 2022-05-04 13:51:31 UTC https://padlet.com/joycevalenza/Final575Spring2022/wish/2169948203 Sage Gentry Final Reflection sag330 https://padlet.com/joycevalenza/Final575Spring2022/wish/2171540897 I think the most valuable thing I learned in this course is to not just think about what is effective, but think about what is fun. I attended CLA yesterday and someone said do the things you enjoy (in a talk about how to manage wearing many hats). I think if we do things in a way we enjoy and find fun, that fun will be infectious. This applies to presentations to board members and book talks to learners. If you’re excited and trying new things, then do it. That stuff is worth it and will propel you forward in the long run.

To kind of go off of what I previously said, I was surprised (happily) by the fun ways in which librarians shared information. I was happy to find creative annual reports and I was happy that these items were so easy to find. I am continuously surprised by how collaborative and open and sharing the library community is. I have learned that there is always support, you just have to look for it.

I definitely think all of the exercises we did prepared me. Making the board presentation, the workshop assignment, the flipgrid responses (especially the talking to a stakeholder one–that really wasn’t something I had considered so thinking about it and practicing it really helped.) I made products that I am sure will assist me in the future. I also really started focusing taking pictures for my annual report at work because of this course. I was reminded weekly about the importance of evidence and I found that really helpful in actually starting to collect visual evidence!


The advice I would give students entering this course next semester is to take the time to reflect. Think about what you’re learning. Think about your projects, how to make them better in the future. Consider how you would apply different assignments to different school community situations. But most of all, I would say be kind to yourself. Experiment. This is a great place to play around and try new things while getting feedback from some great people. 


]]> 2022-05-05 14:37:36 UTC https://padlet.com/joycevalenza/Final575Spring2022/wish/2171540897 Jillian Topolski - Final Reflection jrtopolski https://padlet.com/joycevalenza/Final575Spring2022/wish/2174219781 In regard to this class and my field experience, I honestly feel much more prepared and calm when I think about my future in this field. I'm amazed at how much I've grown over the course of the past few months. 

At the start of the semester, I was definitely feeling quite wary and nervous about starting my field experience. However, the tasks we were assigned for this class allowed me to practice techniques and think about certain occurrences that I wasn't necessarily experiencing at my FE school, such as presenting to the board, or creating a workshop. In this way, the class helped me cover all the bases of school librarianship, and put extra thought into how I'd handle different types of situations.

Another thing I learned this semester was to stop doubting myself, or striving for perfection and nothing less than perfection at all times. In the beginning, I was a serial-apologizer of sorts. I would become nervous and slightly discouraged if a class I taught didn't go as planned, and spent so much time stressing over whether my lesson slideshow or resources padlet looked right/was usable. As I began to build confidence, and received guidance and assurance from my FE Librarian, I realized that it's impossible for things to always go smoothly. Every lesson is a process of trial and error, with room to improve or tweak things for the future. In this way, I learned how to be flexible and adapt to all sorts of unpredictable situations.

 Once I got the hang of things and settled into my role as Ms. Topolski, I began to redirect the focus of my anxiety to the job hunt and interview process. Luckily, we were provided with super helpful videos that explained what sorts of questions interviewers might ask, and readings that offered advice covering all steps of the job hunting process, including the phase after accepting a job. In my opinion, this particular week definitely helped me prepare for the "real world." 

My advice for students entering this course next semester is honestly to just trust the process. If you're anything like me, you will encounter some setbacks or bumps in the road when you're first starting out. However, don't be discouraged by any perceived "failures," and don't be afraid of criticism, as these things are crucial to your development into a full-blown school librarian. Most of all, don't be afraid to let your personality and creativity shine! Introduce a topic or book that you love to your students with joy and humor, and watch your positive energy or excitement rub off on them!

]]> 2022-05-08 05:50:39 UTC https://padlet.com/joycevalenza/Final575Spring2022/wish/2174219781 Jordy Samuels Final Reflection https://padlet.com/joycevalenza/Final575Spring2022/wish/2174707697 More than anything, I think this semester gave me a chance to really consider the school library where I work (and the school libraries I was fortunate enough to grow up with) in context. In considering what I have seen, learned, and experienced in school libraries and my present as a school librarian, I cannot help but look to the future possibilities of what school libraries can and will continue to be for the students and staff who engage with them and for the librarians on whom they depend for their efficacy. There is so much that a library CAN be, but it takes vision, engagement, drive, and collaboration to make them able to achieve their full potential. 

This semester has given me time and opportunity to really dive into the National School Library Standards (the 2018 version of which is, in my opinion, a really phenomenal resource evaluating, managing, teaching, and leading in school libraries) in earnest and in the midst of reflecting on the standards I've realized that a librarian can be almost as many things as a library can and many of those roles are encapsulated really well through the standards. In the Shared Foundations, Domains, and Competencies, we have a blueprint for all that we can do as librarians and while a blueprint does not a building make, it planted ideas, questions, and considerations in my head that I am eager to continue to consider and to enact in my practice. 

If I had to make a recommendation to incoming students to this course I would say to keep this book close at hand throughout the semester and into the future. A lighthouse in the hazy night of the constantly piling responsibilities and tasks of the average school librarian, it is the perfect resource to turn to when you are feeling lost at sea in your practice. It reminds us of the values and potential of our profession in a goal-oriented and enactable way and anchoring our pedagogy through concrete skills, goals, and ideas. Moreover, with regard to the design of the book itself, the visuals included really resonate and supplement the language, contributing to a more memorable and engaging whole. 

The standards represent to me a sort of "main menu" of librarianship: While it is by no means an exhaustive list of all we can do, it is  an excellent jumping off point to press onward in your practice without losing sight of what is important. (I also want to send up a special shoutout to the Appendices of the National School Library Standards for making an incredible resource that much richer and rendering it a truly comprehensive resource for the pedagogy, theory, practices, policies, questions, exercises, and, of course, standards that define school librarianship. Having this resource (and my notes therein taken throughout the course of my Rutgers coursework) will be instrumental in my role as a librarian in the years to come. ]]> 2022-05-08 21:40:46 UTC https://padlet.com/joycevalenza/Final575Spring2022/wish/2174707697 Harmony's Final reflection harmonybirch https://padlet.com/joycevalenza/Final575Spring2022/wish/2174740442 I think this past semester, and, in particular, this course, showcased where I have room to grow as a school librarian. Up until this semester, the majority of my work was theoretical, and having this class helped me reflect on problems I was encountering in my field practice and on what problems may arise once I'm certified.

This course helped me identify and accept different management styles. I didn't realize, prior to this course, how much management goes into school librarianship. One of our readings compared the job to operating a small business and I feel like that's an apt description. There isn't a ton of oversight of the school library and unless you're working at a large well-funded school you're unlikely to be a part of a library team. This means there's a ton of variation in school librarian practice. Recognizing the variation and differences helped me build confidence in my own leadership style while also being able to recognize what parts of other librarians' management styles I could adapt to my own practice. 

Collaboration and collaboration as a means of advocacy was a big sticky point this semester. Because librarians are often so isolated, collaboration becomes a crucial means for outreach and obtaining stakeholders. It's how we as librarians can carve influence for change. It's where we can develop programs and interventions for library skills where there were none.

I think the most important advice I'd give to upcoming students is to keep going and try to keep an open mind. This semester was tough for me. I have so much anxiety over entering a new life stage, as a culture, we're dealing with a lot of uncontrollable factors and uncertainty as well. And after two years of giving my all to grad school, it was harder to muster up the final motivation I needed to push myself through. This class helped reiterate for me the school librarian's capacity to implement change. It also showed me how I need to be open to new ideas and suggestions and continual growth and learning within this profession.]]> 2022-05-08 22:51:00 UTC https://padlet.com/joycevalenza/Final575Spring2022/wish/2174740442