Library Love

Have you ever thought, "I need to do---" and then promptly proceeded to not do that very thing?  That has been the story of my blog posts over the past few weeks.  I have written them in my head.  I really meant to write them here. Yet, when I logged in today, I realized 20 days have passed.  Oh well, I am here now.  :-)

I've had a few lovely surprises this year.  A couple I can not share yet (stay tuned) but here are some that just made me smile.

First up is a lovely little kindergartner.

It's no secret that I have a sweet spot for my K kiddos (being a former kindergarten teacher).  I did a read aloud with her class using Robert Munsch's book Stephanie's Ponytail. This little one came in the next day and stopped me in the hallway to show me her sideways ponytail, right above her ear, "just like the girl in my book."  She was so excited.  She stopped the guidance counselor at the front door and her Pre-K teacher from last year (both of whom had no idea what she was talking about and came to ask me what I had to do with her hair).  Don't you just love moments like this? 

My second sigh worthy moment came in the form of an unsolicited letter handed to me by a 5th grader named Molly.  Here's the letter:

I know it is hard to read so here is the text:

Why I should help

Dear Mrs. Bixby,

     This year I am a fith (sic) grader and I would like to help you in the library, so here is a presasuive (sic) letter to help make the decision.

    First of all, I LOVE to read and I want to own a library someday too.  I also like to wite (sic).  When you present the Black Eyed Susan books, I am inspired to read them.  I am halfway through the book "Gabriel Finley & the Raven's Riddle" now.

    Okay so now you know how much I love reading so I will tell you about how I could be useful.  I could put the books from the carts to the shelves. Or instead of you having to lesson plan and read the Black Eyed Susan books, I could read some and summerize (sic) them to you.  I can help you do anything you need or want me to do.

   I could help you during recess (I think recess is boring), when I have free time or when my class is just waiting in my classroom for car riders to be called (that can last for 15 mins tops)  Thank you for your time and consideration.

   That's why I should help you in the library.

                                       Your nerdy student, Molly

Seriously!  How could I say no to someone who wants to own their own library when they grow up? So I am now the proud supervisor of a 5th grade library helper.  I've never had one before but the library Un-Deweying has certainly made it a snap for her to help shelve.  A gal could get used to this.

And finally, I had to go food shopping after work because I have fallen into my typical "I did not plan ahead" mode and yet, demanding human beings that they are, my family still desires to eat on a regular basis.  Anyway, first person I encountered was a fellow librarian currently on maternity leave.  I got to see her and her adorable little girls.  Hugs all around!  And as we were talking at the deli, we heard, "Hi, Mrs. Bixby" from one of my fourth graders.  Around the corner to the salsa aisle and I see little eyes peeking and whispering (loudly), "That's my librarian."  Turn a few more corners and here comes a dad with a Pre-k and K brother and sister (the aforementioned whisperers) waving and saying, "Hi, Mrs. Bixby".  No, I did not write that incorrectly.  The day was waving and saying hi in his effort to mortify his kiddos.  He then said, "I told them it was okay to say hi to you." and they,kiddos not the dad, gave me hugs. Before I left, I encountered 2 more current students and one former student now in middle school.  More hugs from her and squeals of excitement from us both.  Feeling the love in the Food Lion tonight! 

That's Library Love folks-and it's pretty darn sweet!

School libraries are like crockpots

Yesterday my school system was dismissed 2 hours early due to excessive heat - in September!  Being blessed enough to work in a school with air conditioning, I was able to work a full day and complete some in library tasks that otherwise may have involved staying after school to do.  I also thought I would make a lovely homemade dinner for my fellas. Then I left school and promptly changed my mind.  It was HOT outside so we were grilling (and by we, I mean my husband) and having salads.

So this morning I arose from my slumber earlier than usual, proving how much I love those fellas ('cause nothin' says lovin' like a home cooked meal - thank you Grandma Perry for that bit of old fashioned but true wisdom), and put together a crockpot lasagna recipe that I saw on Pinterest (of course!).  As I was assembling the ingredients, I thought...

MY LIBRARY IS LIKE A CROCKPOT

 

 

Don't worry, the surprising heat has not affected my brain.  (But if it had, would I really know it?  I guess that is a blog for another time.) 

 

When I use my crockpot, which I often do on school days to help ensure we are not eating takeout or frozen food on late nights (and it just is nice to come home to a house that smells like I have been cooking all day), I toss a bunch of raw ingredients, set the timer and walk away.  Then, presto chango, a few hours later, we have a delicious meal.  I just have to add a few small items to round it out but most of the work is done for me.  If I put the right ingredients in, I will know because of the way my family will react.  (This is especially true for a new recipe like tonight.  I will follow it exactly and then decide if I need to keep it, discard it or tweak it.)

 

The library is a lot like that.  I have a lot of raw ingredients - books, technology, furniture, posters, curriculum, student work and displays.  When I put them all together, they hopefully make a very satisfying experience.  When I take the time to prep everything carefully (rules, routines, expectations and lesson materials), the end result is usually something delicious and wonderful that runs itself. I try a new lesson in the curriculum and then tweak it to fit my needs and what works best with my students. I stir it occasionally to make sure all the ingredients are incorporated. 

 

But for the most part, it does it's thing and I like that. I like knowing that I can leave my library for a meeting or illness or whatever reason and it will keep on running - just like my crockpot keeps cooking on my kitchen counter while I am at work.   I like that my library fills the senses and satisfies my school population's hunger for knowledge.  It makes me feel like I've done a good job and shown some lovin'.

 

 



2015 Goal - Reaching Out

This summer, as I shared here, I participated in two online books studies via Facebook.

Both books helped me find a bit more focus and balance and reset my inner joy and love for my job.  If you know me, you know that I am generally pleasant but, man o' man, when my attitude goes south, it is like a plane in freefall at an aerial show.  Hang on tight ladies and gentlemen and hold your breath because it is gonna get really close to crashing. Next stop Negativeville!  As the plummeting to an inevitable destructive end appears imminent and I am frantically attempting to find a parachute, suddenly the plane pulls up, the clouds part and the sun shines and the watching crowd cheers.  They don't see the panic and the anxiety and self-doubt propelling the plane southward.  They only see the beautiful outcome as it soars high ahead.

My big AH-HA take away was that it is up to me to create the library's image.  I am the single determining factor that can make or break it.  While I can't control how everyone responds to my overtures or initiatives, I can control how I respond to their responses.  I can also make a conscious effort to be positive and reach out to my families.

So, to that end, my goal this year is to reach out to EACH and EVERY student I teach with a personal GOOD NEWS phone call at some point this year.  I set up an Excel spreadsheet with a page for each teacher so I could record who I called.  My goal is 1 to 2 students from each class I teach every day.

I started yesterday and called 4 families.  I had to leave 2 messages.  Today I called 12 families.  2 moms cried. 1 told me I just made her day as she was sitting and struggling to complete payroll at work. 1 mom told me her son can check out books this year (yay-she wouldn't let him after March of last year). I left voicemail messages at a couple of numbers and one called back on the library phone. When I told her why I called, she said, "What a blessing! Thank you so much." I forgot how much I missed reaching out like that as a classroom teacher.  I even left a message with a stunned and bewildered older brother of a kindergarten student.  I can only imagine what that dinnertime conversation was like!

Did it take some time?  You betcha!  But not as much as I thought.  It really only took a moment to say, "This is Mrs. Bixby and I am the librarian at Edgemere Elementary School.  I just wanted to call and let you know that ____ had a great day in library today."  Then I added an example or 2 and ended with telling the parent how proud I was of their child and I just wanted to let them know so they could be just as proud tonight. 

Everybody said thank you with a smile in their voice.  And that made me feel pretty darn good inside.

Maybe you can't/don't want to call everyone.  That's ok.  But I can promise you that if you get a few minutes and reach out, you won't regret the time you spent.