Hello, My name is Sandy and I am...

Today I have the pleasure of going to a graduation luncheon for a very special person - my cousin Michelle.  Michelle and I are both first generation college graduates on both our paternal and maternal sides.  We are both educators.  In fact Michelle and I both have Early Childhood Education degrees and both had our first teaching assignments at the same school (not at the same time since she is 16 yrs younger than I am).  Now Michelle is graduating with a Masters Degree in Special Education.  So proud of her.  It takes a very special person to become a special educator.



I know that today I will encounter some workmates and friends of hers that I have not previously met.  And, as in all situations of this sort, I will have to answer the question, "So what do you do?"  It's the standard party question to break the ice.

My answer does not satisfy me.  I usually say, "I teach in an elementary school." To which, the new person usually smiles and says, "That's great!  What grade do you teach?"  And here's where it gets weird! My usual reply is this, "I used to teach third grade and then I was a kindergarten teacher for 10 years but now I am a librarian and I teach all the students."  It's not a bad reply but it always makes me feel like I am apologizing for being a librarian and I don't want to apologize for my position.

The problem is that most people don't know that a librarian is a SUPER-EDUCATOR!  When I transitioned from my kindergarten class to school librarian, my own mother asked, "So why don't you want to be a teacher any more?"  HELLO - MY OWN MOTHER!!!  (Let's just say, she learned.)

Most people, especially non-educators, have no idea what a school librarian does.  Their perception is that I am a nice lady who reads books to kids and helps them check out new books and puts books away.  They aren't entirely wrong but they also aren't correct.

I don't want to be a one-woman crusade to educate everyone I meet.  (Always remember the time and place for any discussion.)  But I do want people to know I am proud of my job.  It's a HARD job and a rewarding job and, honestly, more than a job.  I teach everyone and I have to get it all done in 50 minutes once a week.  I help teachers and administrators learn new technology and discover new resources.  I am a lot more than just the keeper of books. 

So today, when asked what I do, I think I am going to reply, "I'm a classroom teacher on steroids. I am a school librarian- that means I get to teach my curriculum to every student in the building and I get to use the latest technology to do it" of maybe I will just get flip and say, "I am human Google." :-)

And on an unrelated P.S. note, Common Ground postponed notifications until 1/23 so stay tuned.