11.01.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 8:59 am by Molly Clark
Wow. November 1st already. Hard to believe that this is just the one year anniversary of the first day of my previous job. Did you get that? It’s a little confusing. So much has happened in this one short year. It seems impossible that it was only a year. I learned that there are way more important things than money and a short commute. I’ve learned that trying to please everyone and be all things to all people is pointless. I was a horrible librarian last year. I taught boring lessons and was, frankly, uninspiring. I taught lessons that other people handed me as opposed to creating my own. News flash - collaboration does not mean that the teacher tells you what to teach and then sits back to watch.
My biggest regret is that I never showed what I could do. I have to admit that I am so happy to be back to teaching my own lessons. I can discipline (or not) the kids in my way. There is a time for ‘criss-cross applesauce, spoons in bowls’ but sometimes it’s okay (really, it is) to lay back and listen. It’s OKAY to be excited about the story and maybe even call out observations. I was horrified last year to get a bundle of apology letters from first graders who had been enthusiastically commenting throughout the story. When I felt they got out of hand, I stopped and settled them, but most of the time, they were just ‘into it.’ The teacher felt they were completely inappropriate and scolded them when they left! I can’t imagine what those teachers would think if they could see (and hear) my kindergartners when we read Going on a Bear Hunt. 
It gets pretty loud. But you know what? The kids love it! They are on task. They are not reading yet, but they have learned the story and they tell it with expression as they act it out. I’m sorry, but ‘criss-cross applesauce’ does not lend itself to being expressive. Yes, it is a library, but a library is learning environment, and sometimes, learning is noisy.
It has been quite a year. Last Halloween I left a good job where I was respected and worked with people I loved. I thought I was moving up in the world and I was eager to work the kids in my own community. Instead, I spent 8 long months learning hard lessons about the importance of professional respect and its role in job satisfaction.
I’m in a good place now. I do the best I can do, and people are okay with that.
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10.21.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 7:11 pm by Molly Clark
A friend posted the following link to my Facebook page: Acclaimed Colombian Institution has 4800 Books and 10 Legs . We talk about outreach, but this goes above and beyond. In short, this tells the story of a rural Colombian teacher who has taken it upon himself to see that his neighbors have access to books. Every weekend he loads his burros with books and travels into the countryside to deliver books to his neighbors. It’s an amazing story of dedication. Be careful, though, it might make you feel like a slug.
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10.14.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 8:40 pm by Molly Clark
Being in my third school in 12 months, I’ve had an opportunity that I suspect few of us ever have. I know I wouldn’t VOLUNTARILY have three different jobs in 12 months, but I have learned, and continue to learn, so much that I think all of the stress and anxiety will be worthwhile in the long run. I’m learning what factors really make a difference when it comes to job satisfaction. The kids are always a large part of the equation, but there are many other factors that make a difference, and money has little to do with it.
I think that the most important thing I’ve learned is how much it means to be valued and appreciated. This is not to say that previous employers did not value the library, but that value wasn’t always evident. How many of us go about our daily lives and take the people around us for granted? I have to admit that I don’t think I ever really expressed to my assistants know how much I appreciated them. I did give gifts at Christmas and the end of the year and often brought treats, but I rarely, if ever, verbalized my appreciation. How often do we make it a point to recognize a job well done? Or to just let people know that they have made difference in out lives? I’m trying to make it a point to do more of that.
Yesterday I was at the grocery store and the clerk was delightfully cheerful and pleasant. Last year I would have thanked her and gone about my business. Yesterday I stopped at the customer service desk and made a point to let the manager know that I appreciated the clerk. When I stopped I could tell they were bracing for a complaint. To observe the change in expression as I had my say made it all the more worthwhile. It was obvious that compliments are few and far between for them. Think of those people who make your life easier or more pleasant. Those who are often overlooked. Try complimenting them sometime. It’s fun. It’s actually kind of a selfish act because it feels so good to make someone else feel good.
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09.24.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 9:43 pm by Molly Clark
I’m into the third week at my new school. I am loving it, but that’s a post for another day. Today I have to give kudos to all the brand new teacher librarians out there, especially those who are working without clerks or assistants. I have all I can do to learn the ins and outs of my school culture. I only go to lunch every other day (I force myself to be social) I can’t imagine how I’d survive if I didn’t already have an arsenal of lesson plans and classroom management techniques to rely on.
If you’re new to this wonderful field, my hat is off to you. If you’re a veteran, I wish you could experience the invigoration of a totally new assignment. (without the unpleasantness of being excessed).
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09.20.08
Posted in Uncategorized tagged Erin at 12:13 pm by Molly Clark
I need to thank my readers for their kindness and concern since my last post. Sadly, there is nothing new to report about Erin. The police have named a “person of interest” but no arrests have been made. There have been many letters to the editor of our local paper criticizing those of us who worked with Erin for failing to get involved. I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting and I can honestly say that I did the best I could. I never suspected anything like this was coming. Erin was a happy, positive kid who never showed signs of physical abuse. She wasn’t fearful or timid. Even now, knowing what I do, when I look, I still don’t see any red flags that I missed. She was a sweet girl who had the misfortune of living in filthy house. All I ever hoped for was for DSS to make her family get rid of some of the cats and clean up. As it turns out, DSS was called at least three times. Their handling of the case is also under scrutiny, but that’s not something I’m prepared to write about.
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