My principal gave all the specialists a professional day today. I used it to my full advantage. Of course, I had a patrillion things on my to-do list but didn't get nearly as much accomplished as I'd hoped. Sigh...
I thinked my principal for the day today and told him that I didn't get ahead, but at least I felt like I wasn't drowning anymore. And the sad part is that I take solace in that!
The specialists met for over an hour today and got a lot of preliminary planning done for the end of the year craziness. It will still be crazy, but I feel like we're not behind the eight ball like we have been in years past.
I didn't do much planning for the rest of the year, but I have a vague idea of what will be happening. Oh, I think I forgot to mention that the library will be closed for almost three weeks in May/June for our state-mandated testing. I am sick over it, but it's the way it has to be and other teachers and librarians are in the same boat as me. At least for two of the three weeks, it would be after the time when we are done checking out books for the year. And certainly, I can teach in the classrooms instead of the library, although I will miss my home!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Winner Winner Chicken Dinner
that's what my sister would say about my recent award. It's one of her favorite sayings.
On Friday, I was named Regional School Librarian of the Year. Now, I am not much into bragging about myself, and certainly there were other librarians nominated who are doing the same kinds of things I do, but it feels really good to be recognized for all my hard work.
My principal (the one I heart) nominated me, and I had fabulous letters of support from my reading specialist and two members of the PTA board. I worked really hard on my application packet and tried to address all the elements the judges would be looking for.
Wow. I am just on cloud nine!
On Friday, I was named Regional School Librarian of the Year. Now, I am not much into bragging about myself, and certainly there were other librarians nominated who are doing the same kinds of things I do, but it feels really good to be recognized for all my hard work.
My principal (the one I heart) nominated me, and I had fabulous letters of support from my reading specialist and two members of the PTA board. I worked really hard on my application packet and tried to address all the elements the judges would be looking for.
Wow. I am just on cloud nine!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
I Heart My Principal
I don't know how to put a little heart in the title. I should try to figure that out...
So my principal sent out the list of people who would be going into classrooms to do interventions, and my assistant and I were both on the list. I sent an email to the staff to let them know the library would be closed the last 1/2 hour of the day and went to my assigned classroom at the end of the day.
I didn't think it went well. I worked with a student who needed some one-on-one time, which was fine, but on the second day, the teacher informed me that we'd be doing "fun stuff" at the end of the day. Puh-leez. Is that why I'm there? I think not.
Anyway, my principal called last night to tell me that he hadn't realized that the library would have to close, and he certainly didn't want that to happen. So he assigned my assistant and me to the same teacher, and we are able to switch off and keep the library open. And I'll get a little quiet time at the end of the day (little is the operative word here).
So I wrote a thank you note to my principal that said, "I [heart] my principal. Thank you for being flexible, for recognizing differing needs, and for not being afraid to change your mind." I really mean it. I love working for this guy.
So my principal sent out the list of people who would be going into classrooms to do interventions, and my assistant and I were both on the list. I sent an email to the staff to let them know the library would be closed the last 1/2 hour of the day and went to my assigned classroom at the end of the day.
I didn't think it went well. I worked with a student who needed some one-on-one time, which was fine, but on the second day, the teacher informed me that we'd be doing "fun stuff" at the end of the day. Puh-leez. Is that why I'm there? I think not.
Anyway, my principal called last night to tell me that he hadn't realized that the library would have to close, and he certainly didn't want that to happen. So he assigned my assistant and me to the same teacher, and we are able to switch off and keep the library open. And I'll get a little quiet time at the end of the day (little is the operative word here).
So I wrote a thank you note to my principal that said, "I [heart] my principal. Thank you for being flexible, for recognizing differing needs, and for not being afraid to change your mind." I really mean it. I love working for this guy.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
I LOVE this guy!
I don't know where I've been. I don't know what I've been doing for the last month. Wait. I know. I've been teaching all day every day. And I've been finishing up one reading program and gearing up for another one. I've been spending every minute reading and writing for an online class I'm taking.
School is nuts. I am constantly feeling behind the 8 ball. I don't like that feeling, but there's just not time in the day to get everything done so that I feel prepared and organized. My principal offered to give me a professional day, but honest-to-God, what I need is a professional period every single day. Our school baord has voted to add 20 minutes to every school day so we can make up the lost time (from the snowdays), and I asked my principal for that time in the library, doing library things. But I don't think it's going to happen. It sounds like we're all going to be in classrooms for that extra time. Sigh... If I had that extra time every single day, I could make a little headway on all the library administrative stuff that's not getting done.
I happier news, I have to relate a story from one of my first grades. I was reading Abe's Honest Words to them as part of our famous Americans study, and as I held the book up to show the class, a little boy burst out, "I LOVE this guy!" It was just so cute.
School is nuts. I am constantly feeling behind the 8 ball. I don't like that feeling, but there's just not time in the day to get everything done so that I feel prepared and organized. My principal offered to give me a professional day, but honest-to-God, what I need is a professional period every single day. Our school baord has voted to add 20 minutes to every school day so we can make up the lost time (from the snowdays), and I asked my principal for that time in the library, doing library things. But I don't think it's going to happen. It sounds like we're all going to be in classrooms for that extra time. Sigh... If I had that extra time every single day, I could make a little headway on all the library administrative stuff that's not getting done.
I happier news, I have to relate a story from one of my first grades. I was reading Abe's Honest Words to them as part of our famous Americans study, and as I held the book up to show the class, a little boy burst out, "I LOVE this guy!" It was just so cute.
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