tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79890952024-03-13T02:39:07.092-05:00libraryspotthe highs and lows of my library worldUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger229125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989095.post-59457481437021377642020-10-06T19:15:00.001-05:002020-10-06T19:15:17.071-05:00Students, Do This Our eighth grade teachers started the year with an email etiquette unit. I have never been more thankful for their teaching than I was the other day. Look at this beautiful email I received from a student:It completely made my day. You bet I forwarded it to the eighth grade teachers with my thanks.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989095.post-27300354496093586662020-10-06T19:07:00.007-05:002020-10-06T19:07:51.874-05:00Students, Don't Do ThisI am teaching two electives this school year. I am not happy about it, because hey, I'm a librarian. However, I have made the situation be as good as it can be. Lots of us are doing things we don't want to do during Coronatimes. It has been many years since I was a classroom teacher. MANY. I am not used to the grading, grading, grading grind. This is Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989095.post-49980402361979204522020-03-16T21:10:00.004-05:002020-03-16T21:10:57.625-05:00Coronavirus Catch-up (pt. 2)Sunday, March 1st was uneventful. I worked on laundry and met via Facetime with a couple piano students. March 2-6 was our spring bookfair, and I knew that would be a busy, busy week. Luckily, we had Tuesday March 3 off for primary Election Day, and I knew I'd be able to catch up on sleep and house stuff that day.
It was a crazy-busy week back to school. I arrived at work Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989095.post-18297436280094795792020-03-15T21:23:00.000-05:002020-03-15T21:23:45.858-05:00Coronavirus Catch-up (pt. 1)Unbelievable. That's what the past few weeks have been. I hope this blog survives the decades and can be useful to someone looking for information on this time in history.
On Feb 21, I flew to Rome, Italy for a week. It was long-planned, and I used all my personal days plus an unpaid day of leave to go. It was a great week! We had been to Rome before, so this visit, we Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989095.post-3112563729529756802019-05-02T10:44:00.001-05:002019-05-02T10:44:22.773-05:00Cover ArtI process a lot of books. I read a lot of books. Things stick in my head. So when I found the third book this year that looked alike, I had to stop. Cover artists... WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989095.post-84734674078689405722018-09-14T11:56:00.002-05:002018-09-14T11:56:18.712-05:00Not surprisingly...Got this email from a vendor today:
Not surprisingly, I'm not going to be calling you.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989095.post-32477820728657527452018-07-18T12:17:00.001-05:002018-07-18T12:17:36.540-05:00Happy, happy summer!A couple of things have happened in the last two weeks that have made me smile--school stuff, which I try to take a little break from during the summer, but not really. I'm always thinking about stuff for next year. Who am I kidding!?
First, we have a Teachers Are Reading bookclub, and I changed the format of it this year, and a bunch of new people signed up. One of them is ourUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989095.post-52564688791150800962018-03-01T13:29:00.001-05:002018-03-01T13:29:06.770-05:00Reason #812 Why I Love Middle SchoolersToday is our library assistant's birthday, so we have a banner up and are celebrating low-key. A group of eighth grade boys who comes in every few days to get a lollipop from her just came in and I told one of them it was her birthday. He quickly gathered his friends together and started singing Happy Birthday.
One of them was like, "Dude, it's a library!"
And they finished the songUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989095.post-35146018703286830882017-09-15T19:26:00.000-05:002017-09-15T19:26:47.670-05:00Should I report this?The past two weeks of school have been busy with library orientation for all grades. Seventh and eighth graders noticed the, changes in the library that happened over the summer right away so that was fun. And of course, the sixth graders were completely overwhelmed with the transition to middle school.
When I talked to them about the books they'd encounter in middle school, I Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989095.post-24543293533309163652017-09-09T13:01:00.002-05:002017-09-09T13:02:44.300-05:00National Book Festival 2017This year was my second year attending the NBF at the Washington Convention Center. When it moved locations, I was disappointed to hear that it wouldn't be held on the national lawn anymore, so I boycotted for a year. But I have to say, last Saturday was an UGLY day in DC--humid and rainy all day. It was a pleasure to be inside, getting to meet authors and seeing friends as we waited Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989095.post-62349937130888037602017-05-14T20:20:00.002-05:002017-05-14T20:20:12.264-05:00A special studentIt's just not right that I haven't blogged in so long. Everything has been good, and I get caught up in the day-to-day things and forget to reflect on it all.
Our school district created its own Battle of the Books program for middle schoolers, and most of the winter months were spent preparing for the competition day. Interested students met weekly with me during lunch, where we'd Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989095.post-57808983407949660432016-10-02T15:56:00.004-05:002016-10-02T16:00:51.843-05:00Getting Ready for an Author Visit!In a few weeks, middle grades author Alan Gratz will spend a week in my district, visiting five different schools. He will be with us on Thursday, October 20, and our whole school is getting ready for him!
Most of the teachers are reading either part of one of his books or the whole thing, which is so awesome. Prisoner B-3087 was a favorite of our sixth and seventh graders last year,Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989095.post-3922114077945734042016-09-30T15:20:00.000-05:002016-10-02T15:59:26.279-05:00Checkout Desk UpgradeBeginning my third year in the middle school, just about everything is cleaned out and organized just the way we need it, so I've turned my attention to some of the things I don't usually notice.
The school banner strung up with paperclips and a brass rod? Still hanging, but in a better spot with a much nicer looking set up. Did that really take me three years to even notice?!
I Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989095.post-45173694259250475932016-09-25T17:44:00.000-05:002016-10-02T17:45:13.121-05:00National Book Festival 2016After the book festival moved indoors, I took a couple years off. I just couldn't believe that it would be as good as when it was held on the National Mall. What can I say...I was wrong! There is definitely something to be said for air conditioning, indoor bathrooms, tables and chairs, real food, and no weather worries.
Getting to the book festival, I felt like such a grown-up.  Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989095.post-18248905431644331452016-07-24T19:42:00.000-05:002016-07-24T19:42:39.947-05:00Mid-summer check inI cannot believe how quickly July is flying by. Here we are with only a week left this month. Things have been going well--the TV has remained off during the day, and I have been taking breakfast on the patio each morning. Well, except for one day... there was an unwelcome visitor on the back steps:
This snake, which was incredibly long--slithered himself across the back porch, downUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989095.post-86174432560209336452016-06-22T08:44:00.001-05:002016-06-22T08:47:22.433-05:00Summer RoutinesSummer for me started two days ago, and I wanted to get off on the right foot. My dog and I went for a nice walk first thing in the morning, then I sat down to my usual breakfast (yogurt and granola) plus a couple leftover muffins.
I decided that I will take breakfast outside every morning that I can, enjoying the flowers and birds and morning breezes. This was a great way to beginUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989095.post-65633185548333554292016-06-01T20:30:00.001-05:002016-06-01T20:33:55.879-05:00GAFE--I'm all in
Image source: http://www.gafeinaction.com.au/
When I first heard the acronym GAFE (Google Apps for Education), I felt a little turned off. After all, a GAFFE is a mistake or blunder. Why would we want something named that?!?! But now that I'm more familiar with all the wonderful educational uses of Google tools, I'm not so bothered by it. What else could we call it?
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989095.post-39424087583617683042016-05-26T19:00:00.000-05:002016-06-01T20:34:16.916-05:00Emo?This is a new word to me. It's a Middle School thing, I suppose.
Here's the definition from Urban Dictionary:
Genre of softcore punk music that integrates unenthusiastic melodramatic 17 year olds who don't smile, high pitched overwrought lyrics and inaudible guitar riffs with tight wool sweaters, tighter jeans, itchy scarfs (even in the summer), ripped chucks with favorite bands Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989095.post-76894423412252146752016-04-18T19:30:00.000-05:002016-06-01T20:37:10.610-05:00Spring is here!There is a lovely Memorial Garden outside the library. Every afternoon when I leave school, I take a short walk around and look at all the pretty perennials that others worked so hard to cultivate. All I do is trim the weeds and cut back dead stuff after it blooms. The garden is just lovely, and one of the paras walked me through it last year to tell me about some of the flowersUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989095.post-75566141611945821562016-01-15T21:24:00.000-05:002016-06-01T20:34:56.023-05:00My heart is still breakingEvery time there is an update, the wound in my heart opens up and I grieve all over again. The student I wrote about back in February of 2015, who did some pretty terrible things, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison. He actually was sentenced to 165 years in prison, with 155 suspended. Still, 10 years to a 19-year old boy?!?!
He is still facing charges in neighboring Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989095.post-13411617251659850992015-12-10T08:00:00.000-05:002016-06-01T20:35:15.591-05:00Author Visit -- April Henry!Mystery/suspense author April Henry visited our library on Monday, and it was a wonderful day! Many of the students read her books, and teachers read some excerpts from her books, and she had some really interesting stories to tell.
Here she is during her presentation (that's an ASL interpreter next to her):
A bunch of schools in my area got together to host her visit, so we shared the Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989095.post-31318280207610764802015-07-22T20:32:00.000-05:002015-07-22T20:38:31.692-05:00I think I joined a cult.The Erin Condren cult!!! I ordered a teacher planner for this coming year. So excited and nervous. Of course, the fact that it is a million dollars is what makes me nervous, but it just looks so beautiful. It is much happier than the one I made for myself this past year.
In case you want to order something, go through this link. Everything is just so pretty. And Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989095.post-54115575069775413872015-06-12T20:17:00.002-05:002015-06-12T20:20:06.927-05:00OMG it's over!!I truly cannot believe that my first year of middle school is over. That was truly one of the fastest years of my career. And I cannot WAIT for next year! My colleagues roll their eyes at me, but, I am serious! Now that the space is organized and the collection is in better shape, it is time to GET EXCITED ABOUT READING!!! I am so excited to plan reading promotions and get the Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989095.post-6044390886960869782015-02-14T21:05:00.001-05:002016-06-01T20:36:14.508-05:00I Love My Job / I am HeartbrokenI really do. I love what I do and I love where I go. I have not had this feeling for a few years, and I am really enjoying it.
The middle schoolers completely and totally crack me up. They are quick-witted and determined to find their place in the world, even though they are afraid to stand out while doing so. I am working so hard on building relationships with them.  Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989095.post-71716171665528040722014-12-30T19:49:00.001-05:002015-02-14T21:08:02.765-05:00Christmas in the libraryI know that it's terribly un-PC to celebrate Christmas in school, but we couldn't resist jumping on the book-tree bandwagon that's making its way through libraries everywhere.
The week before winter break was our second (very slow) week of bookfair, so we had plenty of time to get creative. Staff and students loved the trees.
Can you see the chairs set up in a tree shape?!
We Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0