Tales from a Loud Librarian

SLJ Teen Live August 10, 2016 Interface to navigate the online conference On August 10th, I spoke on a panel during the annual SLJ Teen Live online conference sponsored by School Library Journal. In the past, the focus of this one day conference was on young adult literature, books and authors, but this year a number of sessions were included dealing with teen programming in school and public libraries. The session in which I participated was called College and Career for the Under-served .  I spoke to the 250 attendees over the phone and manipulated my slides on the computer The college application process has been an area that is near and dear to me. I have been developing quality resources for my seniors for many years. I believe that as librarian I can help support the counseling department at my school in a big way. My school is small with 600 students, and the class of 2017 has only 30 students. Our counselor must assist students with the college pro...

We only have a week and a half left of the school year. How did this year fly by? This end marks my 35th year in the teaching profession and 25th as a school librarian. Really, how did that happen? Many, many moons ago when my confidence was way lower, I had not a clue if I could make it one more day much less all these years. The people who I have met, all that I have learned and all that I have given to my students over these many, many years, I would not trade with anyone. I am proud to call myself a teacher and a librarian and feel lucky to have a job that I love so much.  Every year when April draws to a close, I find myself in stress mode with difficulty seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. It is not the library that does it to me, but some of the extra hats that I wear at my school. My school only has 550 students, and unfortunately, I am needed to do some jobs that don't usually fall under the librarian's umbrella. For one, I am the school's AP coordi...

PFTSTA is a small school with 350 students, so I have to wear many hats beyond the librarian one. Seven years ago I initiated our school's chapter of the National Honor Society because I thought a college prep school needed to have NHS. I always have enjoyed working with the seniors who hold office on the executive board, but this year was special. This is the first class that went from 6th to 12th grade, and this group has so many smart kids who are good thinkers with great work ethic and are eager to learn. There are many kids in this class that I am really going to miss next year.  Today was the last NHS meeting of the year that the senior officers will attend. They took me by surprise when Lauren, the out-going president, handed me a shiny red bag. Inside was the small plaque that you see in the picture below. The inscription brought me to tears. I love this gift because I know that in some way I touched these students's lives. Isn't that what teaching is all abo...