A bit of personal history.....

 

I spent three years teaching high school English. I loved the idea of teaching writing to kids, but the practice of it was hard. 
33 kids x 6 classes = giant piles of papers to grade. 
I tried to offer useful feedback on writing assignments only to discover many kids did read the feedback. The librarian where I taught was an older man who liked to gossip. We weren't sure what he had actually did. I have no memories of the librarians at my middle or high school. I have memories of the library space in elementary school but no clue who ran the library. The examples of school librarians I had seen did not inspire me. 

I stayed home with my girls for 14 years--homeschooling for seven. We were frequent users of the public library. When I decided to reenter the workforce I did not want to be an English teacher again. I saw a posting for a school librarian job. Twenty-five hours a week. School calendar. High school diploma required. I left that job interview thinking I had found my dream job. And I did. I loved that job. My only complaint, I was making less than a new Target worker. Yet, I  raised 80% of my budget, chose supplies and books, taught the kids research and technology skills, maintained a collection of 10,000 books, wrote grants for new programs and new furniture, recruited volunteers, made a website so kids could use the library during the beginning of COVID. I knew I couldn't work that job, at that pay, for too many years. So here I am, pursuing my Masters in Library Science. 

Comments

  1. The Art of Storytelling: A Student Librarian's JourneyJanuary 18, 2022 at 12:49 PM

    What a great experience!!! I know that "working for peanuts" is a hard way to go, but the valuable insight you gained will serve you well. You have experience that many of us don't have, which I can't wait to experience for myself. Good luck on your journey and I look forward to seeing your first blog assignment.

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