There are many places in which I can use improvement as I believe everyone is continually improving. Though maybe I finally got down the mail system pat, maybe there's a different way of doing it? Maybe we all should not be as hard on ourselves to do a job for the job's sake; rather, we should see how we do our job as a reflection of our personal life and go from there. That's where I'm at right now because nothing is quite indistinguishable from another.
2014-2015 Successes
1. Started an after school club, Makerspace Monday
- Makerspace Monday has been a hit and failure all at once. The weather had kept us from starting the club earlier than we did but despite that, children still signed up and came to the first two gatherings. This past Monday, however, was kind of blah. Only three kids came but they had fun putting on a puppet show and playing with puzzles. There needs to be a change next year in how the Makerspace is handled, if it even is done at all. With the way my school is going (i.e. I won't be graduating until May 2016 now), I don't know that I will have much expendable energy to devote to MM. Carrie and I have discussed having the LSLC open for an hour every week or so to let kids do whatever they need to. I'm just not sure how that will fit into the already rigid way of things around here.
- This has been the highlight of my year! Nothing can be better than sharing your love for graphic novels and comics with students who may be new to this type of literature. There's also nothing like discussing conspiracy theories regarding superheroes or talking about one's favorite manga. I'm honored that I have been able to take knowledge of one of my passions and put it into motion. Though some of the students' responses to my requests for suggestions have been a bit rough, overall the reaction has been positive and for that I am grateful. Next year, I plan on ordering less superhero books and more manga, everyday life books, and alternative heroes.
- I'm always going to try to improve in this area because, frankly, it can get overwhelming. This year I was able to stay on top of student issues for the most part. It was working with teachers and parents that I had the most difficulty with. Oftentimes I feel like my position has no weight and there are no consequences I can sincerely give that will encourage people to return their materials. The children see me as a teacher (most of them anyway) and will often give the same respect to me as they would to Carrie. Teachers are not always that way.
- Professional development was on point for me this year! The sessions I attended at TLA were pertinent for the changes we are trying to press forward with in the library. Region 10's offerings were great for me, as they included Makerpsace activities and Lego club. Training through BER and the What's New in Children's Literature 2015 are always delightful and insightful. Though we are not able to do a lot of the lessons in the guidebook from that course, we can take bits and pieces and adapt them to our kids' needs.
- Well, this is also on my list of weaknesses, but first let me explain myself regarding the confidence I've gained. I had hit a wall a long time ago that had all kinds of negative things about myself written on it. A lot of those things had to do with my intelligence and ability to do anything right (my brain is dramatic, I know). A lot has changed in my personal life to where I feel like I am capable of more than I tell myself. Shoot, this school year was a year of As and Bs on top of working my job. I feel very accomplished in that fact. That's also one of the challenges I need to work on next year. Whatever clicked, whatever changed, I am thankful for. I am ok with owning up to my mistakes and fixing them, talking out issues and being bold about where I stand. Am I perfect? No way! Slowly and surely, though, I am getting there.
2014-2015 Challenges
1. Grandparents and Special Friends Day
- Good. Gravy. I thought I had done a better job with organizing GPSFD gifts and whatnot, but it was overwhelming. Everyone always says that I can bring my laptop and lock myself up to work on it and I was always to afraid to say I needed to. Forget that! Next year, I need to dedicate more time to organizing the aftermath of that fateful November day.
- I used to think I was organized. In fact, when I started this job, I was much more organized. My desk was secluded and so was I, leaving me to my own devices and time for organizing papers. Now? Not really. An article in the Huffington Post defined "12 Things Every Type B Person Wishes You Understood". Not all of these spoke to me, as I am ridiculously competitive. I would say 11 out of 12 hit a chord and I realized that I had been trying to force myself to be a Type A because some of the folks I work with are. It's okay that I'm not! I have accepted this about myself and am trying to come up with strategies to manage working with my crazy self. I am anal about writing and believe it or not appearances (think about that for a minute...) but in my personal life am trying to be kinder to myself. And if I must "label" myself, I'll be Type B.
- Over the years I've learned that once you think you've done a really great job at something, you usually messed up somewhere (at least in my case). I felt that way with inventory this year. There are so many categories and variables that I messed things up a smidge. I know I shouldn't be worried about it but I have learned from my mistake and am planning on doing better next year. I'm not sure how I could fit this into a goal of mine necessarily, except maybe being extra thorough with every task.
- I stayed within my budget for graphic novels this year but felt I did not order things that I should have. It sounds silly but I really would like to focus more on being extra cautious about what I'm purchasing, asking if its just me who wants to read it vs. the kids, and if it will see circulation in the future. The superhero graphic novels I ordered kind of felt flat really, as they are not as cool and flashy as those for middle school (obviously). I'm going to work harder to keep up with the students' requests rather than what I'd like to see. Of course, they will be reviewed by two sources or me, but I need to rely on the kids more.
- I don't know what I'm doing. Most days I feel like its a struggle just to make sure I don't break down and cry or eat ice cream to comfort myself because life for me is stressful. I don't know how to balance school/work/wife stuff/other. I feel like I'm spinning my wheels and they're about to pop off at any given time. After being denied financial aid this summer and originally being upset about it, I think its a good thing. I can only do so much. This summer will be a break to see what I can and cannot handle and how everything fits together. The solution will have to come from there.
I'm sure there's more I'm missing. Let's see, I've covered being kinder to myself (maybe I should include being kinder to others?), try to be more outgoing and collaborative, unafraid to teach lessons and create interactive games and the like for the students. Trust is a big component in this too. Though there is always room for improvement, I need to remember to congratulate myself for a job well done and forgive myself for mistakes I make, especially the minute ones. Hopefully 2015-2016 will be the best year yet.
