A Southern Midwest Teacher Librarian Reflects

Oh my, do I ever have a Southern accent!
Time to reflect on libraries.......



Thank you for the interview, Altoona Herald-Index!

Happiness

Happiness
Originally uploaded by vanhookc

These are the things that make me happy: love for others, sparkle, colors in our world, and chocolate! How about you?

Of course my list goes on and on....grandchildren, sunshine, photography, books, laughter of children, puppies at play...

The Happy Days of Teaching

When I decided to retire, in early 2013, I began to write about my past teaching experiences at Southeast Polk in Pleasant Hill, Iowa, over the past 18. Journaling brought to light many treasured memories  in teaching at every single grade level. If you so desire to celebrate these joys with me, here goes... It's 12 pages of happy times!

Hello Iowa!

It’s 1995; the sign says Iowa, you make me smile! We are crossing the Mississippi River to a new home, new jobs, and new schools. Bob’s been transferred to the Newton location of the Maytag Company and Carol’s been hired in the Southeast Polk Community School District. Mr. Thomlin, principal of Four Mile, welcomes Carol to her home-based office – a huge room filled with old videos and cassettes, needing to be weeded—making way for a technology explosion like no one could begin to imagine! During the year, Carol will venture out to meet six other outstanding principals, a great team of library clerks, elementary staffs, and students. She will serve them all as media specialist. Simple task, yes! She just arrived from serving five schools in Indianapolis as Media Specialist. Here’s the story for my next 18 years at SE Polk.

My memory treasure box overflows with heartwarming experiences and thoughts of making new friends along the way.....and if you want to read more

Sad Changes in Education over Forty Years

Today I am a retired teacher. Since 1972, I have taught all grades and many different subjects. My teaching career spans from Tennessee to Indiana to Iowa! For the past nineteen years, I have been a teacher librarian. For the past decade, I have been a teacher librarian in a gigantic high school! I am now retired  and will sadly miss the kids and my teaching colleagues! I do pledge, however, to continue supporting the educational needs of our youth and to show the value of school libraries!

An apple to improve education!

Here are the sad changes, I have seen, over forty years....

10. Schools rush to buy new technology.   When one software version or device becomes dated, schools rush to replace. Allow students to bring their own digital devices and connect. Provide for those who need. Teach flexibility in regards to Web 2.0. It should not be about a single company’s apps, software, or devices; instead, schools must embrace online technology, teach the "ins and outs of cloud storage,"  and use a variety of web bookmarking, note taking, citation making, and graphic editing tools with students-- so to offer students what best promotes learning and preparation for their future. 

9. Lack of interest in the well-planned national celebrations of learning is sad…such as National Poetry Month and Teen Read Month. It goes like this…. “I wish I had…,” “I should have…,” “I didn’t hear about it…,” “I didn’t know about it.” People don’t read announcements. People don’t keep calendars up-to-date, and then it’s too late--the opportunity passes quickly. Staff and administrators should encourage participation in these national, state, and local events and activities. Students will remember participating in these activities far longer than sitting in a classroom seat or staring at a computer screen!

8. Expect our national standards' curriculum to emphasize the basic “core values of humanity.” Global communication, listening to the thoughts of others, respecting what others think, and being considerate rather than defensive, should top everyone’s TO DO list.

7. Digital learning does not take the place of face-to-face communication and personalized education. Technology should not allow the pencil--or pen--and paper to go by the wayside. Why not regularly write a few quick notes of appreciation to others or take the time to visit them, in person, to show gratitude—just because? If we practice and model this, maybe our following generations will think it of value! These are opportunities that build upon a core understanding of humanity!

6. Leadership is not about “showing power” but about “helping every human being on the face of this earth achieve their greatest potential.” Let the power be a shared endeavor--one that focuses in leading and lifting each other. It’s in helping one another that we provide the lifelong educational memories worth treasuring.

5. When new leadership enters an organization, they must LISTEN to the wisdom of each individual, regarding his/her best contributions to the organization. Everyone needs to feel their VOICE counts. What are the positives that are already in place before the new leaders arrived? The new leadership should build foundations on these current successes and weave these strengths into their desired plan of action.

4. Are we honoring the creative teaching skills and expertise of every educator? When teachers are advised to use the same methods, materials, and testing models, learning becomes stale and creativity in the classroom becomes suppressed. There are those that would argue to move towards an online education with minimal teachers and space required.  I would argue that students learn from the "face-to-face" interaction with all kinds of teaching styles within the school building. This is learning to cope and succeed in life, in training. It allows for spontaneous interaction and communication. This is critical learning at its best. 

3. Pretesting, post-testing, testing, and more testing places a huge emphasis on test scores rather than nurturing the students’ abilities. Testing takes time away from valuable, authentic instructional time in the classroom. Testing is minimal in meeting the critical needs of developing individual worth. Some believe a formal pre-test sets the student up for failure. We must develop teaching strategies that utilize healthy vibes, smiles, and language to provide positive direction and feedback, so that our children feel success rather than failure from the start. Formative assessment, throughout a unit of study, does just that – molds success. It encourages the learner to develop a positive attitude and an eagerness to want to learn, achieve, and improve.

2.  Keep the lights on and the doors open in our school libraries and keep these facilities staffed with trained educators. It takes qualified personnel to properly manage libraries. Upon entering a school library--sit awhile and watch students enjoy their learning space--talk to students and listen to them--pick up reading materials and share what you are reading, seeing, and thinking. The library is the inner heart and soul of the school and offers great value to the learning process – as the students have said, “My school library is like home away from home.” 

1. Libraries are places for people of all interests and talents to unite and share, learn and grow, build new relationships, respect, and develop an insight into the lives of others.

Pictures at Flickr Set on Retirement

First Day of High School!

First day.... 2012-13....High School...
One girl said to another and to me in the hallway--today, on the first day back to school, "Summer just felt like a very long weekend."  Isn't it crazy how time flies when you look back? She seemed to be content with her summer but happy to be back in school.

The students  realize the importance of their education. They are listening to what's being said about the value of education. I work in the library. Lots of students consider this "home away from home." It is a comfort zone, a learning zone, a social zone, and a retreat for others.

Early in the morning, a new freshman shivered as she sat in my office! She shared, "This is a big scary place." I just bet she left the building laughing with joy by the end of the day!

And of course, some of the Seniors had to welcome everyone one back this morning, visually. They had a look of fatigue throughout the day as they tossed toilet paper on the campus grounds the night before!!! Is this the "ghost of senior traditions of the past?"  I hope these seniors put as much energy into their studies this year to prepare them for the next step!

Have a fine year, students across the world! Make positive memories! Be good! And learn along the way! It is a wise investment!