Mind maps and a brief break.

It has been awhile since my last blog...sigh! Last week I spent my first full week back at school teaching a Year 1 class. Sheesh - I had forgotten how totally draining teaching can be. On the upside the class was great and the teacher well organised. She left me a wonderful letter asking me to treat her class the way I would my own.... I thought that was lovely. The interesting thing with this class is that they are using mind maps. I saw them develop two mind maps over the week and it was fabulous to see that quite a few have grabbed a hold of this idea and run with it. Others are having trouble getting their ideas down on paper and a few of them are looking at it as a separate activity, not related to anything else that they are doing in the classroom. Oh, to have more time with that class.......

Due to my week of work, my TL studies took a backseat as I was expanding on lessons that the teacher left me and doing extra preparation at home. So, now having to jump back into it and juggle assignment work too. I need a holiday! :)

Joyce Valenza - a great role model for Librarians everywhere!

I read Joyce Valenza's Manifesto for 21st Century School Librarians (2010)- wow! So many ideas and I'll admit, so much I needed to look up! This is something that every (Teacher) Librarian needs to read and use as a great source of inspiration. She has fabulous ideas on how to get students motivated through Reading, Information landscape, Communication, Publishing and Storytelling. She has tips on creating a better physical space in your library, on how to develop your library collection and on how to introduce new technology tools into the library as well as work on your own professional development for the betterment of yourself and your students.

Then I heard her speak about 'What Librarians make. Or why should I be more than a Librarian.' She is certainly someone that I am going to aspire to be like when I become a Teacher Librarian. You get the real sense that she cares for each and every student that walks through her door and that she is there to make a difference. That's why I became a teacher, I wanted to make a difference in the lives of the children that I had the pleasure to teach. Sure, some of them were hard work, challenging and at times downright annoying but, for each of those children there was always a moment when I thought, "You know, I might actually be getting through to them." There was a brief glimpse of their potential and that was enough for me to keep slogging through.

I also read Taylor Mali's (1999) poem, 'What Teachers Make' which was the inspiration for Valenza's talk. I was reminded of the many times people have asked me how much I make and how cushy a teacher's job is, what with all those holidays! How many times have I wanted to lay it all out there about lesson preparation, rubric writing, assessment marking and report writing that is done outside of school hours. But, I haven't. Now, I'd love to quote from Mali and say,

"You want to know what I make?

I make kids wonder,
I make them question.
I make them criticize.
I make them apologize and mean it.
I make them write, write, write.........
Let me break it down for you, so you know what I say is true:
I make a goddamn difference! What about you?"