Ghost Librarian
I just Tweeted this in response to the post from brilliant author/former teacher @LynMullalyHunt (NY Times Bestselling FISH IN A TREE, ONE FOR THE MURPHYS) that wished us a happy Teacher Appreciation Week:
Feeling like a ghost school librarian. Like I am unsure of whether or not the students are getting anything out of what I am offering them remotely. I am really fed by the wonder and curiosity of students, and I know many teachers feel the same. Sometime it's hard to feel that through Zoom, especially from the students that I know are NOT readers, really (like me, honestly, until I was about 25. For real).
Library in our school is a "Special," and while I am WILDLY grateful that our school finds the library a relevant component to K-12 education and even MORE wildly grateful that they employ a licensed librarian in their library, being a Special (in the world of remote learning) translates to being an Optional part of students' day (for me, anyway). I give no homework or grades. It's a crap shoot. Will they watch the video (better make it really good and entertaining! but no pressure!)? Will they join the Optional Library Hang (better have some AMAZING activities planned, no pressure!)?
I feel kind of back to how I felt when I was teaching middle and upper school theater, trying to sell students on being on stage (many of whom wanted NO SUCH THING). It puts you in a weird, salesperson-like position.
And then I opened my messages later this morning, after scrolling through Twitter, and received this one, from an 11th grader, and cried.
Feeling like a ghost school librarian. Like I am unsure of whether or not the students are getting anything out of what I am offering them remotely. I am really fed by the wonder and curiosity of students, and I know many teachers feel the same. Sometime it's hard to feel that through Zoom, especially from the students that I know are NOT readers, really (like me, honestly, until I was about 25. For real).
Library in our school is a "Special," and while I am WILDLY grateful that our school finds the library a relevant component to K-12 education and even MORE wildly grateful that they employ a licensed librarian in their library, being a Special (in the world of remote learning) translates to being an Optional part of students' day (for me, anyway). I give no homework or grades. It's a crap shoot. Will they watch the video (better make it really good and entertaining! but no pressure!)? Will they join the Optional Library Hang (better have some AMAZING activities planned, no pressure!)?
I feel kind of back to how I felt when I was teaching middle and upper school theater, trying to sell students on being on stage (many of whom wanted NO SUCH THING). It puts you in a weird, salesperson-like position.
And then I opened my messages later this morning, after scrolling through Twitter, and received this one, from an 11th grader, and cried.
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