Meet Penelope!

Meet Penelope!

Meet the newest, cutest addition to the high school media center!

Her name is Penelope, and she is amazing. 

Late in 2015, I started thinking about getting a pet in the HS media center. Fish were the obvious choice (low maintenance, easy to enjoy) but I don't really like fish, don't want to clean the tank, and am uncomfortable having large amounts of water in a room full of books and tech. 

Some research later revealed the perfect answer was a hedgehog!

Low maintenance!

No dander!
No smell!
Can (sometimes) be litterbox trained!
So cute!

So in early January, I contacted a breeder in Gladstone, IL and bought a super cute 5 month old African hedgehog. 

Welcoming her to school was a whole school activity.

The shop classes built her beautiful living quarters. They took an old dog kennel and built a base, a second floor, a ramp, a house, and a lounge chair! 

We had  naming contest and got 148 name suggestions!
When we narrowed it down to 6 and had a schoolwide vote, 168 people voted, which is more than half the school! In the end, she was named Penelope! 

She runs around the media center in a ball, but, as a nocturnal wee beastie she is often asleep, But, for those who say she does nothing: 

Using Databases

An important and increasingly more difficult part of research is finding scholarly, reputable, current information. The Internet really is the blessing that curses.  Information is so easy to access but correct information, unbiased information, accessible information is rather difficult to find. 

That level of difficulty only increases when it comes to younger students.   The complexities of searching can be overwhelming and force students (or even adults) to settle for the first page of a Google search or whatever Wikipedia presents. 

So, what is a student to do?  We thankfully have access to a couple of resources that can be valuable tools for young students. 

The first is EBSCO Kids Search. It is subscription based, but as long as a student logs in from school, it should still work. 

This is a search tool designed for 3-8. 

There is a search box at the top, the option of choosing major headings, or isolating searches to a dictionary or encyclopedia. 

The result list that populates shows some really great sources. I did a search for "North Korea." The results are all current (2016, 2015) and include reputable sources like The Washington Post. Also, there is a link to an HTML full text of the article, which students can then read, save, print, or cite.  Notice that the list also includes a citation.  

The second resource is Searchosaurus. It is also powered by EBSCO, so it is subscription based.  Again, it should work for students logged in through the school's internet connection. 

This is a resource designed for K-3.  

The interface is very similar to Kids Search, but with dinosaurs and clearly designed for younger students.  

A search for "North Korea", however, reveals a big difference between the two searches. 

Notice that the Searchosaurus results are mostly encyclopedias and the CIA Fact Book.  This is less of a current events focused list and more existing facts and background, ore suited tot he needs of younger users. 

It also provides full text results for students to use, print, read, cite, and so on. 

These are two very powerful resources for students K-8 to help them navigate the vast amounts of information available online. 

The Post I Will Probably Delete

Tonight I did something that most teachers have done but few people have seen. 

I cried.

After I tucked my children into bed, I went into a room alone, closed the door, and cried. I wept until my eyes burned and I thought I had no more tears left. 

I knew this was coming.  Even at dinner, one of my girls asked what was wrong.

I tried to explain.
I told them I was sad because sometimes life is just really sad.
It is hard to watch a student make a terrible mistake they will pay for for the rest of their lives.
It is hard to see a student slowly give up.
It is terrible to watch a student sell themselves short because they feel like they have no options.

It is horrible to think that I might have done more.
Some kids have few friends. Sure. But what if that student felt like they had no allies?
What if I could have stepped in, spoken a word, smiled, been a comforting presence?

My children just blinked at me, quietly nodding, but not really grasping the enormity of my burden. 
So we talked about allies in a school. 
"If you had a problem, not a small problem, a big one, who would you go to?"
"You mean like bullying?
Yes, bullying. 
Or being pressured by bad friends. 
Or not feeling like you are safe. 
Or being afraid, really afraid.
Or having no food at home.
Or having no coat. 

And all of this was theoretical for them, because it is hard to grasp a situation that you aren't in.

So after I tucked them in, I cried.  Then I though that I should shed some words along with the tears. But who would I speak to?

To Parents:
I genuinely love your kids.  I laugh with them. I hurt for them. After I put my children to sleep, I sometimes lie awake worrying about yours.  

How can I be better at what I do in order to help them? Everyone needs to know that someone has their back.  How can I show your children that I am that person?

I am on your team! And yes, we are a team. I am here to help you grow your child into the best person they can be. Neither of us can do it alone. 

Teachers get a lot of badmouthing from a lot of sources--the media, parents (sorry), rumors, the government, students--and that makes us look like fools or incompetents at best and evildoers at worst. But the fact is that the very great majority of teachers are good at what they do. They care about your children. They worry about them. They struggle to do more and be better. They do the best with what they have and do whatever it takes to do more. 

I really am doing the best I can to get your children's Chromebooks to work and help them use their Google Drive. I am always working to get them access to the resources they need. I spend a lot of time thinking about how to get them the books they want and the books they need. I stay late on most days--very late many days--not because I love my office, but because I love my job. I love your children. I am honored that I get to be in their lives and help them.

And I am always trying to do more, be more, for them. 

To Students:
I am your ally. 
I have your back.
If you have a problem, you can come to me. 
If you need information on something that is difficult or scary or even terrifying, I will get you that information. 
I respect your privacy, and I value your mind. 
I want to help you.

Sometimes that means correcting you or disciplining.  If a detention can keep you from making a bad decision in the future, it is worth it. If it can help you develop responsibility and organization, and good habits, it is worth it.  
Believe me, if I didn't care, I wouldn't correct you.
  
When you feel like not a single person in school knows or cares or understands, I do. 
I care about you.
I notice when you look sad. 
I see when you are worried.
I understand when life seems too hard. 
I notice when you are missing a lot of school.  
I care about you, and I would do anything in my power to help you, protect you, and support you. 
I am your ally.

The library is a safe place.  It is a welcoming space. It is your space.  

When you need a sanctuary, when you need a place to go , when you can't breathe or your heart is breaking or your day is falling apart, the library is a safe place for you.
And I am here to help you. 
I am your ally.   

To Other Educators:
I want to be a resource for you as well as students. If there is a way I can do that better, please tell me.  
Is there a topic we need to have books or you need resources about?
Is there something I am messing up? I am tough. I can take it. 
Is someone struggling with an issue I can help with?
Are you struggling and need help?
I want to support you, because I know how hard your job is. 
We laugh together and talk together, but beyond that, we all share a deep and profound responsibility to build up the next generation. Sometimes that is fantastic. At times it is exhausting. Sometimes it wears you down to the bone. 
If there is any way I can help you in your task, please tell me. 
I don't know everything, but I will do everything in my power to get you that resource, that information, that whatever that you need.

To Anyone Else:
Being a teacher (a librarian is a teacher!) is the best job in the world. You get to help people build the foundations of their lives. 

You get to work with young people who are funny and smart and inquisitive and genuine.  If you want an honest answer, ask a kid (then brace yourself!). 

Being a teacher is a chance to help young people decide who they are and who they are not. You get to help them discover ideas and critically evaluate the beliefs and values that will shape them, their families, their communities. 
It is hard, but it is so worth it. 

Nobody becomes a teacher to ruin kids' lives. Nobody becomes a teacher to give dozens of standardized tests. No teacher likes the paperwork (most of which is redundant or useless).

If you are not an educator, student, or parent, you still have a vested interest in the schools in your community. The entire community benefits from a well educated populace. 

Find out how you can help at your school. 
Volunteer. 
Donate (time, money, talents). 
Advocate. 
Talk to your legislators.
Go to school board meetings. 
Listen to the teachers about their concerns. The teachers really are trying to help and build and educate.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I look back at my life, at those difficult moments, those crossroads when I could have made a very serious mistake or had to make a life changing decision, always, always at those crossroads were teachers.

Mr. Wooten. 
Mrs. Crabtree.
Mrs. Drebenstedt
Dr. Cook

I am not so vain as to believe that I will be on that exclusive list some of my now-students will write 30 years in the future. 

But it is important to me that today, this day, and the next, and the next, that they know I am here. 
I am here to listen and help. 
I have their backs.
And even if they don't want my help, I still worry about them and care for them. 
Yes, sometimes I even cry for them. 

But then I wipe my eyes, get ready for bed, and set my alarm so I can get up and do it all again, always with the hope that tomorrow I can make a difference.  

The Stars Look Very Different Today

Yesterday I woke up to the news that David Bowie had died. He had just turned 69 and had battled cancer for a year and a half, so his death wasn't surprising. 

But it was startling.

It was startling to me because David Bowie is one of those timeless people who reinvents himself so often that he has an aura of immortality to him.  

Whether a person likes his music or not, it is hard to discount his relevance to the arts. Music. Performance art. Movies. Television. It is hard to find an artist over the age of 20 that doesn't have a "David Bowie influenced me" moment. 

How does a person get those sorts of accolades from everyone from Madonna to Marilyn Manson to David Cameron (Prime Minister of England)? 

"David Bowie 1976" by Jean-Luc - CC BY-SA 2.0

How is anyone so diverse and so influential? 

This is a guy who could so convincingly switch from being Ziggy Stardust to Aladdin Sane to the Thin White Duke to Jareth the Goblin King.

This is also a guy who, in 1983, at the height of its influence, took MTV very publicly to task for not representing black artists. Bowie was willing to take a stand for what was right.

One does not just come up with the idea of selling the

intellectual property rights to one's future music collection by being brainless. Bowie did just that, and the Bowie Bond was born (and provided a 17% ROI).

 

So, how does this happen? How is someone a writer, musician, poet, playwright, actor, advocate, businessperson, revolutionary, visionary? 

It is in no small part due to the fact that Bowie was really, really well read. 

This is a guy who, it was said, read, at times,  a book a day. 

This is a guy who, when answering the Proust Questionnaire said things such as:

What is your idea of perfect happiness?ReadingWhat is the quality you most like in a man?The ability to return books.

At times it is easy to look at musicians and discount them as empty headed  performers. David Bowie was not this. He was a musician, yes, but he was also an intellectual of substance, and he got that way at least in part by reading. 

He was quick to talk about books and their influence on his life.  Taking a look at his 100 Top Books List is enough to give anyone a case of the vapors. 

• The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Junot Díaz, 2007
• A People’s History of the United States, Howard Zinn, 1980
• The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind, Julian Jaynes, 1976
• The Master and Margarita, Mikhail Bulgakov, 1967

I think one of the truly powerful lessons here is that reading can be an important part of one's life. For anyone. It isn't just teachers and librarians and Bill Gates who reads. David Bowie became who he was, at least in part, because of a lifelong habit of reading.  He became someone who created and shared and influenced.

Reading shapes us. It expands our minds and opens new worlds.  It has the power to make us different. New. Better. 

Reading may not make you the Goblin King or Ziggy Stardust. Only one person could embody both of those, and that one person was David Bowie. The world is a little less bright without him.

PHS Reads!

There are so many amazing things coming up in the next few moths, I can hardly stand it!

The first is something I have personally been thinking about for some time and just decided to start and see what happens.

Not long ago I was listening to a news story (I believe on NPR, but all of the search in the world has not helped me find it) about a school that turned around a lot of its problems through creating an intentional, institutional focus on graduation and post-high-school decisions.  From the moment freshmen walked in the door the staff--teachers, admin, custodians, coaches, everyone--encouraged talk about how classes were doing, were kids on track to graduate, and what was the plan for afterward.

I spend a lot of time in the library and around books and reading material, so I personally am immersed in such an atmosphere, but many people aren't. So the question is, how can we create a culture of reading? Teachers reading and talking about their books. Students reading and talking about what they read.  Perhaps even having people read the same things to be able to talk about it.

So we started PHS Reads!  I printed signs for all of the high school staff and they hung them by their doors.  This way, students know what teachers are reading.  They can talk about books and get ideas.  But more than that, they can know that teachers read. They read non school stuff!

When some hesitated (What if I am judged on what I read?), this was a good chance to go over the mantra; repeat after me: All reading is good reading.
Books. 
Magazines. 
Newspapers. 
Romance. Westerns. 
50 Shades of Grey or A Tale of Two Cities. 
John Grisham or Dave Eggers.
For every reader there is a book. 
Hard copy or eReader.
Audiobook. 
First time through or reading for the 50th time. 
All reading is good reading.  

Success! A Victorious Update

I could not be more surprised. Happy! Elated! And almost speechless. Almost. ;-)

In an reverse of the previous decision, CPS announced that Sara Sayigh, the librarian at the South Side’s DuSable Campus, would keep her job. The official word is that this was funded by an "anonymous donation".  

There are a lot of important lessons and warning from this entire experience. 

1. What a powerful lesson for the students of DuSable that peaceful protests work.  Social media is a tool to be wielded to bring about decisions that are just and fair. And these are accessible to students, young people , all people who are interested in pursuing what is right and good. 
2. The Chicago Teacher's Union voted to authorize a strike should negotiations not go well.  If this cut-essential-staff-mid-year tactic is any sign, this is going to be a long several months. But
3. It is important to realize that often issues of teacher contractual negotiations are not just about money.  The DuSable incident gave the wider world a rare glance into the dynamics of schools and the politics there.  At the heart of this issue is that students deserve the best education they can get. That means getting the best teachers that are available, equipping them, treating them with fairness, and empowering them to teach students and affect change. 

I can think of no better comment on the entire situation than s. Sayigh's own words:

"Since 2012 when ⅔ of CPS schools had a librarian, half of those positions have been cut resulting in a system where only ⅓ of CPS schools have librarians as of the beginning of this school year 2015-16. Even more have been cut during this school year...Once the librarian is cut, the library is nothing more than a room, and the collection is dispersed and ruined. Many studies have shown the importance of school librarians but rather than cite them here, I urge you to find a single privileged person whose child goes to a school without a librarian and library. Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s children go to the Lab Schools where there are 7 or 8 librarians." (emphasis added)

In which I get a wee bit angry

Late last week I began seeing postings online about the students at DuSable Campus in Chicago.  The students were staging a read-in; 200 students left class, lined the halls, and quietly read.  Why would they do such a  thing? 

CPS laid off their librarian.

This, in all honesty, should have come as a surprise to no one.  According to the Chicago Sun Times, 

"Sara Sayigh was one of Chicago’s last full-time librarians in a majority black high school; only Morgan Park High School’s and Chicago Vocational’s remain, according to Chicago Teachers Union data."

It is in keeping with a disturbing trend. Cities across the country are cutting librarians (by which I mean qualified, trained, certified staff) at a faster rate than other teachers. In fact, in some larger cities, it is a near epidemic.  In the city of Philadelphia there are 214 public schools and only 16 certified librarians. 16! 

One of the worst offenders has been Chicago, where Mayor Emanuel has gotten quite a lot of press for cutting librarians for the CPS (while still having the audacity to hold press conferences in the librarianless libraries). 

As a librarian, this trend bothers me. The research is very clear.

• Students in districts with certified librarians perform better on tests.  This is irrespective of socio-economic levels. 

• Districts with certified librarians have greater support for classroom teachers. 

• Students in districts with certified librarians are more college and career ready. 

• For many students, especially in rural districts, the school library is the first and best library to which they have access. Which makes the staffing important. 

But even with all of that aside, as far as I am concerned, this is an issue of social justice.

They aren't just cutting a librarian. They are cutting one of the few remaining librarians in predominantly African American schools.

This image was all over my Facebook news feed this weekend:

Meanwhile, I got an email not too long ago that New Trier High School (4% low income, 0% English language learners, 83% white) was looking for MLIS (Masters of Library and Information Science: the degree librarians must have, in most cases) students (so, people who already have a bachelors degree and are working through a masters) to work as substitutes when their certified librarians are away at conferences or presenting or doing any of the amazing things New Trier's librarians do. They not only have librarians, but they hire qualified staff to be subs for those librarians. 

There is not a chance in the world that New Trier would consider cutting all its librarians. Zero chance.  But they also don't have to make that decision because New Trier is not financially strapped (like CPS is), and even if it were, the community would never stand for such an outrage. And the community is backed by the one thing that matters most: wealth. (power, influence, privilege, all of this boils down to wealth)

Yet poor districts, districts with high percentages of minority students, and districts that are cash-strapped and need to cut often start with the librarian, replacing the certified full time teacher librarian with an aide, a parent, or a volunteer.

Why do they do this? Because they can. 

The Chicago Teachers Union has said that, "just 7 percent of high schools with at least a 90 percent African-American student body has a librarian, meaning two out of 28 schools; and of the 46 high schools with a predominantly back student population, only 15 percent have librarians. Thirty-two percent of all high schools in the district have a librarian on staff. The numbers have fallen dramatically since the 2012-2013 school year when 61 percent of majority African-American schools had a librarian, while 63 percent of all CPS high schools had a librarian on hand."

This is an outrage. An absolute disgrace.

Students have a right to a quality education., That means access to books, information technology, and educational support. Those three are the pillars at the heart of librarianship. 

It is completely unacceptable to rob children of an education. It is even more so to do this to historically disadvantaged students, such as those in poverty and members of minorities. 

The only true path out of poverty is education. Period. And it is reprehensible to steal that one tool from the students who most need it and least have access to it through other means.  

This is an issue of educational malpractice. It cannot stand. 

So, what can anyone do? 

A petition has been started. Please sign it. 

Hashtags to follow/retweet/signal boost include the following: #SaveOurLibrary   #dusomething  #cantSHUSHthis

Talk about this. 

Advocate. 

Be the voice for the voiceless. 

Don't let the issue drop.
Don't let it disappear.
Don't let this happen quietly.
Don't let this happen.  

A little ambiance goes a long way

For the month of December (and not a moment before! That is Thanksgiving time.) we have been decorating the school. I figured this was a good chance to showcase the media center, and the kids have really enjoyed it!

Challenges, Generosity, and Progress

Last night, I went to a meeting of the Education Foundation. I had the opportunity to share with them some of the challenges the libraries in our district face as well as presenting my vision and the plan to make that a reality.  I shared with them a brief presentation on some of the issues, the data, and where we stand. 

Afterward, I asked for their support moving forward with updating the libraries.  

One of the most difficult part of this process is asking for help. 

I am a fixer. 
I like helping people. 
I love solving problems. 
I love to make things work. 

And it is difficult knowing that I can't solve this. 

I have ideas and plans and a vision, but it takes partnerships. And it takes money. 

A big part of working in education is doing more with less.  The perpetual idea that "there is no money for _____, so make a work-around" is disheartening.  It can feel isolating and desperate at times.

But the thing is, people who are not in education (or not entirely in it) often do want to help,  but have no idea how. They see what is happening in schools and wish there were something that could be done. They too feel isolated from the issues.

Which is why connections can be so powerful. 

When I spoke with the Ed Foundation, I was very frank. I was honest about where we are and what we need. 

And I asked for money. Doing so is very very difficult.  I asked for a fairly large amount (in my opinion), though it is, as I told them, the tip of the tip of the iceberg.

They listened. They asked questions. They saw the need and felt that connection. They wanted to help. 

They gave the libraries more money than I asked for, and indicated they would make such a contribution in years to come.  

I am a proudly stoic person, but I cried as I drove home.  
I cried because of the resources the kids will get. 
I cried because of the hope that the Ed Foundation's generosity brought. 
I cried because there are people in the community who really, genuinely care about our kids, and I wish every single kid knew that.  
Many don't.
But they will. 
They will know it (whether they realize it or not) when they hold new books in their hands. 
They will see it.  

And it is moments like these that I feel must be a sea change.  We are on the move.  It is not going to happen overnight, but we are on the move.  
And the generosity of the Ed Foundation brings progress, hope, and a path. 

Rats, I think I have some dust in my eye. Again. 

Seen and Unseen

One of the tricky aspects of my job is that a lot of the things I do go largely unseen. Collection development, running reports, writing reports, writing grants, sending emails, filling out forms, attending webinars, those are all important aspects of running a library though the average person never sees any of it. 

Which makes it really amazing when a project comes to fruition and people can see the work. 

At the beginning of the school year, I made a list of things I really wanted to happen in the high school library to make the space more open, inviting, and useful.  One of those was to move the large shelving unit that blocked the windows int he front corner of the media center. 

The shelving didn't match the rest of the units in the nonfiction section and it was bulky. Many of the items on the front facing side were out of date or in poor repair, and the great majority of the items were never used. (Though the issue of weeding is one I will save for another day) 

After some extensive weeding and reorganization, it looked like it really was going to be feasible to move the cabinet.  

That's when it all got fun. 

In order to maximize the shelving in the nonfiction section, we needed to remove a shelving unit with three columns and put in this one with four.  But because of a quirk of installation and a poorly placed thermostat, in reality, all of the non fiction shelving had to be moved.  

Which means that they all needed to be emptied. 

I do enjoy a challenge, but the idea of such an effort struck fear in my heart. I told my media aides a dozen times: speed is not the issue; the books must stay in order. And with two very small exceptions, it actually worked.

First we had to take all the books off the shelves. In order. 

Keeping them in order was quite a project. We went shelf by shelf and used a grid system. Shelf 1, Rows A, B, C,D, E. 

Thank heavens for sticky notes. 

Once the books were off, we had to remove all of the shelves. 

After the shelving was off, the units were moved. One moved out, the other two shifted, and the fourth one into the empty space created. 

Then we had to put the individual shelves back on. This let us correct the crooked/misaligned shelving issue that was aesthetically annoying. 

Then all the books had to go back on. We went in reverse  order, since that made it easier to maintain the order. 

That area is now open! Light comes in freely and the space is much less cluttered and more usable. 

All the books went back on in a way that allowed us to not use the bottom shelf. This had been a concern for a while since many kids simply wouldn't look on the bottom shelf, but it is also a concern for anyone with mobility issues. 

I was able to put in a rectangular table, opening up that sunlight space as a work area. 

The entire project was a lot of work, but what a result! The space is more open, more usable, and more accessible. It did take a lot of hands on work and planning, but was worth every bit!