Tough Teens...

This article was posted on a library list that I follow. The author writes young adult books, but what struck me was the headline about "Tough Teens". In my library, I see the tough teens on a regular basis particularly at this time in the semester. It was the strangest realization in this job that the kids that didn't want to go to class might seek out the library for refuge. They also get assigned to study hall in the library when they have to be dropped from a class mid-semester and they have a hole in their schedule. I've had several tough teens cross my path.  Two of them have been on my mind a lot lately and this article brought them to the forefront again.

One is a foster child who I suddenly noticed in the library last week. She hasn't been going to classes and apparently has been moved from foster home to foster home multiple times. This week she was moved into two periods of study hall officially, but in reality she's spending four periods in the library. The irony is that she loves books. She's been reading rapidly and voraciously since I first noticed her last week. She even sat down to talk books with me during my lunch break one day when I was reading under a tree out on campus. Her story saddens my heart, because I know she will soon move on and the "academic" environment of school doesn't work for her. Yet, books do. What can we do to help students like this one? What is right/wrong in our system that these students get moved and viewed as a problem child with no hope? What hidden dreams does she have?

 The second is a young man who I met last year in study hall, also. He's one of the frustrating ones because he is very intelligent but completely disengaged from school. He puts on a tough guy persona and may be involved in some unsavory activities that will not serve him well for the future. Yet, he too loves to read and he's always asking me for recommendations. He wants the "gang books", but he'll take on anything that has a gritty edge. I gave him Luis Rodriguez' Always Running and he wanted more. He too is a "tough teen" but what does he really need from school. I know a little of his background and family life doesn't fit the ideal by any stretch. He's transferring to our continuation school in a few weeks and he's picked back up his pattern of cutting. I'm seeing him regularly these days as he cuts to the library. His story also saddens my heart. Books also provide him with answers that he doesn't get in the classroom. And my previous questions apply here, too. What can we do to help students like this one? What is right/wrong in our system that these students get moved and viewed as a problem child with no hope? What hidden dreams does he have?

29 and Counting...

I counted yearbooks this morning.  There are 29 on my shelf representing 28 years in education (two yearbooks are from the same year because I was at two schools).  I've been thinking about the number 29 since I made that count.  Some people stop counting birthdays at 29.  29 is only one away from 30 and that sounds like a long career in one field.   As I think about the beginning of another new school year, I think back to that first year of teaching.  Anticipation, excitement, nervousness and big ideals were all a part of the equation.  A belief that every student was special and that I could reach everyone that entered my classroom doors.  I was young (22) and enthusiastic and those teachers that had been teaching for 20+ years seemed so old to my eyes.  I see new teachers looking at me with those same eyes now.  My students were more my peer group in those days than my colleagues.
Looking at the yearbooks, even the spines tell a story 11 from Live Oak, 6 from Mt. Pleasant, 3 from Evergreen Valley, 2 from Aragon, 1 from Hillsdale and 6 from Milpitas.  Each school has played a different role in my journey as an educator.  Those first 11 represent the young, enthusiastic educator who spent a lot of time with students outside the classroom.  Class advisor, cheerleading advisor, and activities director were formal roles but I voluntarily went to sporting events, proms, plays, dance recitals.  I was present in those students lives and they were a big part of shaping me.  The next 6 represent the professional educator.  I became a department lead, a part of a teaching team, a mentor and focused on leadership within the school community.  While the job was still about the students, it also became about the pedagogy of teaching and working with my peers to deliver content effectively.  The next 6 represent the library journey.  I moved out of the day to day classroom instruction and took on a different role, but then was thrust back into the classroom twice because of budget issues.  The final 6 are where I am now working as a teacher librarian helping students navigate the information overload that is today's world.  The shelf is full as you can see and the last 6 are piled on top.  There's still room for a few more, but is the end approaching?  These last 6 represent a different phase of my career, the veteran.  I've seen 28 first days of school.  I've seen the wide-eyed 9th grader enter unsure of their place in high school.  I've seen the senior graduate with a promise to visit often, move on into their life.
As I think about tomorrow, I think about the journey and how far I've come from this first year teacher.  It's still about the students and while I know I won't reach everyone, I hope that I can reach and touch a few and make a difference in their lives and their futures as they enter the library and I try to teach them something that will carry with them on their journey into adulthood.

Testing, Weeding and Redesigning

I never posted this even though I wrote it back in late April.  It's still appropriate so I'll post it now.

Spring is here and my library has been taken over for testing central. I have mixed feelings about our school testing environment. Do we need to evaluate what students are learning, absolutely? But the financial hold the testing companies have that lead to 5 days occupied by state testing comprising of 15 hours of bubbling in answers seems very excessive. That doesn't include the 6 hours of exit exam testing which also occurs. Then add in makeup exams for which the library is the only space available for large groups and the students who use the library as "home base" during their free time cannot access home. Spring calls to mind weeds and yards. I'm doing a massive weeding project this spring in anticipation of a remodel next year. Weeding challenges my library skills versus my love of books. It's heartbreaking to see how many books have been here since the 1970's that have never once been checked out. Someone selected it for a reason for the collection. Someone thought it had value at one time. Someone decided it was appropriate for a teenager. Some of the books inspire laughter--Decorate your Jeans with floral embroidery was a big hit for laughing at those 70's styles. Planning your wedding and the 80's hair on the bride gave us a good laugh. But what about that book on the Kennedy brother's? Do I keep it or throw it? After all one was a president, the other hoped to be president. But no one has checked it out and you can find plenty online.