Back to the Books
School starts in about a week and our teachers report this week for inservice training, room preparation, and brain re-adjustments after a long, forgetful summer.
Maybe it’s just me who needs to re-adjust my brain to prepare for school. It seemed that all summer I worked on little projects to smoothly begin the new school year and then just before school starts, the bottom dropped out and “the best laid plans of mice and men went awry!”
After an awesome introduction to materials from the Suzy Red presentation at the end of July and the Upstart Roadshow with Toni Buzzeo and Pat Miller, I had tons of ideas, plans, projects, etc., to start the new year. Then my mother called to let me know that my father was in the hospital–the ICU ward, my college-aged son tells me that he needs to move into his apartment that weekend, and my senior 2008-daughter has failed to take care of her summer AP art project, get her yearbook photograph taken, or take her car into the repair service to have a whining belt changed (after reminding her to do these things all summer!!) After a slow and sultry summer of mindless wanderings, my life turned upside down quickly with everything happening at once and everyone waiting and watching me to “get things going” for them.
I think it must be the “librarian leadership” thing that kicks some us into gear. Without thinking “emotionally” about any of this (my father critically ill, my oldest son going “away from home” to college, and my daughter –who is a blonde–having a “seriously blonde summer” and forgetting to take care of business), I managed to take care of the things that I could control.
Nate is completely “moved” and loving the apartment at Oklahoma State University; Nachel has her car repaired, her photos taken, and her art project completed; and I visited my father and spoke to the nurses and doctors about his care. Fortunately, he is doing much better but is still in the hospital.
What does all of this have to do with schools, libraries, and “back to the books?” Well, I think it puts everything into perspective. Even though we plan ahead, write lessons, create projects, and compile book lists, the reality is that “the people” around us are really the main reason why we are who we are and do what we do. Those individuals in our personal lives may drive our thoughts and behaviors at home, but those individuals at school are the ones that we seldom consider when life is going well for us and a new school year begins.
What are our students, our teachers, our parents, and our administrators facing each day that may be turning their personal lives upside down? Is anyone there to help, to listen, to understand, or to guide? Not everyone has a support system in place to take care of those things that twist their lives into pretzels.
Sometimes stepping back and watching…listening….and caring can make a difference in how our students and teachers find us and how they see us as both educators and human beings.
Starting a new school year is stressful for everyone. Facing new people, new ideas, and new schedules can easily cause individuals to become emotional, distracted, or isolated. Being a cornerstone of support for those individuals that you see having problems with their new environments (new teachers, new students) is the first step in building a relationship of trust. Taking the time to make one thing easier or sharing information and resources to help guide them through this difficult time will certainly remind them who they can count on when they have a problem.
Sometimes it’s great when things go smoothly and everyone is ready to start the new school year. But not everyone has a smooth start and not everyone has their mind set for learning. Taking the time to see the person and their problem can help to bridge the gap and bring them back to you.
Realizing that the people are the most important reason why we do what we do should be our back-to-school lesson.
