Storytime Extravaganza
The three new things that I learned at this class were new songs, activities, and transitions. I hope to create the color bucket activites that were discussed during the class. The teaming up of librarians to present a book or poem was very interesting and since we do not have two staff people available during our story times maybe we could enlist the help of some teen volunteers to do this on occasion. Mo Willems, Eric Carle, and Eric Litwin (Pete the Cat) are authors we probably all use so I wished the presenters would have introduced us to different more obscure authors. The tips on working with puppets were also helpful. My favorite part of the workshop was the music and the movements. Submitted by Tammy Gantz
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Serving Your Customers Without Sacrificing Yourself
I attended Rayna Schroeder's workshop 'Serving Your Customers Without Sacrificing Yourself' at LaVale on November 14. This sounded like an interesting topic for me, as I deal with customers every day, and some of them can be challenges to my good nature. I learned that if I can identify my 'triggers', actions that will make me angry, I can learn how to diffuse the negative energy before I lose my cool. There are tools that can help me keep calm and they include the SOSS model. SOSS stands for Stop, Oxegenate, Strengthen Appreciation and Seek Information. The more I can emotionally understand a person, the less negative energy will be directed their way. I will try to encourage my coworkers to give our customers the benefit of the doubt and try to empathize with them and the library environment will be a nice place to be in!
LWC Education Day
On Nov. 9th I participated in Leadership Washington County's Education Day. The following is a brief and probably incomplete description of that day and some thoughts and questions I had throughout.
The thesis for the day was how does Washington County Public Schools prepare students for secondary education and skills development. To answer this question we visited 4 schools and heard from a variety of educators and administrators.
Our first stop was to the Marshall Street School which provides special education to students ages 3-21 who are in challenging cognitive and physical situations. Every student has a highly specialized IEP (Individualized Education Program). Most class sizes are very small and have at least one teacher and one assistant (sometimes a nurse) present at all times, depending on the needs of the students in the class. I was blown away by the amount of energy and compassion that the teachers, administrators, staff are required to bring with them each and every day.
Seeing this school and seeing how the classes were conducted and how the students were treated inevitably made me wonder: what if all students - not just those we label as having special needs - were given an IEP? What if all students got to take classes where the student:teacher ratio was 1:4? I know the immediate answer is most likely, "because it costs too much" but it's still something worth thinking about and I think it's something worth striving for, as well.
Our next stop was to another specialized school, the Washington County Technical High School. This school is home to some of Washington County's academic elite. I say "some" because in order keep class size low the Tech High can only accept a portion of the students who apply. I believe total enrollment is just below 500. We got to tour a couple of programs within the school - Biomedical Sciences; Computer Game Development & Animation; Digital Communications; Computer Networking and Repair. There are a couple of things I really loved about this school:
Our afternoon was spent in Boonsboro at the Elementary School and the High School. Our first stop was into a gifted and talented classroom where the teacher told us all about how the G&T program works, how students are labeled at G&T and then what kind of exercises they do in class - creative thinking, analogy building, etc. I loved it; it was like a mental playground.
At the high school we heard brief presentations from a variety of teachers and administrators. Mostly they talked about AP test prep, SAT/ACT prep, etc. The guidance counselor talked about % of students who apply to college, etc.
Then we walked back to the Elementary School to hear a panel of three gentlemen: the assistant superintendent of schools, a representative from HCC, and a representative from Kaplan University. I didn't get too much out of this portion of the day so, unfortunately, I do not have anything to report.
Some last thoughts/observations I had: I couldn't help but think of the poverty vs privilege debate from the Human Services Day back in October. For example, some folks might see the Marshall Street School students as disadvantaged but not me. They're receiving a huge benefit from the school; they've extremely privileged in terms of the education they're receiving. I'm not down-playing their life-situation but the Marshall Street School is an extremely admirable resource in the county. I also think of privilege in terms of intellectual privilege and the students who are accepted into programs at the Tech High. So, if the Marshall Street students and the Tech High students are the privileged ones, who are educationally impoverished? I guess I would say, in some instances, it's the students who fall in the middle, those who are not on either extreme of the bell curve. This could include students who do not flourish in a standard educational environment or students who aren't interested in attending college right after graduation. Does this mean we as a society place less importance or see less value in these individuals and members of our communities?
The thesis for the day was how does Washington County Public Schools prepare students for secondary education and skills development. To answer this question we visited 4 schools and heard from a variety of educators and administrators.
Our first stop was to the Marshall Street School which provides special education to students ages 3-21 who are in challenging cognitive and physical situations. Every student has a highly specialized IEP (Individualized Education Program). Most class sizes are very small and have at least one teacher and one assistant (sometimes a nurse) present at all times, depending on the needs of the students in the class. I was blown away by the amount of energy and compassion that the teachers, administrators, staff are required to bring with them each and every day.
Seeing this school and seeing how the classes were conducted and how the students were treated inevitably made me wonder: what if all students - not just those we label as having special needs - were given an IEP? What if all students got to take classes where the student:teacher ratio was 1:4? I know the immediate answer is most likely, "because it costs too much" but it's still something worth thinking about and I think it's something worth striving for, as well.
Our next stop was to another specialized school, the Washington County Technical High School. This school is home to some of Washington County's academic elite. I say "some" because in order keep class size low the Tech High can only accept a portion of the students who apply. I believe total enrollment is just below 500. We got to tour a couple of programs within the school - Biomedical Sciences; Computer Game Development & Animation; Digital Communications; Computer Networking and Repair. There are a couple of things I really loved about this school:
- Project-based learning
- Teachers as facilitators
- Focus is on learning not teaching/educating
Our afternoon was spent in Boonsboro at the Elementary School and the High School. Our first stop was into a gifted and talented classroom where the teacher told us all about how the G&T program works, how students are labeled at G&T and then what kind of exercises they do in class - creative thinking, analogy building, etc. I loved it; it was like a mental playground.
At the high school we heard brief presentations from a variety of teachers and administrators. Mostly they talked about AP test prep, SAT/ACT prep, etc. The guidance counselor talked about % of students who apply to college, etc.
Then we walked back to the Elementary School to hear a panel of three gentlemen: the assistant superintendent of schools, a representative from HCC, and a representative from Kaplan University. I didn't get too much out of this portion of the day so, unfortunately, I do not have anything to report.
Some last thoughts/observations I had: I couldn't help but think of the poverty vs privilege debate from the Human Services Day back in October. For example, some folks might see the Marshall Street School students as disadvantaged but not me. They're receiving a huge benefit from the school; they've extremely privileged in terms of the education they're receiving. I'm not down-playing their life-situation but the Marshall Street School is an extremely admirable resource in the county. I also think of privilege in terms of intellectual privilege and the students who are accepted into programs at the Tech High. So, if the Marshall Street students and the Tech High students are the privileged ones, who are educationally impoverished? I guess I would say, in some instances, it's the students who fall in the middle, those who are not on either extreme of the bell curve. This could include students who do not flourish in a standard educational environment or students who aren't interested in attending college right after graduation. Does this mean we as a society place less importance or see less value in these individuals and members of our communities?
WCFL Staff Day - Enneagram
On Nov. 12th, the Washington County Free Library had their annual staff day. This year's presenter was Sandy Lundahl, a certified teacher of the Enneagram in the Narrative Tradition.
What's the Enneagram?
The Enneagram is a personality inventory that attempts to gauge from where we get our motivation. There are nine types:
Those who know me well might recognize how my type combos come to benefit me in my current role as Staff Development Coordinator for the Regional.
7s like variety and we like to plan fun things. Well, working with three different counties' worth of awesome library staff plus serving on committees statewide provides me with tons of variety, and then I get to plan fun staff development workshops and the Tri-County Summit. However, as a 7 I have some challenges I need to recognize. For instance, I do get bored pretty easily which relates to some struggles I have with seeing a project through - especially if I'm working on it by myself. I find I do much better seeing a project from start to finish if I work with other people.
5s like to be self-sufficient and left alone which shines the spotlight on my introverted nature and my daily meditation practice. I also pride myself on being very self-sufficient - much to the chagrin of my #2 Mom who wants nothing more than to help me. So, that's a struggle for me - learning to let others in and let them help because it's all coming from a good place.
9s want to keep the peace and avoid conflict which I feel I do on a daily basis; I'm a very skilled in the art of compromise. I do not thrive on conflict and I want everyone to be happy (another 7 tie-in). I sometimes strongly empathize with other people to the point of being able to physically feel their emotions which can be great for customer service and relationship-building but I'm no good at delivering bad news or saying no.
So now that you know all about what motivates me, please do not take advantage - unless you come up with a really creative way to do it because then the 7 in me will be very entertained. LOL
What's the Enneagram?
The Enneagram is a personality inventory that attempts to gauge from where we get our motivation. There are nine types:
- The Reformers - they want to get it right and have integrity
- The Helpers - they want to help others and to be loved
- The Motivators - they want to succeed and to add value
- The Individualists - they want to complete themselves
- The Thinkers - they want objective information to understand the universe
- The Loyalists - they want to be save and to know what's really happening
- The Enthusiasts - they want exciting possibilities and an array of experiences
- The Generalists - they want to be in control in order to achieve results
- The Harmonizers - they want to maintain harmony and empathize with others
Those who know me well might recognize how my type combos come to benefit me in my current role as Staff Development Coordinator for the Regional.
7s like variety and we like to plan fun things. Well, working with three different counties' worth of awesome library staff plus serving on committees statewide provides me with tons of variety, and then I get to plan fun staff development workshops and the Tri-County Summit. However, as a 7 I have some challenges I need to recognize. For instance, I do get bored pretty easily which relates to some struggles I have with seeing a project through - especially if I'm working on it by myself. I find I do much better seeing a project from start to finish if I work with other people.
5s like to be self-sufficient and left alone which shines the spotlight on my introverted nature and my daily meditation practice. I also pride myself on being very self-sufficient - much to the chagrin of my #2 Mom who wants nothing more than to help me. So, that's a struggle for me - learning to let others in and let them help because it's all coming from a good place.
9s want to keep the peace and avoid conflict which I feel I do on a daily basis; I'm a very skilled in the art of compromise. I do not thrive on conflict and I want everyone to be happy (another 7 tie-in). I sometimes strongly empathize with other people to the point of being able to physically feel their emotions which can be great for customer service and relationship-building but I'm no good at delivering bad news or saying no.
So now that you know all about what motivates me, please do not take advantage - unless you come up with a really creative way to do it because then the 7 in me will be very entertained. LOL
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Kids Are Customers Too
I once again attended Kids Are Customers Too. I was not as pleased with the event as I had been in prior years. Previously, the event consisted of breakaway sessions that allowed the participant to select sessions of particular interest. This year everyone was kept together. We had a session on a Cold Storytime. Next was a session on healthy snacking for teens/kids. This was an interesting concept. The County Extension Office worked with the library to teach the concept of healthy snacking and its preparation in conjunction with an event such as gaming. I would like to see something similar happen with teens at the Leonard P. Snyder Memorial Library. Kate Riggs, winner of the Blue Crab Award, spoke on editing. The remainder of our time was spent with reps from Baker and Taylor as they introduced us to upcoming releases, the majority of them YA books.
Storytime Extravaganza
Well it is about time I got around to blogging on this event. This was a fun day filled with children's storytelling activities such as Hip Hop Tooty Ta. There was a large portion that I was already familiar with as I have heard the presenters three times previously. However, I was pleased to see they added a section on storytelling for elementary age children. I also learned I need a ukelele, a parachute, and an updated music collection.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
ABOS 2012 Conference
The Association of Bookmobile & Outreach Services 2012 Conference was a great learning experience. Dr. Gary Fountain, Rector of Chatham Hall kicked off the conference with an inspirational speech of how he has integrated technology into the Chatham Hall curriculum and Library. Attendees also had the privilege to listen to author Donald Pollock read a few excerpts from his book The Devil all the Time. I personally don't care for murder mysteries, however Pollock has such a smooth voice I could listen to him read instructions on how to assemble a bookcase.
The workshops covered a wide range of topics that our department provides. I chose to attend a few early literacy seminars, reaching seniors in assisted living and a marketing seminar. Hands down Flaunt Yourselves: Using Outreach as Marketing was worth the trip alone. Chaundra Carroccio & Tameka Roby from East Baton Rouge Parish Library explained what works and what doesn't for their department. This dynamic duo can energize a crowd and their charisma keeps their department running on all gears.
One of the many highlights of the conference is being able to tour the numerous bookmobiles from other libraries. After touring the other bookmobiles I am thankful for our efficient layout and two laptops. If at all possible the next time the conference is held near Maryland our bookmobile should be displayed.
Overall the conference was a great experience. The seminars and speakers offered some new ideas. I meet and talked with other outreach workers from both huge departments to as small as one man show. We discussed schedules, staff sizes, and number of vehicles per department. After speaking with my fellow comrades I felt confident that our department is doing a great job.
The workshops covered a wide range of topics that our department provides. I chose to attend a few early literacy seminars, reaching seniors in assisted living and a marketing seminar. Hands down Flaunt Yourselves: Using Outreach as Marketing was worth the trip alone. Chaundra Carroccio & Tameka Roby from East Baton Rouge Parish Library explained what works and what doesn't for their department. This dynamic duo can energize a crowd and their charisma keeps their department running on all gears.
One of the many highlights of the conference is being able to tour the numerous bookmobiles from other libraries. After touring the other bookmobiles I am thankful for our efficient layout and two laptops. If at all possible the next time the conference is held near Maryland our bookmobile should be displayed.
Overall the conference was a great experience. The seminars and speakers offered some new ideas. I meet and talked with other outreach workers from both huge departments to as small as one man show. We discussed schedules, staff sizes, and number of vehicles per department. After speaking with my fellow comrades I felt confident that our department is doing a great job.
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