Newness

Last night it dawned on me:

I've been thinking a lot about how burnt out I was becoming, and how it sometimes it felt as though I were a lifetime away from my end career goals. I've been so completely focused on becoming a school librarian that I am missing what is going on right in front of me. I have been reading every article I come across on school librarians, I pour over every issue of School Library Journal, and I have been researching certification programs methodically. I had been trying my hardest to read a ton of books so as to keep up with school librarians that I follow on Twitter, and I could never quite make it.
Then it hit me: that is a very integral part of their job. Their JOB. Of course I can't keep up - I'm in graduate school! I'm working! I am a mother of two young sons, I am happily married and enjoy being with my family! My plate is full enough without trying to obsessively prepare myself to be a school librarian, and keep up with people who are already in the field.
I am a teacher-in-training. I am becoming very schooled in adolescent development, and the more I learn about this age group, the more thankful I am that I chose to get certified to work with them. I have plenty to learn and plenty to do before I reach my ultimate career goals, and in the meantime, I need to appreciate the meantime. So, I am regrouping and refocusing. I am appreciating my life and my work where it is now. I am focusing on the age group that I love, and in whatever capacity it is that I am working with them, whether as a teacher or a librarian, I want to be fully prepared to understand and help them as best I can. My school librarian training can wait for library school. Right now and always, I am a middle grades educator, and I'm proud of that.

So, all of that being said, I'm changing the name and focus of my blog. This is going to be a place for reviewing books for Middle Grades, sharing great resources, posts on issues that impact adolescents, and posts dealing with adolescent development.

Hopefully I will have more time to blog now!