Goals & Challenges
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I am in the unique position of knowing where I will be working as a librarian but not knowing the school, students, or library culture there yet. I begin my new job at the Anglo-American School of Sofia, Bulgaria on August 14, 2013. I accepted a librarian position after numerous skype interviews with the Director, Curriculum Coordinator, and Elementary Principal, but was not able to personally visit the school. However, I have several ideas of things I would like to try in the next two years at AAS.
With students, I would like to start a book club and use podcasts for book reviews, uploading to the school's webpage and Facebook pages. I have never used podcasts before, so I need to learn the technological aspects of the program in order to help the students. Currently there is a teacher at SCCS who has offered to show me how to create podcasts before I leave Bolivia for Bulgaria. For the book club, I am not sure what my target age group should be, as I have not met the students yet. But, since my teaching background is with Middle School students, I anticipate working with them first, if they are interested. In researching AAS, I have not come across any book club groups so far so think this will be a good activity to introduce to the school.
For the AAS teachers I would like to establish a weekly or monthly eNewsletter. I currently email articles or websites to the SCCS teachers, but it has been sporadic and lacking in any kind of organization. I would like to formalize the process, possibly modeling it after eNewsletters that I currently subscribe to and read. Working with the teachers to ensure there is a consistent citation style within the school and that the information literacy skills curriculum is integrated into their lessons is another major goal for next year. In addition, AAS offers the IB diploma; I will request training in the IB program so I can better tailor the library services to the IB students' needs.
Some of the challenges I face in my new position are things that I know about myself based on my time working at SCCS. I love helping others, whether it is a student who needs a paper edited, a teacher who needs resources, or an administrator who needs a report. Because I enjoy being helpful, I often take on more than I can handle and overextend what is reasonably doable. I need to better manage my time. In taking on too many responsibiliites, I get ovewhelmed with the things that need to get done, causing nothing to get done well. I am also a bit of a perfectionist, wanting things done in a certain way. While this is crucial for cataloging, it is not so important for a new bulletin board, for instance. I need to let go of the idea that I have to be the one doing it all, and allowing others to step in and help.
With students, I would like to start a book club and use podcasts for book reviews, uploading to the school's webpage and Facebook pages. I have never used podcasts before, so I need to learn the technological aspects of the program in order to help the students. Currently there is a teacher at SCCS who has offered to show me how to create podcasts before I leave Bolivia for Bulgaria. For the book club, I am not sure what my target age group should be, as I have not met the students yet. But, since my teaching background is with Middle School students, I anticipate working with them first, if they are interested. In researching AAS, I have not come across any book club groups so far so think this will be a good activity to introduce to the school.
For the AAS teachers I would like to establish a weekly or monthly eNewsletter. I currently email articles or websites to the SCCS teachers, but it has been sporadic and lacking in any kind of organization. I would like to formalize the process, possibly modeling it after eNewsletters that I currently subscribe to and read. Working with the teachers to ensure there is a consistent citation style within the school and that the information literacy skills curriculum is integrated into their lessons is another major goal for next year. In addition, AAS offers the IB diploma; I will request training in the IB program so I can better tailor the library services to the IB students' needs.
Some of the challenges I face in my new position are things that I know about myself based on my time working at SCCS. I love helping others, whether it is a student who needs a paper edited, a teacher who needs resources, or an administrator who needs a report. Because I enjoy being helpful, I often take on more than I can handle and overextend what is reasonably doable. I need to better manage my time. In taking on too many responsibiliites, I get ovewhelmed with the things that need to get done, causing nothing to get done well. I am also a bit of a perfectionist, wanting things done in a certain way. While this is crucial for cataloging, it is not so important for a new bulletin board, for instance. I need to let go of the idea that I have to be the one doing it all, and allowing others to step in and help.