first hugs after summer
today, the students trickled onto campus. most were being "oriented" and/or kept (aka babysat) before the official first day of school tomorrow. i saw a few teachers and staff and even some littluns; 4th and up being my given realm. today, though, was largely dedicated to sorting through the piles of crap in the office/work room, stacking the hundreds of quick picks books i've received since july, and trying to set up shop. little got done and many interruptions were had, not the least of which being my boss' continual need for "help" on flickr and dreamweaver. lessons were learned. by me. (hide those tech skills. or didn't arkansas teach you nuthin'?) i saw many of my graduated 5th graders who are now "new students" entering 6th grade--if timing and space allowed, i held the hands of new students and high fived my now quite a bit taller, returning kids.
of course, when i walked into my office and the library this morning, i was greeted by, "*gasp!* she's here!" and, "jeneeeeeeeene!), as a trio of my fav lib teen grrls were snuggled up in pile, waiting to pounce on me. after i shed my layers and put my bifocals on my desk for fear that they'd be smushed in the reunion hugs, i put my arms out wide and stood before them. demanding, of course, that the one who has had the worst summer of all (according to my constant connection to my teens via facebook) because he mother suffered a stroke just as school was let out and is far from 100% recovered (both mother and family), be the first to be embraced. "too much love," she said, but i didn't let go just yet, as i explained to her that i had to hug her for june, july, and august of hard times; plus, i missed her. and, she happily took the hug and nod to fb for helping me be there when she needed me. the line of hugs continued and several teens came in throughout the late morning and afternoon, one even calling from outside the gym door from her cell phone to my work extension saying, "hi. how are you? i'm stuck outside the gym door and i really want to see you." and, i immediately got the three hugged girls to do a relay of doors to let this one in. more hugs were had.
and then, i suddenly found myself surrounded by seven girls, with me being the only voice of "no, don't do it" on the issue of tattoos and piercings planned and also done deals over the summer. good thing my office mate was at the dentist. but, on quick observation, no one has been too bad or too good in their absence. and, i'm pretty sure that the "no one gets pregnant on my watch. even me." rule is still solid.
my trio of grrls helped me (read, saved my ass) by volunteering (read, being begged) to take on some tasks of bulletin board, smelly marker/construction paper fun and more urgently, checking lists of nominated qp books so i know what i'm missing and what is overwhelmingly now in my possession that cannot be sold and may not be of benefit to the school's collection (read censored, mostly. no, of course, not by me.). this was supposed to enable me to set up my desk (about 40% complete) and to start getting ready for my classes for 4th and 5th grade (does printing out the class lists count as progress on this?) and dealing with way too many emails (that, i did). the finishing grrl on the quartet finally arrived and big love exploded in the library. i was hugged. the grrls hugged and giggled and went off to do their bidding after squealing, "i haven't seen you for more than 24 hours!" (i've never had friends like that at school or otherwise and i love seeing this in the world).
but, they did not run off before a. telling me, "we'll be over there at those tables probably for a while, so we're not really leaving." and b. the darkest humored one who completes the quartet and who is a reader of all things twisted that i gleefully put in her hands burst into uncontrollable excitement (with me) when "ant farm" by simon rich (freshly cataloged in the library's collection, but had been passed around in cult following last spring by moi) was checked out to her in a mad flurry of how awesome it's going to be to get the drama teacher in on our plan to do the book as skits and she bolted down the hall, only to return with an even bigger grin upon returning with an out of breath synopsis of what she'd showed him, that he was laughing, that the book was in his hands and he was reading it now, and the comment with a double thumbs up, "i think we're good."
i got hugs from the least likely candidates today. and, i even found myself waiting for students to finish their sentences nearby, while i stood like a cross, and they, turned into me as though it was choreographed for me to be hugging them in welcome, in friendship, as mentor and rockstar librarian, the one they visited and the one who has been connected to them since i first hit campus last october. one of my boys stood from the computer to hug me when i came to say hello and i discovered his new glasses looked a lot like mine, so i suggested we swap. we agreed that with the strength and complete opposite of our prescriptions, "who needs alcohol or drugs?" as we said, "whoa" in unison.
i have a big accomplishment that i made today, and my favorite quote to share and then, i'll stop typing and call it a day. i was able to communicate with my boss (big step) on a sensitive issue (me) about the outreach (she calls it babysitting) i do after school hours for the high school teens. i'd brainstormed during one of the seemingly endless meetings last week about how i might serve many purposes with an idea and if i could be successful in coming up with a plan to do my important work and also, impact the work that is done on the days i don't work (read no one is there for the teens in the same way, and more often, no one is there for them). i came up with what i thought was a solid proposal and then today, it got even better. i pitched it, she said, "type it up and i'll send it" and, *gasp* "that's a good idea" (rare), and i basically wrote an argument for why a. my after school hours should be (seen as) and paid as professional rate, and b. a candidate from the mlis program at the ischool should be chosen through interviews with me, my boss, a panel of my regular after school teens, and be paid above minimum wage to work under my training and in my absence. holy shit. if this gets approved, i will feel a lot more powerful in my current job and also have support for my teens coming from someone who actually wants to work with them and who will have to prove it to them first. *gulp* this is the next level for me in professionalism. salary and job descriptions crafted by me, the lowly part-time newbie. i am indeed a "partidaria."
okay, fav quote: kid (and when i say kid, i mean kid, not teen) comes into the library late in the afternoon and looks at me through the glass of my "window." i know him from an "incident" last year and we "made some progress" in summer school with "behavior modification" and what i'd like to think of as bonding and safe space building. here's my proof that it worked. and, that i am "cool" to the kids, if they've ever managed to see me and really meet me, that is. said kid walks in the door and right up to my side at my desk, small talk and greetings obviously not on his mind. "where's your peanut butter and jelly?" he says, matter of factly. i swivel and point to a cabinet, "it's in there." after he realizes which one and where inside the filled cabinet it is sitting (it, being an almost puppet like rendition of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich that i made in arkansas--it's stuffed and has all the components you'd need to do a jazzy song about the fav fud, and the foam "bread" complete with "crust" suits the bling "jelly" perfectly), he snatches it up in his arms, does not close the cabinet and rushes out the door like he's going for a touchdown. i tell my office mate to look outside when i realize that this kid has apparently told littler kids at recess about the infamous pb and j and i start laughing as i see them all gather in awe of what he's holding and showing them. he shouts, "i am the king!" and, they all believe him.
of course, when i walked into my office and the library this morning, i was greeted by, "*gasp!* she's here!" and, "jeneeeeeeeene!), as a trio of my fav lib teen grrls were snuggled up in pile, waiting to pounce on me. after i shed my layers and put my bifocals on my desk for fear that they'd be smushed in the reunion hugs, i put my arms out wide and stood before them. demanding, of course, that the one who has had the worst summer of all (according to my constant connection to my teens via facebook) because he mother suffered a stroke just as school was let out and is far from 100% recovered (both mother and family), be the first to be embraced. "too much love," she said, but i didn't let go just yet, as i explained to her that i had to hug her for june, july, and august of hard times; plus, i missed her. and, she happily took the hug and nod to fb for helping me be there when she needed me. the line of hugs continued and several teens came in throughout the late morning and afternoon, one even calling from outside the gym door from her cell phone to my work extension saying, "hi. how are you? i'm stuck outside the gym door and i really want to see you." and, i immediately got the three hugged girls to do a relay of doors to let this one in. more hugs were had.
and then, i suddenly found myself surrounded by seven girls, with me being the only voice of "no, don't do it" on the issue of tattoos and piercings planned and also done deals over the summer. good thing my office mate was at the dentist. but, on quick observation, no one has been too bad or too good in their absence. and, i'm pretty sure that the "no one gets pregnant on my watch. even me." rule is still solid.
my trio of grrls helped me (read, saved my ass) by volunteering (read, being begged) to take on some tasks of bulletin board, smelly marker/construction paper fun and more urgently, checking lists of nominated qp books so i know what i'm missing and what is overwhelmingly now in my possession that cannot be sold and may not be of benefit to the school's collection (read censored, mostly. no, of course, not by me.). this was supposed to enable me to set up my desk (about 40% complete) and to start getting ready for my classes for 4th and 5th grade (does printing out the class lists count as progress on this?) and dealing with way too many emails (that, i did). the finishing grrl on the quartet finally arrived and big love exploded in the library. i was hugged. the grrls hugged and giggled and went off to do their bidding after squealing, "i haven't seen you for more than 24 hours!" (i've never had friends like that at school or otherwise and i love seeing this in the world).
but, they did not run off before a. telling me, "we'll be over there at those tables probably for a while, so we're not really leaving." and b. the darkest humored one who completes the quartet and who is a reader of all things twisted that i gleefully put in her hands burst into uncontrollable excitement (with me) when "ant farm" by simon rich (freshly cataloged in the library's collection, but had been passed around in cult following last spring by moi) was checked out to her in a mad flurry of how awesome it's going to be to get the drama teacher in on our plan to do the book as skits and she bolted down the hall, only to return with an even bigger grin upon returning with an out of breath synopsis of what she'd showed him, that he was laughing, that the book was in his hands and he was reading it now, and the comment with a double thumbs up, "i think we're good."
i got hugs from the least likely candidates today. and, i even found myself waiting for students to finish their sentences nearby, while i stood like a cross, and they, turned into me as though it was choreographed for me to be hugging them in welcome, in friendship, as mentor and rockstar librarian, the one they visited and the one who has been connected to them since i first hit campus last october. one of my boys stood from the computer to hug me when i came to say hello and i discovered his new glasses looked a lot like mine, so i suggested we swap. we agreed that with the strength and complete opposite of our prescriptions, "who needs alcohol or drugs?" as we said, "whoa" in unison.
i have a big accomplishment that i made today, and my favorite quote to share and then, i'll stop typing and call it a day. i was able to communicate with my boss (big step) on a sensitive issue (me) about the outreach (she calls it babysitting) i do after school hours for the high school teens. i'd brainstormed during one of the seemingly endless meetings last week about how i might serve many purposes with an idea and if i could be successful in coming up with a plan to do my important work and also, impact the work that is done on the days i don't work (read no one is there for the teens in the same way, and more often, no one is there for them). i came up with what i thought was a solid proposal and then today, it got even better. i pitched it, she said, "type it up and i'll send it" and, *gasp* "that's a good idea" (rare), and i basically wrote an argument for why a. my after school hours should be (seen as) and paid as professional rate, and b. a candidate from the mlis program at the ischool should be chosen through interviews with me, my boss, a panel of my regular after school teens, and be paid above minimum wage to work under my training and in my absence. holy shit. if this gets approved, i will feel a lot more powerful in my current job and also have support for my teens coming from someone who actually wants to work with them and who will have to prove it to them first. *gulp* this is the next level for me in professionalism. salary and job descriptions crafted by me, the lowly part-time newbie. i am indeed a "partidaria."
okay, fav quote: kid (and when i say kid, i mean kid, not teen) comes into the library late in the afternoon and looks at me through the glass of my "window." i know him from an "incident" last year and we "made some progress" in summer school with "behavior modification" and what i'd like to think of as bonding and safe space building. here's my proof that it worked. and, that i am "cool" to the kids, if they've ever managed to see me and really meet me, that is. said kid walks in the door and right up to my side at my desk, small talk and greetings obviously not on his mind. "where's your peanut butter and jelly?" he says, matter of factly. i swivel and point to a cabinet, "it's in there." after he realizes which one and where inside the filled cabinet it is sitting (it, being an almost puppet like rendition of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich that i made in arkansas--it's stuffed and has all the components you'd need to do a jazzy song about the fav fud, and the foam "bread" complete with "crust" suits the bling "jelly" perfectly), he snatches it up in his arms, does not close the cabinet and rushes out the door like he's going for a touchdown. i tell my office mate to look outside when i realize that this kid has apparently told littler kids at recess about the infamous pb and j and i start laughing as i see them all gather in awe of what he's holding and showing them. he shouts, "i am the king!" and, they all believe him.