Hi Readers

When I was a fifth grade classroom teacher, another lifetime ago, I discovered blogging…Well, the whole world did! I don’t mean that I personally discovered blogging, I mean I discovered that I liked to blog, I loved to reach out, and share what I was doing with anyone who took the time to check in with me and see what I’d posted. I’ve always been a show off; I was proud of what I was doing, and wanted people to know about it.

I changed paths a year ago and became the Elementary Librarian of Shanghai American School and when I did that, I knew that blogging was going to be a fantastic way to reach an even wider audience sharing one of my passions=books! However, for reasons I’m just beginning to grasp after 6 weeks of relaxation… the blogging never really took off in my first year as a librarian. I’m realizing that as a homeroom teacher I had an automatic audience of parents and students who checked in almost daily to see what I was posting… however in my new role I didn’t feel that pressure/urgency, so that is probably the main reason my blogging dropped off… way off. Another reason (excuse?) was that I was so much busier in the first year than I thought I’d be… in so many different ways than I’d ever imagined. Every way was a wonderful way, busy ordering books (what joy?) busy learning to manage wonderful staff (how lucky am I?) busy navigating budgets and finance departments and spread sheets (not my favorite part of the job, but again, I know I am fortunate to have such a wonderful budget to work with) busy recommending books to students. I was too busy to blog about my job, because I was DOING my job, and it was all new, and everything was for the first time and and and…

I didn’t think I could be busier in this role than I had been in my homeroom teacher role, but I’d underestimated the multitude of demands faced on a daily basis when you’re on call for over 40 teachers and around 400 students, oh and did I mention the parents? Like I mentioned, it was all good busy…GREAT busy in fact. I was relishing the book talk, the camaraderie developed in the heart of the school; the main thoroughfare of our bustling community and the new networks being created; however, something was missing, and that was blogging and reaching a wider audience, and MORE importantly, sharing all of the new knowledge with those I was catering too every day in a more formal way.

So… a goal for this school year, a SMART goal, a BHAG (big hairy audacious goal) is to blog twice a week (at least).
I hope to develop some book lists, some recommended reading lists, and improve on my blogroll. I learn from so many others around the world, I’d like to share their words, and not recreate the wheel. Starting now!
Following is a post geared to elementary teachers, from a blog I believe my good friend and close colleague, Amy Hossack recommended to me, Imagination Soup. So now readers, I recommend it to you and hope you enjoy what it has to offer, including this post on the best back to school books, nearly all of which are on our shelves, ready to be checked out by YOU! Melissa Taylor (Imagination Soup) also has plenty of great ideas for older readers such as this post on new chapter books for bigger kids.

I look forward to being proud of this blog, being able to recommend it to my students, teachers and parents and the world beyond as being current, informative and dynamic.