Wishful Thinking

I find myself wishing that with spring arriving, all would blossom and renew itself, so that all the good things in the world could continue in strength and health. But instead I find myself thinking that wishes alone cannot come true. That I need to work harder, try harder, dream harder, to make the good survive.

I am sure part of my pensiveness is learning that my position is being decreased in percentage time for next school year. I had so many plans and dreams for my students next year, but I will only be able to what I can in a 50% position.

I am grateful that I am not so dependent on my job for its income--that could have been disasterous. But I worry that all the progress I have made in educating students and expanding their minds will fall by the wayside.

So here's to dreams and to work--may they both be enough to increase enrollment so that I can be working more time!

When things go right

Sometimes, I remember why I like with working with children. I work with 3 second-graders as part of their enrichment. We are working in the Jr. Great Books curriculum in the library 2 days a week. Last week we were reading "The Fisherman and his Wife," a typical cautionary tale that warns what can happen if you wish for too much. To prepare for the story, the program suggests that you ask students a number of questions. I loved the answers and rationales I got.

When asked if they would wish for toys, clothes, or games, one child said, "No, I have enough of those." When asked if they would wish again for a million dollars, one was leaning toward "no" when another child said, "Well, I said yes so that I could give it to charity." The first one then said, "Oh, if I can give it to charity, I'll ask for the million dollars too."

Some days, the values we try to teach seem to reach them. On those days, it is easy to love being a teacher.

Life Beyond 23 Things

Today I am trying to figure out just what kind of blog I could create that would be appropriate for my school library. Right now, my best guess is a sort of book review blog; then, if I listed the address with my professional email, I would feel that it would be not only appropriate but useful. I'm not sure that the sort of exploring and play that I have done in this blog would work for a school librarian "official" site.

Anybody out there have any thoughts on the issue? I will post this to the 23 things NING too, so that I can get some advice.