“Teach your children well
And feed them on your dreams”
~Graham Nash
There aren’t many things that consistently cause me to get choked up. “Teach Your
Children,” a song written by Graham Nash, however, is one of those things. Every time I
hear it I think about all the teachers (a term I use broadly to describe not only teachers in
a classroom, but friends and family as well) in my life who have taught me through direct
instruction and by example how to live my life to the fullest and how important it is to
approach the world with an open mind and an open heart. And every time, I feel like my
heart is going to burst with gratitude.
There’s one line in the song, though, that I would change: “Don’t you ever ask them
why.” I think, as a librarian, I am in a position where “Why?” is an important question
to pose. As are, “Who, What, When and How.” What genre do you like to read? Why do
you think this is the correct resource to use for this project? How can we verify this is a
reliable source? What do you want the outcome of this project to look like? Asking open-
ended questions leads to open lines of communication, and good communication skills
are the foundation of everything important.
The hope is that leading by example creates more productive student inquiry.
As a librarian and educator, I believe it is my duty to approach my time in the library
with these same core values and to share my knowledge with the students while also
learning new ideas and new information along with them. Books, innovative technologies
and educational resources allow students to discover worlds they never thought possible,
whether it be by reading Alice In Wonderland or exploring the Columbia Gazetteer of the
World online. I will help students successfully navigate these new worlds, be it the World
Wide Web of information overload or the books I help get into their hands.
Students communicate primarily through using various technologies and devices.
I am committed to providing them with resources that will help advance their education,
whether that means acquiring e-readers available for check-out, setting up a community Twitter feed,
or teaching a lesson on digital storytelling.
I strongly believe that everyone should have equal access to the library and to the
information found within and should not be discriminated against for any reason. I am
responsible for making the library a safe haven for information consumption and for
positive work ethics.
I will promote literacy and reading by instituting creative programs within the
library, as well as through community outreach. I will plan after-school book clubs and
invite parents to participate along with their children. I think it is also important and
valuable for students to meet the people behind the books and other art forms, such
as storytelling, so I plan on inviting an array of writers to visit the library and talk to
students about the books they’ve written as well as their creative processes.
Working collaboratively and cooperatively with the other staff members in the
school is equally as important as serving the student and parent populations. I will be
there to help, to guide, to recommend and to serve as an open resource. As a librarian, it
is my job not only to teach the children, but to also teach the teachers, the administration,
the parents and the community.
When we all work together, we hold the key to feed future dreams.
Children,” a song written by Graham Nash, however, is one of those things. Every time I
hear it I think about all the teachers (a term I use broadly to describe not only teachers in
a classroom, but friends and family as well) in my life who have taught me through direct
instruction and by example how to live my life to the fullest and how important it is to
approach the world with an open mind and an open heart. And every time, I feel like my
heart is going to burst with gratitude.
There’s one line in the song, though, that I would change: “Don’t you ever ask them
why.” I think, as a librarian, I am in a position where “Why?” is an important question
to pose. As are, “Who, What, When and How.” What genre do you like to read? Why do
you think this is the correct resource to use for this project? How can we verify this is a
reliable source? What do you want the outcome of this project to look like? Asking open-
ended questions leads to open lines of communication, and good communication skills
are the foundation of everything important.
The hope is that leading by example creates more productive student inquiry.
As a librarian and educator, I believe it is my duty to approach my time in the library
with these same core values and to share my knowledge with the students while also
learning new ideas and new information along with them. Books, innovative technologies
and educational resources allow students to discover worlds they never thought possible,
whether it be by reading Alice In Wonderland or exploring the Columbia Gazetteer of the
World online. I will help students successfully navigate these new worlds, be it the World
Wide Web of information overload or the books I help get into their hands.
Students communicate primarily through using various technologies and devices.
I am committed to providing them with resources that will help advance their education,
whether that means acquiring e-readers available for check-out, setting up a community Twitter feed,
or teaching a lesson on digital storytelling.
I strongly believe that everyone should have equal access to the library and to the
information found within and should not be discriminated against for any reason. I am
responsible for making the library a safe haven for information consumption and for
positive work ethics.
I will promote literacy and reading by instituting creative programs within the
library, as well as through community outreach. I will plan after-school book clubs and
invite parents to participate along with their children. I think it is also important and
valuable for students to meet the people behind the books and other art forms, such
as storytelling, so I plan on inviting an array of writers to visit the library and talk to
students about the books they’ve written as well as their creative processes.
Working collaboratively and cooperatively with the other staff members in the
school is equally as important as serving the student and parent populations. I will be
there to help, to guide, to recommend and to serve as an open resource. As a librarian, it
is my job not only to teach the children, but to also teach the teachers, the administration,
the parents and the community.
When we all work together, we hold the key to feed future dreams.