Wednesday, March 27, 2024

SOLSC '24 Day Twenty-seven: Three affirmations

 

These three things happened today:

For this round of library lessons, I am having students respond to sentence stems about the library in honor of National Library Month starting next week.  They get to choose from a list of five stems, and write two to three sentences to complete their thoughts.  Their answers were as simple as loving the books to as complex as becoming more intelligent through reading.  Some praise was given to the "kind library workers", which filled my heart with happiness.

******
In a phone conversation about an unrelated topic, my supervisor (who is not my evaluator) let me know that I was doing a great job.  I didn't realize just how much I needed to hear that until she said it, and it almost made me cry.  

******
A parent was part of our focus team meeting today.  When I introduced myself, she looked at my nametag and said that her child enjoys coming to the library.  I told her that it made my heart happy to hear it; that is the baseline for everything else good that happens in our space.

It has been a challenging work year for me, and writing about the good things that happen in my job is part of my ongoing mental health journey that helps me to keep doing the work I love.  I hope that in this often hectic fourth quarter of the school year, you have the time--and energy, and mental space--to do the same.

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

SOLSC '24 Day Twenty-six: The eyes have it

I dropped the drops
I popped the pill
Both promising all day relief

And so it seemed
throughout the day
no cause for disbelief

A dribble here
a throat itch there
no major symptoms shown

So home I went
and sat outside...
and there, the cover was blown

My eyes turned red
they itched and burned
with no relief in sight

Til I dropped more drops
popped more pills
and closed them for the night.

My eye, reacting to allergens.

Allergies in Central Texas are no joke, y'all!  Here's hoping I don't wake up with my eyes glued shut!

 

Monday, March 25, 2024

SOLSC '24 Day Twenty-five: The wall has arrived

 


This happens to me with just about every SOLSC, with a week to go in the challenge: the wall made up of writer's blocks suddenly goes up.

I say writer's blocks--plural--because I have plenty of ideas to write about.  Then my brain blocks each one.

I started with the title "I used to, but now", but I wasn't feeling the couplet thing this evening.

Blogging in pajamas and undereye gel patches came to mind...and then what?  I've already talked about my makeup and skincare routine.

I could write about the monthly librarians' meeting we had today at the beautiful Round Rock Public Library, but the idea of writing a play-by-play of the topics and discussions tires me.

We are on the downhill slide to the school year's end, with just nine weeks to go.  But aren't most people in this writing challenge in the same boat?  What more do we have to say, other than we're tired and cranky and dislike testing season immensely?

I realized this afternoon that my spatial awareness of major roads in my corner of the city is really, really off...but that would only cover a couple of sentences.  And I'm already tired of using "I" as much as I have just writing these blocks down.

So there you have it.  A wall of blocks.  Maybe tomorrow will bring a better story to share with an audience.  If not, well....my undereyes should look fabulous, at least.

Sunday, March 24, 2024

SOLSC '24 Day Twenty-four: Four four-by-fours

I almost tripped over
an unmatched black shoe
considered storing the pair
remembered death, always near.

****

My husband brought home
daffodils from grocery shopping
they are screaming spring
atop our Christmas tablecloth.

****

When I was tired
on this hazy Sunday
I struggled to nap,
ate a brownie, instead.

****

Wouldn't it be nice
if the pollinators would
collect all the pollen,
vacuum up the allergens?
 

Saturday, March 23, 2024

SOLSC '24 Day Twenty-three: Still playing with makeup

 

When I was a tween, I swore to myself that I wasn't going to be one of those girls that always wore makeup.  I wasn't necessarily the "girly" type to the full extent; yes, I played with dolls, liked the Avon solid perfumes that came in cute brooches (does anyone else remember those?), and made sure my outfits matched.  But I preferred pants over dresses, science over social schmoozing, books over boys, math over makeup.

Then puberty hit.  The kiddy pudge was lost in inches grown skyward, I got my first real hairstyle, and learned from friends that if you held the tip of a Maybelline eyeliner in a lighter's flame for a few seconds, you got a nice smooth black line.  Blue mascara was fun, as were glittery lip glosses, concealer to hide those late-night study sessions, and blush to wake up my Polish-Irish skin.

Those dark circles never went away; sleepless nights with babies cemented them in place.  Sunspots now decorate my pale skin along with laugh lines and that "eleven" between my eyebrows--most likely from those stern mom and teacher reprimanding glares.  There's a skin care routine in place now, with double cleansing and serums and moisturizers and treatments.  They must be working; my students asked me this week how hold I was, and when I replied "Fifty-eight", they responded with gasps and said they thought I was thirty or forty.  Which is still ancient, I think, in elementary schoolkids' minds.

Today I received a colorless translucent powder in the mail.  I've never tried that kind of product before, so of course it was put into use for my curbside pickup at Target.  (You never know who will spot you in the parking lot, especially when you work in your own neighborhood.  Don't want to scare a student with unconcealed dark circles!)  I didn't do the full primer-foundation thing, just a BB cream, concealer, blush, mascara, and that new powder.  I was wowed by how it worked!

Now my workday makeup routine involves moisturizers, primer, foundation, concealer, cream blush, powder, eyeshadow, eyelash primer, and mascara, with a spritz of setting spray and a swipe of lipstick or tinted gloss.

My Polish grandmother, who wore lipstick and blue eyeshadow and blush probably to her deathbed, would approve, I think.  And tell me to reapply my lipstick while I'm at it. 

Friday, March 22, 2024

SOLSC '24 Day Twenty-two: Library Spanish

I'm on a different schedule this year, for the first time in eleven years behind the circulation desk.  Students come to the library every six days with their color groups, instead of weekly with their classes.  This means that I have had to learn to communicate better with our Spanish-speaking students without their teachers there to help translate.  Here are twenty-two phrases I've become fairly good at using:

Bienvenidos a tu biblioteca!
Estoy tu bibliotecaria, Ms Margocs.
Yo hablo un poquito de español. 
Dónde están tus libros?
En tu mochila (bolsa, maleta...)?
En tu clase (aula, salon...)?
En tu carro?
En la casa de tu abuelita?
Devuelve tus libros pronto.
Tu puedes tener uno (dos, tres) mas libros.
No estamos en el parque.
Estamos en la biblioteca.
Por que?
Lea el libro aquí hoy.
Siéntate, por favor.
Ven aquí.
En fila a la puerta, por favor.
Caminando, por favor.
Espera, por favor.
Hasta manana!
Hasta luego!
Disfruta el fin de semana!

All I can say is...thank goodness for Duolingo and Google Translate!

 

Thursday, March 21, 2024

SOLSC '24 Day Twenty-one: Moments and musings

The man burst into the classroom, gold mask covering his face, gold cape flying behind him, mariachi music blaring from a speaker in his hand.  The students were surprised, confused...and intrigued.  When the luchador said his piece and left and the author returned in his place carrying the mask, the children were already hooked on his presentation.

******* 
How do you envision your path to retirement?  Do you continue to take on more and more mantles of responsibility, carrying heavier and heavier loads to throw off your burdened, bent back at the finish line and run free into the sunset?  Or do you see yourself unloading one mantle at a time as you tick off each mile, until you can practically sprint upright as you break through the ribbon?  Do you join another race afterwards?

*******

I have been booktalking in the library, reading blurbs and first paragraphs of books to entice students into reading them.  I've had more success with some classes than with others.  I'm proudest of the students who are taking "windows/ sliding glass doors" books where the main characters have autism, are deaf, are faced with racism.  Let's hear it for growing empathy and understanding through literature!  On a related note, my favorite book opening that always shocks my students comes from Peg Kehret's The Ghost's Grave, where Josh's aunt shoots a bat in the kitchen.

*******

As I read and hear about more and more school libraries in my state being closed, or certified librarians being replaced with paraprofessionals, I am really concerned about the future of school libraries and my chosen career.  We've worked so hard to prove our worth and become the heart of the school...I guess the powers that be aren't paying attention, or just don't care.

*******

It's only 7:50p, and I'm fighting yawns, fellow educators.  The time change, testing season, and fourth quarter of the year are doing a number on my energy levels.  Hang in there, and get some sleep!  That's my priority tonight.