I thought you all deserved an update on the couch to 5k program I started a couple of weeks ago. My participation in the class with Mr. Mom (who got new insoles for his shoes and feels to much better and more confident) and Runner Girl (who regularly runs with her father for a couple of miles BEFORE she comes to class) has come to a temporary halt. I have somehow managed to injure myself. I don't recall any sharp pains and no, Jeri, I did not fall down but my knee is killing me and has been for over a week now. It's not my kneecap but rather that fatty muscle on the inside of my right knee. I have a suspicion that the blood cannot push its way through the fat at the point but Strength Coach Son tells me that is not possible. I haven't asked Athletic Trainer Son for his advice because I am sure that he would claim it to be tendonitis.
I pushed through the pain and actually ran for four minutes (not consecutive....but hey, it was four minutes!) on Sunday. That may not have been the best idea but it isn't any worse so I probably did not do any additional harm.
If I take Tylenol the pain diminishes but Strength Coach Son says that will just prolong the injury and that the body can heal itself quicker if I just live with the discomfort. Skinny Trainer Girl says to keep walking and ice it 3 or 4 times a day. Strength Coach Son says that ice is not the way to go and if I am going to ice it, I should just take the Tylenol and know that it will hurt longer. He recommends heat.
Thinking that possibly my favored choice of footwear might be to blame, I actually laced up my good, supportive walking shoes today instead of slipping on my hot pink flip flops. That was an emotional hurdle for me! But apparently it is not the fault of my "ship shops" because it still hurts.
John and I are signed up to do a 5k on Saturday sponsored by our favorite brewery, Rahr and Sons. We've been signed up for months now and did several of the social, warm-up walks in preparation. I really wanted to do this event...not running of course...well maybe just a little...but that looks doubtful now.
Friends think I should give in and go to the doctor. I like my doctor (sort of....my chart claims that I am "chronically non-complient") but I know that she will just order tests which will show nothing but a pulled muscle. And she will order anti-inflammatory meds which Strength Coach Son will point out to only prolong the problem.
So here I sit...or limp. Getting into the car from the driver's side is a challenge but I cannot drive from the passenger seat. Crawling around on the floor working on the borders of quilt is painful. I don't sit still very well with no handwork to keep me occupied and curling up in my chair (just cannot sit like a grownup) results in more discomfort.
What is my plan....at the moment, I intend to work through the pain to get the borders on the Hard Rock quilt and then cut the fabric that I will need for my sew day project for tomorrow. I'll break out the heating pad again tonight and see what tomorrow brings. If I really want to do the Rahr run, I will defy Strength Coach Son and start on the tylenol tomorrow afternoon and see what Saturday brings.
And if it still hurts on Monday, I will break down and call the doctor....there...are you happy, Leslye?
Is my couch to 5k class over? No, just derailed slightly. This injury cannot last forever and since I have mastered the couch part of the couch to 5k, I am determined to at least make an effort at the running part. My goal was never to run an entire 5k....I will just need to find another charity run later in the fall and see if I can actually run a portion of it. Small steps....hobbles....small steps.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Mrs D...the rock star!
Teachers aren't supposed to have favorites but we do....we just try not to let the other kids know. During my last year in the library I got very close to one young lady in particular, Baylee. I've gotten close to students before and sometimes kept in touch for awhile. I was always at school so they knew where to find me when they needed me. Sometimes, John and I became friends with the parents of these former students so they remain a part of our lives. But when I decided to retire, I knew that keeping in touch with my favorites was going to be difficult.
That's when Skoob, the library mascot started his facebook page. (If you want to friend Skoob, his whole name is Skoob Binion. This served two purposes....teachers cannot friend students (not appropriate for them to know when I am going to the brewery) so this was a way for them to stay in touch with "me" and I used it to remind them of things that were going on at school....STARR testing, picture day, field day, etc.
Now that Skoob no longer has adventures at school, I use it to stay in touch with my former "kids".
Baylee and Skoob have messaged back and forth all summer. Sometimes I wonder if she thinks she is actually talking to Skoob but she is a GT kid so I hope not. As soon as school started, she began asking me to come to have lunch with her at school. I was worried that my showing up might damage her "street cred" but she assured me that she has enough of that to withstand anything dorky that I might do. So today I stopped at Taco Bell (her choice) to pick up her tacos and Dr. Pepper and signed in at the office. There I was sitting on the couches in the hallway alternating between feeling like I was waiting for my turn with the principal (It was Jeri's fault! I was just following her!) and like someone's grandmother. Classes changed and the first lunch kids started rushing (or sauntering...depending on the cool factor) to the cafeteria. Many of them just gave me that "who is that adult" look and moved on by. But then here came my babies...."Mrs D!! What are you doing here? Are you gonna work here? Who are you subbing for? I thought you retired!" Baylee showed up and we joined the throng toward the cafeteria. There was some debate over where to sit (and with whom) and who to save seats for. It was so much fun! I got caught up on the dramas of her life and some insight into middle school. (The cafeteria is LOUD!) And I actually got to go outside with them...apparently the first time that first lunch had been quiet enough to be allowed outside....that was quiet?
I caught up with several former students...favorites and not so favorites...was asked to deliver messages to former teachers and got hugs from some that I was sure hated me. It was a great experience.
It was great for my ego but I may have actually taught them something...that there are adults out there (besides relatives) that might really care about them and what happens to them after they leave elementary school. That if you invite these adults to attend something, they might actually show up. I can't wait for Baylee to ask me back. I also hope that her "street cred" is intact.
That's when Skoob, the library mascot started his facebook page. (If you want to friend Skoob, his whole name is Skoob Binion. This served two purposes....teachers cannot friend students (not appropriate for them to know when I am going to the brewery) so this was a way for them to stay in touch with "me" and I used it to remind them of things that were going on at school....STARR testing, picture day, field day, etc.
Baylee and Skoob have messaged back and forth all summer. Sometimes I wonder if she thinks she is actually talking to Skoob but she is a GT kid so I hope not. As soon as school started, she began asking me to come to have lunch with her at school. I was worried that my showing up might damage her "street cred" but she assured me that she has enough of that to withstand anything dorky that I might do. So today I stopped at Taco Bell (her choice) to pick up her tacos and Dr. Pepper and signed in at the office. There I was sitting on the couches in the hallway alternating between feeling like I was waiting for my turn with the principal (It was Jeri's fault! I was just following her!) and like someone's grandmother. Classes changed and the first lunch kids started rushing (or sauntering...depending on the cool factor) to the cafeteria. Many of them just gave me that "who is that adult" look and moved on by. But then here came my babies...."Mrs D!! What are you doing here? Are you gonna work here? Who are you subbing for? I thought you retired!" Baylee showed up and we joined the throng toward the cafeteria. There was some debate over where to sit (and with whom) and who to save seats for. It was so much fun! I got caught up on the dramas of her life and some insight into middle school. (The cafeteria is LOUD!) And I actually got to go outside with them...apparently the first time that first lunch had been quiet enough to be allowed outside....that was quiet?
I caught up with several former students...favorites and not so favorites...was asked to deliver messages to former teachers and got hugs from some that I was sure hated me. It was a great experience.
It was great for my ego but I may have actually taught them something...that there are adults out there (besides relatives) that might really care about them and what happens to them after they leave elementary school. That if you invite these adults to attend something, they might actually show up. I can't wait for Baylee to ask me back. I also hope that her "street cred" is intact.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Not a fan of "baby steps"
As many of you know, I am not renown for my patience. When I decide to do something, I want to do it RIGHT NOW! And not only that, I expect to be able to complete any new task or skill flawlessly the first time out. If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. Right?
When planning my retirement activities, I decided that improving my general fitness was a necessary goal. I want to be one of those scrawny, bird-like old ladies, not one of the "doughy" ones.
John and I "do" 5k's occasionally and especially like to participate in the ones sponsored by Rarh Brewery because there is beer at the finish line. We get lots of encouragement and congratulations on Facebook but what our "friends" do not realize is that we walk those 5k's....not one single step is remotely close to a jog. We walk briskly enough to break a sweat but not fast enough that gasping for breath is an issue. I decided that I would like to change that...I would like to actually run part of the Rahr Oktoberfest 5k coming up at the end of the month. I even have a goal time in mind.
"Training" for this on my own would be a useless idea because I really don't like to run. If grizzlies or zombies begin to chase me, we all know how those scenarios will end. I just don't run. So, with good intentions, I signed up for the Couch to 5K class at the local Y. I went out and got new, real running shoes at the local running store to insure a good fit. (They aren't cute but they are comfy.) I knew that the class was in danger of not "making" but I went to the first class confident that enough beginning runners would show up and the Y would be so inspired by the desires of these obviously non-runners that the class would be held regardless of enrollment. My class is led by a perky (and scrawny) woman with a BMI of 0 and includes "Runner Girl" who regularly runs two miles a day and wants to work on her form (wth?), "Mr. Mom" who is seriously concerned about injuries and 1chubby, waddler, Me. The first day we spent most of the class talking about shoes, clothes and how to tell a real injury from just a twinge. (This did not reassure "Mr. Mom".) Then we went out for our first run....the plan was a brisk 5 minute walk, a 2 minute jog and a 5 minute walk. OK...I can do this. I walk on the treadmill regularly. Surely I can slip in a 2 minute jog with no problem....at this rate, I will be running that entire 5k that is held on Thanksgiving Day. Not so much...I ran all of 90 seconds...that's right...a minute and a half. Thought I was dieing! And you do not want to know how long it took me to breathe normally after those endless 90 seconds. I was appalled!
I thought about quitting but those two need me to come back if the class is going to continue. (The Y does not seem inspired by just 3 of us.)
So...today was day two. Same plan 5-2-5. "Runner girl" wants help with her breathing. "Mr. Mom" was late but caught up in no time. And the waddler? I managed to run for 1 minute and 45 seconds. Now my walking buddy LD (whose ringtone on my phone is "Yell, yeah I like beer) is excited about my "improvement". Improvement? At this rate I will be lucky if I can complete a running 5k by my 80th birthday! I am constantly being told about "baby steps" and I just don't "do" baby steps. I want to run like the wind and I want to do it right now.....or Saturday which is my next training day. (A 5-3-5 day....how can I run 3 minutes when I cannot run 2 yet?)
So what is the point of today's rambling, blog (other than to entertain you with mental images of my waddling body attempting to run and breathe at the same time)? I guess I am going to be forced to learn patience at this late date in my life. I must embrace the concept of baby steps. Either that, or redefine my goal. I really don't want to be one of those "doughy" old ladies so I guess I will be learning to be satisfied with baby steps. You have no idea how much I hate that...almost as much as I hate running!
When planning my retirement activities, I decided that improving my general fitness was a necessary goal. I want to be one of those scrawny, bird-like old ladies, not one of the "doughy" ones.
John and I "do" 5k's occasionally and especially like to participate in the ones sponsored by Rarh Brewery because there is beer at the finish line. We get lots of encouragement and congratulations on Facebook but what our "friends" do not realize is that we walk those 5k's....not one single step is remotely close to a jog. We walk briskly enough to break a sweat but not fast enough that gasping for breath is an issue. I decided that I would like to change that...I would like to actually run part of the Rahr Oktoberfest 5k coming up at the end of the month. I even have a goal time in mind.
"Training" for this on my own would be a useless idea because I really don't like to run. If grizzlies or zombies begin to chase me, we all know how those scenarios will end. I just don't run. So, with good intentions, I signed up for the Couch to 5K class at the local Y. I went out and got new, real running shoes at the local running store to insure a good fit. (They aren't cute but they are comfy.) I knew that the class was in danger of not "making" but I went to the first class confident that enough beginning runners would show up and the Y would be so inspired by the desires of these obviously non-runners that the class would be held regardless of enrollment. My class is led by a perky (and scrawny) woman with a BMI of 0 and includes "Runner Girl" who regularly runs two miles a day and wants to work on her form (wth?), "Mr. Mom" who is seriously concerned about injuries and 1chubby, waddler, Me. The first day we spent most of the class talking about shoes, clothes and how to tell a real injury from just a twinge. (This did not reassure "Mr. Mom".) Then we went out for our first run....the plan was a brisk 5 minute walk, a 2 minute jog and a 5 minute walk. OK...I can do this. I walk on the treadmill regularly. Surely I can slip in a 2 minute jog with no problem....at this rate, I will be running that entire 5k that is held on Thanksgiving Day. Not so much...I ran all of 90 seconds...that's right...a minute and a half. Thought I was dieing! And you do not want to know how long it took me to breathe normally after those endless 90 seconds. I was appalled!
I thought about quitting but those two need me to come back if the class is going to continue. (The Y does not seem inspired by just 3 of us.)
So...today was day two. Same plan 5-2-5. "Runner girl" wants help with her breathing. "Mr. Mom" was late but caught up in no time. And the waddler? I managed to run for 1 minute and 45 seconds. Now my walking buddy LD (whose ringtone on my phone is "Yell, yeah I like beer) is excited about my "improvement". Improvement? At this rate I will be lucky if I can complete a running 5k by my 80th birthday! I am constantly being told about "baby steps" and I just don't "do" baby steps. I want to run like the wind and I want to do it right now.....or Saturday which is my next training day. (A 5-3-5 day....how can I run 3 minutes when I cannot run 2 yet?)
So what is the point of today's rambling, blog (other than to entertain you with mental images of my waddling body attempting to run and breathe at the same time)? I guess I am going to be forced to learn patience at this late date in my life. I must embrace the concept of baby steps. Either that, or redefine my goal. I really don't want to be one of those "doughy" old ladies so I guess I will be learning to be satisfied with baby steps. You have no idea how much I hate that...almost as much as I hate running!
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
A Medical Miracle
John and I witnessed a medical miracle over the weekend. Two weeks ago my friend, Sue, received a liver transplant that was over a year in coming. When I last saw her in mid-July, she was not in the best of shape. Her feet and legs had swollen to the point where she could no longer walk. Some mild seizures had left her with speech similar to that of a stroke victim. She was very quiet and tired easily.
When we received word that a liver was available, I wanted to rush to the hospital to sit with her husband, Chris, but decided to wait until things had settled down. On Saturday afternoon, Sue called me. I had not heard her voice on the phone in months and here she was, calling me to see when I was coming to see her! John and I drove over to Dallas on Sunday not really knowing what to expect. What we found was nothing short of a miracle to us....Sue sitting up in bed, drinking a Coke. The swelling has gone down totally in her legs and she is now walking in the hallway with a walker. She is talking non-stop and that dry, witty sense of humor is back. We had a terrific visit and she called yesterday to make sure that I was coming back this week.
Many, many prayers were offered for Sue's successful surgery and more are needed to insure a complete recovery but oh....what a miracle this transplant has been!
Many of you do not know Sue but many of you are owners of her works of art. Sue is a professional machine quilter and we have worked for many years. If I have made a quilt for you in the past ten years, it was probably quilted by Sue. There are many excellent professional quilters in the area but none can match Sue when it comes to free motion quilting. She hasn't been able to work for almost a year now but I can see that, with prayers, hard work and continuing medical miracles, she will be back at her Gammill much sooner than I ever hoped.
She gave me some wise advice on Sunday. We were discussing what I should do during my retirement and Sue said, "Do what makes you happy. You never know when you might wake up one morning and not be able to do the one thing that brings you joy."
So if you are so inclined, please take a minute and say a prayer that this amazingly talented and wise woman will recover sufficiently to return to doing the thing that brings her joy. As for me, I intend to follow Sue's advice.
Saturday, August 24, 2013
You CAN home again...but do you want to?
I spent yesterday helping the new librarian at my former school. She is very nice but very overwhelmed so when she called to ask for help, I just couldn't say no. (I even gave up a day of sewing with friends for this if you can believe that!)
School starts on Monday and I, wisely, have scheduled to spend the day with the most perfect grandchild in the world. Otherwise, I know that I would have "volunteered" to get her started on her first day and that would not have been good for either of us.
What did I learn? You can go home again but it isn't the same. I feel good about getting her started with the database update for the students. I worked from 8:30 to 5 and we managed to update grades 1 through 5. She will need to do kindergarten on her own but it is doable. Some of the teachers stopped in to visit and some barely acknowledged me in the hallway but that is nothing new. Some administrators were more pleased to see me than others...again, nothing new. I was able to see a couple of favorite former students and be reassured that they are ready for life after Binion.
The most important thing that I learned from yesterday is that I am glad I was able to retire. Financially, things may be tough for awhile and we might have to give up some trips that I hoped we could take but my sanity is worth more than money. The library schedule for the coming year is ten times worse than anything that I have been a part of in my 20+ year in education. "Teaching" kinders for 45 minutes with no teacher assist would be torture. I know that some of you have kindergarten students for 8 hours but your rooms and lessons are set up for this. The library is an all-purpose room for all grades. The schedule is not set up so that the librarian can develop "centers" for the primary grades because her next class could be a 5th grade class...don't even think about 11 year olds with play-doh! And she has absolutely no breaks in her day. Yes, she has a duty free lunch but that comes after her daily lunchroom monitoring assignment (during which the library is closed!). Yes, she has a daily conference period but it is at a different time every day. I am not sure when she is going to be able to even go to the restroom as there are no "passing" periods scheduled between classes. I know that this schedule was devised so that the teachers have more time to plan together and collaborate. I understand the importance of that but there is no time for the librarian to collaborate with the teachers and that is what librarianship should be all about. We are an extension of the classroom and need to reinforce what is being taught. That cannot happen when there is no time in the day to even chat with a teacher.....oops...remember, Judy, you retired....this doesn't concern you anymore.
So...will I go back again...I am not sure. I will continue to check in with Mrs. V but I need to learn to let it go and let her develop her own plan. And I will not go in to help her shelve the 1000+ books that will circulate in her 6 day schedule....shelving is one of the things that I hated the most about my job. But I am glad that I went in yesterday....John will much happier coming home to a somewhat bored wife than to a raving lunatic. And we might actually talk about something other than school.
School starts on Monday and I, wisely, have scheduled to spend the day with the most perfect grandchild in the world. Otherwise, I know that I would have "volunteered" to get her started on her first day and that would not have been good for either of us.
What did I learn? You can go home again but it isn't the same. I feel good about getting her started with the database update for the students. I worked from 8:30 to 5 and we managed to update grades 1 through 5. She will need to do kindergarten on her own but it is doable. Some of the teachers stopped in to visit and some barely acknowledged me in the hallway but that is nothing new. Some administrators were more pleased to see me than others...again, nothing new. I was able to see a couple of favorite former students and be reassured that they are ready for life after Binion.
The most important thing that I learned from yesterday is that I am glad I was able to retire. Financially, things may be tough for awhile and we might have to give up some trips that I hoped we could take but my sanity is worth more than money. The library schedule for the coming year is ten times worse than anything that I have been a part of in my 20+ year in education. "Teaching" kinders for 45 minutes with no teacher assist would be torture. I know that some of you have kindergarten students for 8 hours but your rooms and lessons are set up for this. The library is an all-purpose room for all grades. The schedule is not set up so that the librarian can develop "centers" for the primary grades because her next class could be a 5th grade class...don't even think about 11 year olds with play-doh! And she has absolutely no breaks in her day. Yes, she has a duty free lunch but that comes after her daily lunchroom monitoring assignment (during which the library is closed!). Yes, she has a daily conference period but it is at a different time every day. I am not sure when she is going to be able to even go to the restroom as there are no "passing" periods scheduled between classes. I know that this schedule was devised so that the teachers have more time to plan together and collaborate. I understand the importance of that but there is no time for the librarian to collaborate with the teachers and that is what librarianship should be all about. We are an extension of the classroom and need to reinforce what is being taught. That cannot happen when there is no time in the day to even chat with a teacher.....oops...remember, Judy, you retired....this doesn't concern you anymore.
So...will I go back again...I am not sure. I will continue to check in with Mrs. V but I need to learn to let it go and let her develop her own plan. And I will not go in to help her shelve the 1000+ books that will circulate in her 6 day schedule....shelving is one of the things that I hated the most about my job. But I am glad that I went in yesterday....John will much happier coming home to a somewhat bored wife than to a raving lunatic. And we might actually talk about something other than school.
Monday, August 19, 2013
Here We Go
My Birdville ISD buds returned to work today. My DH starts back tomorrow. To celebrate the end of the summer, we spent the day with Ben, the most perfect grandchild in the Universe. Unca Tim gave Ben another swimming lesson and after his (Ben's, not Tim's) nap, we checked out a local splash pad. I had hoped that the splash pad would be a bigger hit than it was. Apparently it is hard to get excited about a splash pad when you don't like the sensation of water on your head. We finished our day with a delicious dinner prepared by DIL, Dianna, when we delivered the boy home.
So....tomorrow it begins....the first day of my retirement. I had originally planned to jump right into my planned schedule....starting each day with my trip to the Y, cooking healthy dinners, finishing up and starting quilts that have Christmas delivery dates and sewing on Fridays with my little sewing posse...but I have changed my mind about that. I am taking a vacation this week. (Of course my friends think that I have been on vacation all summer but that is just not true!) I plan to do a little grocery shopping, cook what sounds good, sew what I want to sew, watch season three of Downton Abbey, stay up late reading and sleep until I feel like getting up. I am having breakfast on Wednesday with two other retired library goddesses and will probably pick up Ben again on Thursday. And then on Friday after a day of sewing with my buds, I think it will be time for Happy Hour at the Three Parrots. After all, my teacher friends and family members will probably need a drink or two by then even though the children don't actually return to the classrooms until next week. Professional development and room preparations are just as difficult as dealing with the children and the professional development portion is just plain mind numbing!
Now I need to contact my last school to remind them that I no longer work there and that they can remove my phone number and email address from the phone reminder system. I really don't care that "Meet the Teacher night" is Thursday.
So...let's see how this retirement thing goes......
So....tomorrow it begins....the first day of my retirement. I had originally planned to jump right into my planned schedule....starting each day with my trip to the Y, cooking healthy dinners, finishing up and starting quilts that have Christmas delivery dates and sewing on Fridays with my little sewing posse...but I have changed my mind about that. I am taking a vacation this week. (Of course my friends think that I have been on vacation all summer but that is just not true!) I plan to do a little grocery shopping, cook what sounds good, sew what I want to sew, watch season three of Downton Abbey, stay up late reading and sleep until I feel like getting up. I am having breakfast on Wednesday with two other retired library goddesses and will probably pick up Ben again on Thursday. And then on Friday after a day of sewing with my buds, I think it will be time for Happy Hour at the Three Parrots. After all, my teacher friends and family members will probably need a drink or two by then even though the children don't actually return to the classrooms until next week. Professional development and room preparations are just as difficult as dealing with the children and the professional development portion is just plain mind numbing!
Now I need to contact my last school to remind them that I no longer work there and that they can remove my phone number and email address from the phone reminder system. I really don't care that "Meet the Teacher night" is Thursday.
So...let's see how this retirement thing goes......
Friday, August 9, 2013
A little pre-planning pays off
When I decided to retire, my conscience would not let me just walk out the door and let my replacement fend for herself. There is so much to being an elementary librarian that others do not see and the beginning of new school year can be overwhelming if one has never taken on these tasks before.
First of all, each returning student's record must be updated in the database. That means changing at least three fields (homeroom, grade, and class) for each student...all 700+ of them. There are shortcuts but the particular company that provides our circulation software does not include them in its manual.
Likewise all teacher records in the database must be updated, especially if there were classroom or grade level changes.
And then there is equipment to be checked out to each teacher.
And lesson plans for the first day of school.
And instructions on the set up and operation of the morning announcements close circuit television system.
Not to mention decorating and making the library feel like "home".
Because I did not want any new person to come in and flounder or face overwhelming tasks, I spent many hours preparing a Binion Elementary library manual complete with instructions on how to handle all of the above situations and providing all of the passwords that the new librarian would need to even begin to operate the library. I scheduled the book fairs for 2013-14, started the book orders in my favorite book selection sites, alphabetized all of the returning students' library cards, left one year's worth of lesson plans, gave her all of the shortcuts that would make data entry easier, and cleaned up all of the errors that I could locate in the database.
All of this information was saved on a flash drive and given to the principal who labeled it and put it away for safekeeping. As a back up, I provided the lead librarian with a copy of the flash drive and told key teachers of its existence.
Well, I am happy to say, that the work payed off. Today I received a call from the new librarian (I cannot call her my replacement because I'm irreplaceable, right?) gushing her thanks for my time and effort. The flash drive was MIA until today and she had been at a loss on where to even begin. She had checked all of my files and there was no paper trail. Thankfully my buds mentioned the flash drive's existence to her and she was able to jog the principal's memory. She has admitted to having a few sleepless nights so I hope that since we spoke Mrs. V will get a good night's sleep tonight.
I am still struggling with the "did I make the right decision" concerns but at least I know that I did not abandon my former life without instructions to the new kid. Every little victory helps.
First of all, each returning student's record must be updated in the database. That means changing at least three fields (homeroom, grade, and class) for each student...all 700+ of them. There are shortcuts but the particular company that provides our circulation software does not include them in its manual.
Likewise all teacher records in the database must be updated, especially if there were classroom or grade level changes.
And then there is equipment to be checked out to each teacher.
And lesson plans for the first day of school.
And instructions on the set up and operation of the morning announcements close circuit television system.
Not to mention decorating and making the library feel like "home".
Because I did not want any new person to come in and flounder or face overwhelming tasks, I spent many hours preparing a Binion Elementary library manual complete with instructions on how to handle all of the above situations and providing all of the passwords that the new librarian would need to even begin to operate the library. I scheduled the book fairs for 2013-14, started the book orders in my favorite book selection sites, alphabetized all of the returning students' library cards, left one year's worth of lesson plans, gave her all of the shortcuts that would make data entry easier, and cleaned up all of the errors that I could locate in the database.
All of this information was saved on a flash drive and given to the principal who labeled it and put it away for safekeeping. As a back up, I provided the lead librarian with a copy of the flash drive and told key teachers of its existence.
Well, I am happy to say, that the work payed off. Today I received a call from the new librarian (I cannot call her my replacement because I'm irreplaceable, right?) gushing her thanks for my time and effort. The flash drive was MIA until today and she had been at a loss on where to even begin. She had checked all of my files and there was no paper trail. Thankfully my buds mentioned the flash drive's existence to her and she was able to jog the principal's memory. She has admitted to having a few sleepless nights so I hope that since we spoke Mrs. V will get a good night's sleep tonight.
I am still struggling with the "did I make the right decision" concerns but at least I know that I did not abandon my former life without instructions to the new kid. Every little victory helps.
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