First Day at My New School

Today was the first day of school, which is always an exciting time of year. This year, it's even more exciting for me. I've transitioned from Middle School ELA teacher to Elementary School Media Specialist. I've wanted to be a media specialist for a long time. Heck, I've been getting kids to love reading for 30+ years so it's only logical that I'd want to extend my reach to the entire school.

Today was special. A lot of teachers brought their classes down so I could meet them and nearly all of the kids checked out books. It was gratifying to see them browsing and asking questions of us and of their classmates. I got a kick out of seeing their faces light up when they saw a book they'd been wanting to read and immediately grabbed for it.

Our space is a good one, but it needs a refresh. I have ideas and plans about how to revise the space in the media center to make it more kid-friendly and improve the learning experience for all of the students. It will take a lot of hard work, input from our stakeholders, a collaborative effort from our staff, and a little magic. I'm confident that the space at the end of the year will be quite different from what it is now. It has been a good media center, but I want to look forward and renovate it with the next ten years in mind.

Sitting here now reflecting on the first day of school, I feel like we are on the right track. We will be able to accomplish great things this year, both in design and execution of a great library program. Our kids' needs are great, but I'm confident that we can help all of our kids realize their personal and academic goals. With the talent and experience of the teachers and staff at Lely Elementary, there is nothing but great times ahead. I am grateful to be starting the year at such an excellent place. I look forward to what this year will bring.