Random Thoughts

Well, it's been a week since my last post. With the stuff I have going on, it seems I'm going to be lucky if I post more than once a week, so that will be a goal for now. If I manage several posts, it will be a bonus. Maybe not for you, but for me.

A potential opportunity has been tossed out to me. We recently upgraded our library automation software and my school library was one of the first schools in our district to get the software. The company, Companion, has contacted a colleague of mine about becoming a Certified Trainer of their software. They wanted to know of any other people who might be interested and she tossed out my name. A rep for the company called me on Friday and we talked a little about the proposal. Basically, we would be trained by Companion and then would travel around training librarians in other districts on their automation software, Alexandria. To me, this sounds like a neat opportunity. If the pay is good and it can fit into my schedule, I'm very interested. The only downside is the fact that much of this may occur during the summer when I'm on "Dad Duty," which may not please my other half.

Grad school. Uggh! Taking this online class is becoming quite an adventure and we really haven't gotten to any of the difficult projects yet. It's not that the work so far is hard, it's just time consuming. I'm checking the discussion boards daily and finding myself spending more time than I thought thinking about this class.

I woke up this morning and it was 2 degrees outside.

I love where I work, but some of the kids are starting to get to me. The blatant lack of respect and poor behavior by some is having a bigger impact on me than it used to. Am I going to leave? No.......not yet at least. I've read some articles about why teachers leave their school and professions (if I had all the links, I share them, but I dont'). One specific article caught me eye and really made me think - it dealt with working conditions. I was thinking about this as I was driving around town looking at various schools, not only where I teach, but where my kids go and where other kids attend school. I wish I would have had my camera. There is such a difference in not only facilities, but students, that it really makes a person think about their job. None of this is news to those of us who have been teaching a while, but sometimes it takes an article to bring ideas back to the forefront. Take a quick read at the article and tell me what you think. Do you agree?