Taking Care of Each Other – and Ourselves

We All Need Somebody To Lean On

I was fortunate enough to recently become the co-chair of AASL’s Member Engagement Committee. My co-chair is the wonderful Wendy Garland. She is an incredible advocate for school librarianship, as well as being a thoughtful and caring human being.

She recently shared a thread on Twitter (which is how I pronounce “X”) detailing a conversation she had. While out and about, she had a conversation with the parents of a new teacher. The parents explained that their daughter is struggling and wasn’t sure if she’d made the right career choice. Wendy ended her thread pondering the question: “How can we take care of each other?”

Troubled Waters

I’ve been preoccupied with thoughts of educator stresses and supports lately.

That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America is Amanda Jones’s recently published book.  In it, she relays the public attacks she’s endured at the hands of people within her community and across the country after she spoke in favor of representation and intellectual freedom at a public library board meeting. Increased awareness of her situation has brought with it increased attacks against her.

Amanda is one of the kindest people I know. Watching her suffer the slings and arrows of not only strangers but also her neighbors has been harrowing. Amanda’s specific situation is rare. But she is not alone in being harassed by people who target others and ban resources with which they personally disagree.

On the Dark Side

I’ve been in education for nearly 30 years. During that time, I’ve spent the majority of my career at my current school. But I’ve worked in other districts as well.  I’ve seen several different levels of socio-economic status, students as young as 11 and as old as 20, ability levels across the spectrum, communities supportive, neutral, and antagonistic.

I feel comfortable saying: Public perceptions of education have changed. Educators face more pressure and push-back than at any point I can recall. Decision-makers at the national, state, and local levels resist the idea of educators as trained professionals. Too many parents feel entitled to dictate every second of students’ lives, both in and out of the classroom, despite little apparent oversight of the actual content of those students’ lives. Even students exhibit widespread attitudes of disrespect and disdain for school.

In short: Education is in a Dark Age.

But within that darkness, there are points of light.

Building Bridges

Sometimes we might each feel like the only brightness in the dark around us. But we are each a star. And if we are willing to connect with others, we can create fabulous constellations. We can light the way and help others get their bearings.

I am thankful constantly for the amazing school librarians and other educators with whom I associate. School librarians are the most open educators I have ever worked with. They are ready to share ideas and resources at the drop of a hat.

School librarians are also some of the most kind-hearted and supportive people I’ve had the good fortune to fall in with. They constantly offer their help to others.

At School

While I don’t get to see them very often, I work with some very skilled librarians. I got to spend some time with our K-3 librarian recently, and even though I’m at the middle school, I walked away with a slew of ideas I hope to implement with my students this year.

I also work with some amazing teachers, people who are caring and dedicated and excited to work together to help students learn. One of the English teachers created an amazing bulletin board this past week on my behalf – check it out!

Online

I was fortunate to get into Twitter at a time when the education (and especially the school librarians) communities were at their peak. As the lone school librarian in my school, and one of 4 across a district with few opportunities to convene, Twitter became a professional haven for me. This, despite years of shunning social media.

I’ve met so many incredible folks online. In fact, I regularly extol my incredible good fortune at having fallen in with a truly amazing PLN. K.C. Boyd, Amanda Jones, Amy Hermon, Stacey Nunn, Christopher Stewart, and Courtney Pentland are my go-to folks when things are good, and especially so when things are bad. They are always there to share ideas, commiserate, and lift me up if things are going sideways.

And through them, I’ve met so many more amazing, incredible school librarians and educators that I am so glad to call my friends.

At Conferences

Last year, I made a commitment to myself to visit as many in-person conferences and conventions as I could manage, financially and schedule-wise. I ended up attending 8 events in 6 states. It was glorious!

Surrounding myself with school librarians and educators who care enough to learn from and with others was a balm for a soul somewhat battered by several years of attacks on school libraries.

In My Associations

I was pulled into my state school librarian organization (NJASL) by folks who saw how excited I was to be part of the field. They have been amazing friends and colleagues since before I was officially a school librarian. And they are always there to share, for ups and downs, whether personal or professional.

Similarly, as I’ve gotten more and more engaged with AASL, I’ve found so many school library professionals who care deeply about the things I care about. And I’ve found many who care about other things, which I appreciate, because I can’t give everything every bit of my focus and attention. I find it incredibly freeing to know that there are amazing people working hard to make the world better!

What’s the Catch?

All of this support is out there waiting for you. But you have to seek it out. Asking for help can be difficult – too many people see admitting they need assistance as a sign of weakness or a failing. They might worry that they’re a bother or a burden. I’m one of them!

But I’ve been working hard to reframe my perspective. I now try to look at what I’m going through and imagine that it’s one of my friends or colleagues going through it. If I saw a friend in need, I am always ready to lend a hand – and so are most of the folks I know. I also think about how much I enjoy helping others. It truly brings me pleasure to help folks find what they need or accomplish their goal.

When I apply that perspective to myself, I realize that the folks around me would be happy to lend the support I need if they knew I needed it.

In other words: I need to get out of my own way. I need to trust that the people around me care about me. I need to let myself rely on them, as I hope they would rely on me.

And, of course, I need to take care of them like I would want them to take care of me.