Author Archives: bakrawiec

Unknown's avatar

About bakrawiec

Grateful 2 God 4 His continued blessings. Honored 2 have DJT as our POTUS 2 #MAGA. #ProLife, US Constitution. Definitely #StandWithIsrael Pl. #Pray4DJT every day! Share prayers and memes at #Pray4DJT

more Phoenix than Pigeon

Posted on August 17, 2015 by bakrawiec

When facing new challenges and insecurities, as in retirement, it’s good to think back to past victories over unlikely starts, don’t you think? My most unlikely start came when my thirty-something-year-old husband, and father of our eight- and eleven-year-olds, learned … Continue reading →

Posted in Computer Lab, Computers, Education, Library Media Specialist, Retirement | 3 Comments

Retiree regret? (a.k.a. buyers’ remorse)

Posted on August 16, 2015 by bakrawiec

Here I am, down to about two weeks before retirement. Fourteen days, which are about all the notice that employees in other lines of work need to give employers before resigning. My employer required sixty days. Because I have not … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Employment, Retirement | 7 Comments

waste not; want not

Posted on August 15, 2015 by bakrawiec

Based on prior posts you know: I left 50 unused, unreimbursed sick days on the table. Where did they go? Nowhere. Where could they have gone? Into a sick bank. Certainly a sick bank is not an uncommon phenomenon, even … Continue reading →

Posted in Employment, Retirement, Sick Days | Leave a comment

50 unused sick days: why I left them

Posted on August 14, 2015 by bakrawiec

Piggybacking on the last post: Yes! Despite my financial advisor’s advice to the contrary, I left fifty unused sick days on the table, in part, for all the reasons explained previously. However, if I’m honest with myself, there was yet … Continue reading →

Posted in Children, Employment, Lesson plans, Retirement, Students, Substitutes, Teachers, Teaching | Leave a comment

sick days: take them or leave them?

Posted on August 13, 2015 by bakrawiec

When our financial adviser reviewed my assets in anticipation of possible retirement, he assumed (incorrectly!) that I would be “paid” for unused sick days. ..At the time, I had more than fifty of them. “Well, then,” he advised, “if you … Continue reading →

Posted in Employment, Retirement | Leave a comment

Biographically speaking…

Posted on August 12, 2015 by bakrawiec

As mentioned in the prior post, every librarian has a unique vision for developing the collection under his or her stewardship. In my case, when I started in the library from which I am retiring, I appraised the collection, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Children, Education, LIbrarians, Library, Library Media Specialist, Reading, Retirement | Leave a comment

morning after: lame duck librarian

Posted on August 11, 2015 by bakrawiec

Assuming that the Board appointed my replacement last night, I’m even more officially a lame duck librarian this morning. Meanwhile, until my work account ends on August 31st, I continue receiving email notifications concerning boxes upon boxes of new books … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Children, Education, Employment, Librarian, LIbrarians, Library, Library Media Specialist, Retirement, School, Seniors, Teachers, Teaching, Transitions | Leave a comment

Replaced…will (should???) anything remain?

Posted on August 10, 2015 by bakrawiec

Retirement is getting “realer” and “realer.” July 13th, the Board of Education accepted and approved my resignation as an elementary library media specialist for retirement purposes. Tonight, just about one month later, they are expected to approve the hiring of … Continue reading →

Posted in Children, Education, Employment, Librarian, Library Media Specialist, Retirement, Transitions, Work | Leave a comment

unfortunately…forced into leaving teaching

Posted on August 9, 2015 by bakrawiec

In an earlier post, I compared “social media” constraints at the end of my teaching career with “social” (public drinking) constraints at its start. In that post, I wondered if the anti-public drinking constraint was aimed particularly at women. …Would … Continue reading →

Posted in Children, Education, Employment, Retirement, School, Seniors, Students, Teaching, Transitions | Leave a comment

Part 1: Family Library–How It Happened

Posted on August 8, 2015 by bakrawiec

Being asked to edit a colleague’s assignment turned out to be a spectacular personal and professional bonus! From the moment I first read in my colleague’s library visitation report that the media specialist whose library she formally observed had invited … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Children, Education, Families, Family, Kidlit, LIbrarians, Library, Library Media Specialist, Parents, Reading, School | 2 Comments