Category Archives: School

lockdown drills etc.

Posted on October 2, 2015 by bakrawiec

Once again the unspeakable happened on an American college campus. As a former educator, don’t get me started on what I have seen and experienced with students’ mentally illnesses. (Pardon me if I’m rash judging the cause of yesterday’s brutal … Continue reading →

Posted in Retirement, School, Security, Students, Violence | Leave a comment

“first day of no school” –one heart revels; another heart breaks

Posted on September 10, 2015 by bakrawiec

“first day of no school” How those words made me smile when I read them yesterday, mid-morning. They were messaged to me, thanks to Twitter, from a new Outer Circle friend, reflecting on her retirement. As was true for me, … Continue reading →

Posted in Children, Education, Parents, Retirement, School | 2 Comments

school bells about to ring, but not for me….

Posted on August 27, 2015 by bakrawiec

Here in the East, next week, they’re ringing bells for school, but not for me….I’m retiring! I surprised myself in the last post when I explained why I chose to celebrate my retirement on three days–instead of just one–spread over … Continue reading →

Posted in Employment, Retirement, School, Separation anxiety, Teaching, Transitions | 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

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

Part 2: Family Library–Gratifying Work in Progress

Posted on August 8, 2015 by bakrawiec

In general, here’s how our Family Library worked. Usually after school (rather than before), when there was more browsing time, parents or grandparents would come to the library with (though sometimes without) their children. I would create a family account … Continue reading →

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

something old; something new…not involving weddings

Posted on August 5, 2015 by bakrawiec

Of all the additional expenses I imagined I might have in retirement, here’s one I underestimated. Fortunately, on the one hand, it’s a relatively low cost item. And totally discretionary. On the other hand, the cumulative cost of how many … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Employment, Retirement, School, Students, Teaching, Transitions, Work, Writing | 2 Comments

time out

Posted on August 4, 2015 by bakrawiec

When I started teaching, I felt sad that forty-eight minute classes were totally insufficient for students to experience my ambitious plans for exciting learning. With so much “great stuff” I wanted to facilitate on a daily basis, P.A. announcements, fire … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Employment, School, Students, Teachers, Teaching, Transitions, Work | Leave a comment

timing

Posted on August 3, 2015 by bakrawiec

July has given way to August. And I realized something about the passage of time during these countdown days. In the past, when I was counting down to the start of the school year, I did so at this half-way … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Employment, Retirement, School, Seniors, Students, Teachers, Transitions, Work | Leave a comment