Monday, December 6, 2010

Hallelujah!



For ten years I used to sing in the Radio Community Chest choir's annual performances of Handel's Messiah.  Love this flash mob rendition from Canada of the Hallelujah chorus.

Original link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXh7JR9oKVE

Two weeks of term and the school year left to go.  Along with another teacher, I am one of the organisers (Archangels) of our staff secret angel scheme which runs in the last week of school.  Like the performance in the video, it's about changing the atmosphere (given that the peeps can be a tad tired in that last week), adding joy, creating fun.  We've been doing that for over ten years, and enjoy facilitating the fun that ensues for all those who participate - and of course it spills over to the place generally, all good!

If you nag me enough I could put the details of how our secret angel scheme runs here...just don't have it by me right now.

*C*h*e*e*r*s* (with fairy lights)

Ruth

PS. Have to show you our school library Christmas trees - all about books and kids!  Sometime this week, I promise! We're busy with the annual stocktake, and have the Year 6 into 7 Orientation this week, and I don't know what all.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

The happy life of teacher librarians: a conversation about careers

Me: So, what are your plans after you finish year 12?

Senior student: I thought maybe the police, or Duntroon to be an army officer

Me: OK

Senior student: I thought about being a vet, but then I learned that they have to put animals down, and I COULDN'T do that

Me: it is something they do

Senior student: And knew I couldn't be a doctor or a nurse because of the injections and blood and stuff.

Me (puzzled): so you don't like killing animals, you don't like blood or injections, but you're considering a career where you might have to shoot people someday?

Senior student: Oh.  Yes.  But.

(and we laughed.)

It's such moments that can make teaching a very very amusing career.  Also it generally doesn't include putting animals down, blood, injections or shooting people.

Cheers

Ruth

What teacher librarians make...

If you haven't yet read Joyce Valenza's brilliant blog entry on the topic of what teacher librarians do, let me usher you her way...

http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/neverendingsearch/2010/11/27/what-librarians-make-a-response-to-dr-bernstein-and-an-homage-to-taylor-mali/

Found via Anne's always-informative blog, Reading Power, here.

Cheers

Ruth