The Daring Librarian

Teacher Tip #112 Teacher Self-Care:  Create a Happy Folder In my School Library Media office desk I had a manilla folder where I carefully tucked all the hand written notes from kiddos & parents to read on a rainy day. I also SHAMELESSLY would first tape them to my office door (let the other teachers internally writhe with envy!)  Nah, really just to keep me motivated and also show the kiddos I appreciated their heartfelt little notes!  But.....before I tucked it away tenderly or taped it to my door, I took a picture of it and uploaded it to Flickr. A digital Happy Folder that pays back dividends of warm fuzzies and motivations for your future self.  Because, let's not kid ourselves, being an educator right now is HARD.  Start this habit NOW.  Don't be like me and wait 10 or 15 years. OK, some of that was because cell phones and digital cameras weren't as handy and as ubiquitous back then. But do your future self a favor, there will be days when you will need it.  Make

Dare Every Other Day You know, one becomes pretty reflective when they change up their life in a big way. Like moving into another professional phase after 30 years of teaching - 25 in Middle School! Coming up with "The Daring Librarian" brand back in 2010 was a choice that was inspired by an ISTE conference . I don't regret it. But, I have to say that my early preaching about being a daring educator, to always strive to be on the forefront of ed tech innovations, and to continually try new things in the classroom every day....can be a bit exhausting. And quite daunting.  So, dare...every...other...day. Or week, or month. Don't push yourself or silently guilt yourself if you feel like you're not pushing yourself more. That's only on you. No one else is thinking "why aren't they doing this or that?" Mindfulness and taking time for self-care is a real thing. Practice that, too! Balance. Between life and profession is not only healthy - it's im