When I say I’m a school librarian, most people can make a connection and have an understanding. And as long as their next comment isn’t some Fox News bullshit (which was real fun at my grandmother’s funeral), I can usually leave it at that.

But the actual day-to-day complexities of what I do isn’t going to be understood. Most days I am checking out over 400 books to students, which means my volunteers, me, and my para (assistant) are checking in and reshelving over 400 books each morning. That’s over 800 books scanned each day. Then, I am also teaching six 45-minute classes every day and I see each student in our school (over 700) twice a week in those classes. So I am planning and prepping for those classes, teaching those classes, and running the book checkout. Not to mention managing behaviors and helping some of our new students (especially kindergarten) understand the expectations of the library. I am currently planning our book fair happening in a few weeks, getting ready to start my after school club, facilitating a $500 per grade level order for books and supplies, fielding sales phone calls, balancing my ~$10K budget, and being the team lead which involves monthly meetings to attend, twice a month meetings to run, and many additional emails. So yes, I do read to kids and let them take books home, but that’s nowhere near the end of my to-do list.

Our local school district provides swim lessons as part of a PE unit to all second graders by busing them to a local indoor facility. They even have free swimwear available for students who don’t have it. A previous school district I was in had a PE program where 3-5th graders got to learn to ride bikes, they brought in a huge trailer of different sized bikes. There’s a lot of physical activity that some people take for granted without realizing that not everybody has the same opportunities. Programs like this are so important.

Librarian at a PreK-5 school (3-11 years old). I teach 45 minute classes to everyone each week. 700 kids, 32 classes. Less stress than classroom teaching while still following the same schedule.

Different article:

Among the books ordered returned to the library shelves are “Caste: The Origins of our Discontent,” by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson, and “They Called Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group,” by Susan Campbell Bartoletti. A book about a transgender teenager was also among the eight books ordered to remain on library shelves.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/us-appeals-court-rules-some-books-be-restored-to-texas-library-shelves/ar-BB1nLSzx

But I can’t find a list of all 8 or a list of the 17 books originally banned.

I my experience with teaching in the U.S. sick days do get paid out at retirement. Teachers typically get 10 sick days a year and 3 personal days. The sick days stack but personal days turn to sick days after you have 5 banked.

Teachers don’t have vacation days. They get 10 sick days per year. They get 3 personal days. It’s very possible the only leave she had were sick days.

Most places I’ve taught in the US don’t have vacation days. You have sick days (10 a year, they stack), and personal days (3 a year, max of 5 before they turn into sick days).

Fuck Trumpkin.

I agree that nurses are invaluable and irreplaceable and that no AI is going to be able to replicate what a human’s judgement can do. But honestly it’ll be the same as what our hospital’s “nursing line” offers us right now. You call and they ask scripted questions and give you scripted responses which usually ends up with them recommending that you go in. I get that it’s for liability but after 2 calls for our newborn we stopped calling and just started making our own judgement. But for actual inpatient settings? Absolutely no way. There’s no replacement for actual healthcare providers.

I read a book last year (Song for a Whale) about a Deaf girl who would play a game with her grandfather where they would create a story together while using the same hand shape all throughout. So maybe they would make a fist, or ann open palm, or a “y” shape and then the story was created using signs that used that hand shape. If you couldn’t continue the story with the same hand shape you lost. Not exactly a pun but I thought it was interesting.

I looked this up a little while ago because a student had a note in their file that they are to avoid red 40 due to behavioral changes. I think what I gathered is that there is maybe some evidence but nothing has been researched thoroughly to make any real determination. Here’s the conclusion of a study: “ Conclusions: A restriction diet benefits some children with ADHD. Effects of food colors were notable were but susceptible to publication bias or were derived from small, nongeneralizable samples. Renewed investigation of diet and ADHD is warranted.” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22176942/

I wore a mask religiously all through my pregnancy but the last two years I haven’t as much unless I have symptoms of anything. My immune system is great against everything except Covid apparently, it’s the only thing I’ve had in years.

I’ve got a toddler in daycare and I work as a specials/resource teacher in an elementary school where I see 700 kids a week. So the sneezing in my face is pretty accurate unfortunately.

I had it 4 times last season and twice this season. I got the initial 2 dose vaccine in early 2021 and a booster each November since then for a total of 5 shots. I think the boosters have helped me to not have terrible symptoms, a few times it’s been just a stuffy nose and loss of smell, maybe a low grade fever. I’ve only had two infections that I would consider bad and even then I’ve been nowhere near hospitalization or even doctor checkup.

Do EZ-Pass next. I’m tired of getting charged $35 every time my account dips below the $5 threshold or whatever it is.

Matthew 6:5 about praying in secret. Also some references to faith without works is dead and to feed the hungry and clothe the naked in reference to why there is a proposal to put the commandments in classrooms but not to do what Jesus actually calls Christians to do.