I often read Joyce Valenza's Never Ending Search blog. Joyce’s
posts both inspire and intimidate me. How can I ever be as up-to-date as
she is? How can I overcome my natural reticence and conciliatory nature and
become the leader I should be? Joyce's post about fierceness at the
beginning of this year was a wake-up call: http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/neverendingsearch/2011/01/02/2011-the-year-to-be-fierce/ I wish I could say that I exercised my fierceness
in 2011. Well, maybe a little – but not
enough. Luckily, the time for 2012 resolutions approacheth!
I thought back to Joyce’s post Friday morning as I put on my blue book earrings from Ten Thousand Villages for the first time. They're real books crafted in India and filled with pages written in Sanskrit or Hindi -- I think. I have not a clue what they say. My daughter gave them to me for my birthday several months ago and told me I needed no special occasion to wear them. After all, I work with elementary school kids and attempt to hook them on reading. As I looked at myself in the mirror, I thought of that January blog post: "You can’t be fierce in a holiday sweater. No one values comfort more than me, but I know when to pull out the LBD and the pencil skirt, the very cute power jackets, and yes, even heels when it matters." I'm so un-fierce that I had to Google "LBD." I don’t own a pencil skirt. What would the library fashion police say about my decidedly unfierce Ms. Frizzle-esque earrings? I suspect that after they turned off the sirens and stopped laughing at the funny books dangling below the salt and pepper hair, they’d admit there’s a time for playful fashion, too, especially when it arouses kids’ curiosity and engages them. Lots of my students (teachers, too) commented on my cool earrings and wanted to try to read them. The third graders who’d just finished a unit on India were particularly intrigued.
I thought back to Joyce’s post Friday morning as I put on my blue book earrings from Ten Thousand Villages for the first time. They're real books crafted in India and filled with pages written in Sanskrit or Hindi -- I think. I have not a clue what they say. My daughter gave them to me for my birthday several months ago and told me I needed no special occasion to wear them. After all, I work with elementary school kids and attempt to hook them on reading. As I looked at myself in the mirror, I thought of that January blog post: "You can’t be fierce in a holiday sweater. No one values comfort more than me, but I know when to pull out the LBD and the pencil skirt, the very cute power jackets, and yes, even heels when it matters." I'm so un-fierce that I had to Google "LBD." I don’t own a pencil skirt. What would the library fashion police say about my decidedly unfierce Ms. Frizzle-esque earrings? I suspect that after they turned off the sirens and stopped laughing at the funny books dangling below the salt and pepper hair, they’d admit there’s a time for playful fashion, too, especially when it arouses kids’ curiosity and engages them. Lots of my students (teachers, too) commented on my cool earrings and wanted to try to read them. The third graders who’d just finished a unit on India were particularly intrigued.
I know that participating in Cool Tools will
increase my technological expertise. It’ll
keep me connected with all you friends and soon-to-be friends out there so that
we can share questions and great ideas. It
may even increase my FQ (Fierceness Quotient.)
Sadly, it probably won’t do a thing for my fashion sense.
Hmmm, I wonder if I should wear the globe or the Santa earrings tomorrow.
Nighty-night!
Janice, great work! Looking forward to following your posts.
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