I have to admit I'm not proud of myself. The problem with being short-sighted is that you don't get all the information that everyone else does and you can interpret what you see to things that aren't actually there!
A few days ago, one of the 12 year-old girls came in to the library just after lunch. I was alone and slightly distracted as I was beginning to write the end of term report.
She comes in sobbing her little heart out.
"Miss, I don't know where to go. I can't talk to anyone else."
Aww sweet, that meant I began to actually really listen and look at her. I could hear she was crying from the noises she was making but what I saw shocked me. It looked like someone had punched her and ripped off some of her skin on her right side just under her eye. Unthinking I just said:
"Jesus, are you alright?"
Suitably justified by my reaction she starts telling me how the kids are mean to her and that she has been to the Deputy Head but nothing can be done. It's at this point I realise she's not been in a fight but just has pink make-up on her face. Oh well, it just looks like I am a very understanding Librarian. My bad eye-sight secret is still safe....
In case you are wondering, the girl went back to lessons, she just wanted to have a rant in to a sumpathetic ear. It all blew over in a couple of days.
Thursday 27 March 2008
Monday 17 March 2008
Embarrassing moment
My most embarrassing moment of 2008 so far happened today...
Lunchtime came early as it always done when I start woek at 8.30. I saunter down to the shared ktchen in the staff room, potter around while sorting out all the stuff I have to put in teachers pidgeon holes. I put the kettle on, make myself a nice cup of tea and say hello to a couple of teachers who are leaving to go to their assemblies.
I sit down with a gasp of relief, straighten out the newspaper and go to pick up the cup of tea. Standing opposite me facing the wall is the chemistry teacher, deeply engrossed in the duty roster.
I twist the cup to move it and spill some tea on the table. The bottom of the cup is rubber which interacted with the tea, which in turn interacted against the wood to make an almighty fart sound!
I was mortified. The teacher turns around and asks if I am alright!
Of course I try to explain myself "It's the cup! It's got a rubber bottom!" You can tell he's not sure if he believes me though.
I think I will have my lunch in the cupboard tomorrow...
Lunchtime came early as it always done when I start woek at 8.30. I saunter down to the shared ktchen in the staff room, potter around while sorting out all the stuff I have to put in teachers pidgeon holes. I put the kettle on, make myself a nice cup of tea and say hello to a couple of teachers who are leaving to go to their assemblies.
I sit down with a gasp of relief, straighten out the newspaper and go to pick up the cup of tea. Standing opposite me facing the wall is the chemistry teacher, deeply engrossed in the duty roster.
I twist the cup to move it and spill some tea on the table. The bottom of the cup is rubber which interacted with the tea, which in turn interacted against the wood to make an almighty fart sound!
I was mortified. The teacher turns around and asks if I am alright!
Of course I try to explain myself "It's the cup! It's got a rubber bottom!" You can tell he's not sure if he believes me though.
I think I will have my lunch in the cupboard tomorrow...
Tuesday 11 March 2008
10,000 BC movie advert
I was watching American Inventor when the advert for 10,000 BC came on. I sat there watching these pictures of long dead animals flash on the screen and was left wonderig why it didn't interest me in the slightest.
Then I had it, it didn't look like there was a story. I need sone kind of hook to get me interested. Oh I don't know maybe a love story, or war or anything! ...I am so uninterested I can't even bother to look it up on the internet (and I look everything up). It did get me thinking about the different advertising styles of America and here though. Maybe that sort of advertising works in the States? I will probably never know.
Then I had it, it didn't look like there was a story. I need sone kind of hook to get me interested. Oh I don't know maybe a love story, or war or anything! ...I am so uninterested I can't even bother to look it up on the internet (and I look everything up). It did get me thinking about the different advertising styles of America and here though. Maybe that sort of advertising works in the States? I will probably never know.
Monday 10 March 2008
Book fairs
From World Book Day I have ben presiding over our second book fair since joining my school. I got to tell you - its no picnic.
First day we did it (6 March) was a preview day so we just had to worry about setting up but even that day had its problems. As you know from reading this blog, the daily baby-sitting session known as prep is in the library. So try to imagine keeping 45 kids quiet with all those shiny new books just begging to be picked up and oohed and aahed over. Needless to say I failed.
Day two, we decided to make break for reservatios only as it is only for fifteen minutes. We're librarians not mathematicians - you try working out the cost of several books, with a voucher nad answering questions while making sure they don't destroy any more books than you can prevent! If you are wondering we got that down to one. They took out toy bits from one book and put the on a different shelf. Aargh.
Lunchtime arrives, hordes of kids descend on us, all asking for their reservaions, to buy other books. oh and "Miss, I don't want that book now, can I have this one." Yeah if you can do the maths for me, Of course I don't say that, I just smile sweetly and say "yes", getting out the calculator.
So there we were, about ten kids in my queue and ten kids in my assistant's. ...and the book fair people call. I mean they were calling a library in a school. Is calling at lunchtime a really sensible thing to do to get on the librarian's good side? hmm. Finally get her off the line with non-committal answers and get back to to the hordes. Ten minutes later, 2 o'clcck and bliss. We've stil got two more days of this...
First day we did it (6 March) was a preview day so we just had to worry about setting up but even that day had its problems. As you know from reading this blog, the daily baby-sitting session known as prep is in the library. So try to imagine keeping 45 kids quiet with all those shiny new books just begging to be picked up and oohed and aahed over. Needless to say I failed.
Day two, we decided to make break for reservatios only as it is only for fifteen minutes. We're librarians not mathematicians - you try working out the cost of several books, with a voucher nad answering questions while making sure they don't destroy any more books than you can prevent! If you are wondering we got that down to one. They took out toy bits from one book and put the on a different shelf. Aargh.
Lunchtime arrives, hordes of kids descend on us, all asking for their reservaions, to buy other books. oh and "Miss, I don't want that book now, can I have this one." Yeah if you can do the maths for me, Of course I don't say that, I just smile sweetly and say "yes", getting out the calculator.
So there we were, about ten kids in my queue and ten kids in my assistant's. ...and the book fair people call. I mean they were calling a library in a school. Is calling at lunchtime a really sensible thing to do to get on the librarian's good side? hmm. Finally get her off the line with non-committal answers and get back to to the hordes. Ten minutes later, 2 o'clcck and bliss. We've stil got two more days of this...
Saturday 1 March 2008
Librarians writing books...
Apparently getting feedback from children from a book you are writing is pointless but still, I work in a school and I know quite a few good readers who like fantasy books, the genre I wrote my story in. ...so I took the opportunity.
I gave the story to a couple of 11-12 year olds (year 7), the funny thing is, I never tend to see these two girls - only during Prep. I thought If I gave it to these ones then they wouldn't see me all the time and feel pressurised into telling me what they think.
With this in mind I stayed away from the girls purposely. Except that one of the girls nagged me incessantly if she could finish it during prep on my computer. When she said she stayed up to four hours to read the book the night before, I felt so flattered I let her.
Not so good for me though as that was MY computer and I couldn't do any work. On the other hand I justified to myself, I never get any work done during Prep anyway - most of the time is spent patrolling and yelling at people to be quiet.
So that was before half-term. I got some lovely feedback from her. I tried to ask her if the ending was too sudden or did she want more description but no she loved it all - You got to love her.
I didn't see the other one until the end of last week - although I gave her the book at the same time. the great thing was I didn't go up to her - she came bounding up to me saying she liked it.
Wonderful, I now just need to actually finish it. The story is finished but It needs editing. The problem is I keep getting nagged by the first girl when I am going to right the sequel... Aargh there is not enough hours in the day...
I gave the story to a couple of 11-12 year olds (year 7), the funny thing is, I never tend to see these two girls - only during Prep. I thought If I gave it to these ones then they wouldn't see me all the time and feel pressurised into telling me what they think.
With this in mind I stayed away from the girls purposely. Except that one of the girls nagged me incessantly if she could finish it during prep on my computer. When she said she stayed up to four hours to read the book the night before, I felt so flattered I let her.
Not so good for me though as that was MY computer and I couldn't do any work. On the other hand I justified to myself, I never get any work done during Prep anyway - most of the time is spent patrolling and yelling at people to be quiet.
So that was before half-term. I got some lovely feedback from her. I tried to ask her if the ending was too sudden or did she want more description but no she loved it all - You got to love her.
I didn't see the other one until the end of last week - although I gave her the book at the same time. the great thing was I didn't go up to her - she came bounding up to me saying she liked it.
Wonderful, I now just need to actually finish it. The story is finished but It needs editing. The problem is I keep getting nagged by the first girl when I am going to right the sequel... Aargh there is not enough hours in the day...
Putting maps on websites
This post is only useful to web newbies. If you are a techie you'll know how to integrate Google apps to get maps.
If you just want to point people in the right direction put in the code from the picture below (click on it to make it larger).
Which will mean that anyone clicking on it will get a popup with google mapson the 'hopefuly' correct address. This method works with both US and UK addresses.
If you just want to point people in the right direction put in the code from the picture below (click on it to make it larger).
Which will mean that anyone clicking on it will get a popup with google mapson the 'hopefuly' correct address. This method works with both US and UK addresses.
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