What Are You Good At?

Last month in our library meeting our fearless lead librarian encouraged us to send in proposal's to present at the Texas Library Association conference.  She reminded us that we are each good at something.

And I'm sure she said something about each librarian but I only remember what she said about me. Self-centered?  Maybe... probably... Ok, yes.

She said I was good at self-promotion.

This is something I hadn't thought about.  So I thought about it.  I've actually been thinking about it for 2 1/2 weeks.

Self-promotion is such a tricky thing.  You don't want to look braggy and all "look at how awesome I am" but at the same time if you're not singing your praises who is?

I think it all started when I was an itinerant teacher for the Deaf.  As an itinerant teacher I was in and out of schools in an hour or less.  I pulled gen ed students into a room... or usually a small closet and worked with them one on one.  My multi handicapped students worked with me in a corner of the Special Ed room.  No one really saw what I did unless there was a scheduled observation.  And let's be honest, I chose the students who were going to make me look like an awesome Deaf Ed teacher for those observations.

At our Deaf Ed meetings we talked about lessons that went well.  Basically we self-promoted but we didn't call it that.

Now 14 years later I'm in the library where my admin usually does not come in unless I text/call them to come.  And I do... when the lesson I'm doing makes me look awesome.  Ha!  So that my admin (district and campus level), teachers, parents, and students know what happens in my library I put it on our school Facebook (then I share it on my personal page), on our school website, sometimes on Twitter, and in our district library showcase.

Because, really, who out there in my district is going to fight for libraries if they don't see what librarians are doing?  We are sooooo much more than a book drop.  And all my posts and tweets and articles show what a #FutureReadyLibs looks like.

Yeap, I self-promote.  But I don't do it just for myself.  I do it for all libraries everywhere.  And if you're a librarian you should be doing it too.

Actually, all educators should be doing it!  Teaching is such an under appreciated profession.  It's time we show the world what we do.

Self-promotion on 3.  1, 2, 3 SELF- PROMOTION!