New Professional Sharing Opportunity
If you are feeling professionally isolated as a library media specialist, you are not alone. Did you know over 70% of school districts in Wisconsin have just one library media specialist? Being the single individual responsible for creating a district library plan, effectively spending Common School Funds, supporting students and staff with information and technology literacy, and creating engaging environments to promote reading is both invigorating and exhausting, especially when someone is new to the profession.
Many library media specialists come to our esteemed field from another content area, learning their position while on the job. And, statistically, many of them are doing this without another library media specialist in their district to answer questions or provide constructive feedback. If we desire to maintain strong library programs for the students and educational communities of Wisconsin, these individuals need support beyond webinars, classes, and conferences!
The Department of Public Instruction is launching a new effort to build relationships and create opportunities for authentic professional sharing and learning. We are inviting experienced library media specialists to volunteer as mentors while simultaneously reaching out to new library media specialists to be mentees. Once the lists start growing, we will work to make matches! Our goal is to build connections and community without adding strict requirements; therefore, this is not a part of PI34 mentoring. We are allowing participants to determine the extent of their commitments.
Interested? Here are the forms to sign up! Remember, we need to build both lists. This takes a brave first step for our future mentees, and for the mentors, we leave you with this inspiration from Maya Angelou, “Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.”