The End of an Era

I'm pretty sad right now. But at least I have a good reason to be sad.

I was recently offered a full-time LMS job at a school in New Hampshire. I am so honored that they chose me to work with, and to oversee their school's library program.

I should be very excited- but I'm not quite there yet.

I am really going to miss working at YMS. I'll miss:

-making up the questions for the weekly Jolly Rancher Trivia

-planning the Halloween event

-teaching my Scary Stories/urban legends enrichment classes

-JALA (Junior Awesome Library Assistants) meetings

-chaperoning the 7th grade camping trip

-speaking in Friends quotes with my co-worker all day

-eating lunch while playing games with students

-being referred to as Mrs. Mermaid

-having random, somewhat creepy dolls 'gifted' to me

-my tie dye, taco lanyard with my collection of ID badges

I guess I knew from pretty much the beginning that I wouldn't be a library Ed Tech at YMS forever; when I was explaining my leaving to one of my favorite students the other day I equated it to her staying in middle school forever. We need to be able to grow, and learn new things, and meet new people, and staying in one job just because you're afraid to move on would be like not moving up grades, just because you'd be afraid that the work will be harder, or that you won't know all the people in your classes.

When I told one of the longtime staff members that I was leaving, she made me realize what my time at YMS signified. It was not my first job, but it was my first grown-up job (full time with benefits). During my time there, I got married, bought a home, had a child.  .  .it was like I was being initiated into adulthood.


So I am moving along my own path, and hopefully I don't get lost.