While I am a certified School Library Media Specialist, I am currently working at OHM BOCES as an Instructional Support Specialist. I work primarily with the School Library System and Media Services, though we collaborate across the IT division to develop solutions for our component districts’ educational needs. There are two major projects I am currently working on for the area school libraries and librarians. One is a standardized curriculum at the K-6 levels that would be optional for libraries and is intended to help new media specialists get on their feet and veteran media specialists get new ideas. The second big project underway is a fully online student facing course for digital media and information literacy for grades 9-12. This course will utilize the Buzz platform to deliver media literacy content to students where they are, helping to bring digital natives into a place of competency and understanding of the digital world in which they live.

My most recent teaching experience was as a Library Media Specialist in the junior high school in New Hartford. Every day was different there. I collaborated with teachers to provide research instruction to 7th, 8th and 9th grade students. Very often, the library was booked full days for weeks at a time. When classes did not come in for instruction, students were able to come into the library to read, do their work, or relax. Some also stopped in just to say “Hi.” During this time I would often help students with their computer programs, source citations, or  work on collection development.

Prior to New Hartford I was an elementary LMS for two years, first in Syracuse City and then in Baldwinsville. I had no intention of leaving B’ville but when they opportunity arose to come back home, I just couldn’t say no.

While I was at the elementary level I had the opportunity to work with students in many capacities. In Syracuse I taught an Earth Day unit that culminated in cleaning up the school’s courtyard and planting flowers with 3rd grade students. I taught an after school Say Yes to Education class to first graders in which we combined crafts and digital storytelling. I was also a member of the school’s Behavior Intervention Team.

At B’ville I hosted a lunch club for 4th grade students. They were more excited about this than I could’ve imagined. 2 students from each 4th grade class brought their lunch to the library once a month and we read short stories, played games, and chatted about things they were enjoying learning in class. I also introduced 3rd through 5th grade students to QR codes and our 5th graders created QR codes to label the library and the younger students used the codes with iPads to help find the materials they wanted to check out. This was great for me because I had a student thank me later in the year for teaching him how to create and use QR codes!

(Story corner of my library in Baldwinsville)

Before I started teaching I worked for the Herkimer County PINS Diversion Unit as a Family Support worker. I worked with girls ages 7-17 who were having trouble at home, in school, or in the community. I LOVED this job because I got to work one on one with the kids and was able to connect with them. I took girls to the movies, out to eat, to the beach, hiking, or on other outings depending on their interests. Many of them had never been to the movie theater, to the Adirondacks, or to a sit down restaurant. It was nice to be a part of these experiences with the girls and to be able to show them different things about life that they did not know.

Throughout all of my time working and going to school, I also waited tables on and off for a total of about 14 years now. I most recently waited tables on the weekends at a great little family owned restaurant in Clinton, NY. Nola’s is a delicious restaurant where the staff really cares about the meals prepared and always does its best to provide the best experience for guests. I didn’t let go of this job while I was teaching full time because I enjoyed the staff and chatting with customers so much. They have become my friends and when I don’t work I miss them!
You can check out the restaurant here: Nola’s in Clinton