I walked into the library today to do my C-6 assignment and found ten kids waiting for help. To complicate matters, Terence (aka assistant principal in charge of security) brought four more kids in for tutoring. It didn't seem to faze him that there was standing room only or that I am only one person. He did his duty so he could go and eat his lunch. The salad dressing and silverware he takes to go with his brought from home lunch were waiting for him.
When I got to the library, there were no chairs available. Mr. Comatose (the only male librarian was sitting at the front desk, staring out into space, as he usually does. Sometimes I steal that chair, but not today. I ended up going into the librarian's office and taking one of theirs. I'm sure they had a fit when they saw it missing, especially when I did not return it at the end of the period. I figured that was the least they could do to earn their salaries.
The libarians got upset when they saw so many kids asking for help and actually came over to try to organize things. Of course their organization involved lots of noise and screaming and asking me if I knew the kids. I told them that knowing them was not a requirement of tutoring and that I would go around and answer one question at a time. The kids wanted to know why there weren't more teachers in the libary, as midterms are this week and next. The librarians tried to answer, but I ignored the question and told everyone to get Suit so he could see what really goes on that period. I just ignored everything around and kept tutoring. The librarians got nervous thinking Suit might actually come up and see how awful the library was, so they managed to make some of the kids leave and I ended up with about 8. One girl said she has trouble getting help because it is always so crowded.
It's a good thing we have tutoring. So much gets done.
8 comments:
I hear the same complaints from the kids who are motivated enough to go to tutoring....it's very discouraging for kids to try to get tutoring with the immense crowds in the library/study hall.
This is an impossible situation for everyone involved.
Our library is not used for tutoring but for socialization purposes. The kids love it!
Of course it is not library in the strict sense of the word.
Your description of Terence is priceless. I see why you are frustrated. Traffic jams in the library are really annoying. and so are people that are supposed to do their jobs but don't do it.
Haiku just for you, Pissed Off:
TUTORING
Tutoring is great
When things get done--but when they
Don't, I want to scream!
Thank goodness for the 05 contract. The only thing more valuable than tutoring, of course, is hall patrol, which has completely turned the school system around. Without it, Mayor Bloomberg would never have been able to achieve the significant 0% increase in NAEP scores.
That kinda makes it all worthwhile, if ya ask me.
My library is used as a detention room for 90 minutes around lunch time. I hate being in there because the usual crowd is horrible and disrespectful to the Educational Assistant who is watching them. By the way, she's also supposed to be shelving books during this time, but since she's babysitting, not much work gets done.
Jesus, I really wish you and your library folk would chill the fuck out. From a librarian's perspective, I'd be raging at your damn 'tude. But it sounds like your library situation isn't the easiest so perhaps you have problems. Listen, libraries are special fucking places. Everyone in the school has to respect that and now. Teachers included. If your library dude isnt doing what you want then talk to him. I don't actually know any librarians who aren't into the good ship education deep down. Give him time, dig deep and you'll get your rewards.
The overcrowding is not the librarians fault but when they refuse to move when kids are doing the wrong thing, that is something else.
They are getting paid to do a job, and while one of them works like a dog, the other three just collect their checks.
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