Our Magic Librarian

(This is for my friend FD: Yes. The Big Whatever does favor your species. Case in point:)

I was having one of those “what have I gotten myself into?” moments yesterday after a particularly challenging series of encounters with the same set of students. Day after day, I could feel them slipping away and checking out from any kind of authentic learning.

I was wandering down the hall, puzzling over what I could possibly do different, when I had the distinct impression that maybe I ought to make a detour into the library–which I did.

There, I was greeted by one of our lovely librarians, who is well-advanced in both years and patience. She asked me how my first month was going.

I admitted that there are a lot of things I need to do differently, and that I am struggling with how exactly to do that.

“Well,” she said. “That’s the difference between a good teacher and a bad one–the bad ones aren’t asking themselves what they can do better.”

It was like speaking to an oracle. Right there–with one flick of her magic librarian wrist, she transformed me from a failure, into a “good teacher.”

And I thought maybe I was just looking for a good book…