Posted on by hildaweisburg

How to Get Lucky

What if good luck isn’t random? Or rare? What if there was a way to have more luck in your life? Sounds impossible? According to Tina Seelig, executive director of Knight-Hennessy Scholars at Stanford University, there are Five Things Highly Successful People Do To Get Luckier In Life. She states that, “Contrary to popular belief, good luck isn’t random or rare. I like to compare luck to the wind: You can’t see it, but it’s powerful and everywhere. If you know how to sail, you can harness it and make it work for you. along with my comments on how to make it work in our education world.

Here are her five recommendations along with my recommendations for how we can apply this to our work:

  1. The luckiest people have strong core values – Selig says, “To define your core values, pay attention to what is important to you, and where you won’t compromise.” For us as school librarians, these values rest in our Common Beliefs. Review the six Common Beliefs along with their explanation. They state what we stand for. When we are under attack, this is what we look to and use in response. Letting others know what your values are and when they see you living by them, builds trust. This trust leads to opportunities such as creating collaborations and building advocates.
  2. The luckiest people take ownership of their stories – “If you think you can or you think you can’t, you are right.” When you believe in your ability to get something done, you are open to discovering possibilities you wouldn’t have seen and find people who are ready to come on board. You create greater agency and attract opportunities.
  3. The luckiest people make room for surprises – Consider this statement by Selig, “Every decision you make, no matter how small, has the potential to dramatically alter the course of your life.” Again, be more aware of the possibilities. Every chance to connect, even the short and unexpected ones — a chat in the hallway, a recommendation offered at a bookstore — increases the likelihood of good things happening. Look for openings in conversations to talk about the importance of school librarians or tap into their positive memories before expanding on what else we do. The person your talking to might develop a greater understanding of what kids and teachers will lose if we are eliminated.
  4. The luckiest people embrace imposter syndrome – Surprised? I was. Most of us try to fight our brain whispering that we aren’t doing as good a job as another librarian or that we could or should be doing more. Selig says to welcome that recognition. Every new experience  comes with as much opportunity for success as failure. And remember the acronym we tell students – FAIL is the First Attempt In Learning. Instead of trying to cover up this voice, learn what lesson the failure offered. Use your PLN and find out who is doing it successfully. Get advice and maybe a mentor for improving what you are doing.
  5. The luckiest people consistently show appreciation – Definitely! Displays of gratitude may feel good in the moment, but they also have a long-term impact. A quick thank you text is great, but handwritten notes are better because they are so much rarer. You might even give a small gift. I have sent flowers or fruit arrangements to let people know how much I appreciate them.  When people feel appreciated, they are more likely to reach out to you again or recommend you to others.

You can increase the good luck in your life by putting these five steps into action. Look to expand on the ones you already do and expand on them before adding in the ones you haven’t tried yet. Not only will your luck increase, but you’ll be seen as someone who recognizes the knowledge and abilities of others. You’ll be a stronger leader and help them get lucky, too!

Posted on by hildaweisburg

Words Matter

When you were a kid and someone teased you or called you a mean name, you might have been taught to respond with the ditty: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” The fact that you chose to say that reveals a deeper truth. Wounds heal. Words are powerful. And very lasting.

Words can tear you down, and words can build you up. They tell a story, convey emotion, tell someone what we believe, what we think is important. We know our job as a school librarian matters, but what words are you hearing about them?

Unnecessary. Ancillary. Not as important as… Those are just some of the words and phrases used to put our work down. Oddly enough, we may be the one responsible for some of the negative talk. In her Knowledge Quest article (see more about KQ at the end of this blog), “Knowing Your Worth – Even When Others Don’t See It,” Amanda Galliton calls attention to how we minimize what we do and how we need to advocate for ourselves.

As school librarians we have six roles:

  • Information Specialist: Assisting students and staff in locating and utilizing information resources effectively, fostering research skills and critical thinking.
  • Educator: Teaching information and related technology literacy, helping students understand how to evaluate sources and use information responsibly.
  • Curriculum Partner: Collaborating with teachers to integrate library resources into the curriculum goals, enhancing learning experiences across subjects.
  • Collection Manager: Curating and maintaining the library’s collection, ensuring it meets the diverse needs of the school community and reflects current trends in education.
  • Technology Integrator: Leveraging technology to enhance learning, providing access to digital resources and teaching students how to use various tools effectively. Staying up to date on the most recent technological trends and advances.
  • Advocate for Literacy: Promoting reading and literacy initiatives, encouraging a love for reading among students and offering support their overall academic growth. Doing what we can to offer a range of options to promote connection and understanding.

With all this, why aren’t we seen as vital? Part of the reason is so much of this happens unseen or behind the scenes. Compounding this, Galliton points out, displays of false modesty makes us lessen the importance of what we do each day.

Listen to how many times you use the word, “just’’ as in “I just helped a student find a book,” or “I’m just supporting this lesson.” These are the ones Galliton identifies. How often do you use that phrase or say, “I’m only helping …” “Just” and “Only” minimize what you are doing—and in turn this minimizes your contributions in the minds of teachers and administrators.

We need more of us being conscious advocates for the vital need for our presence in the school. In a world where school librarians are being branded as pedophiles and groomers because of the selections in our collections, we must show our school and local community how important our roles are for the future of our students.

Some ways to do this:

  • Displaying student successes. Email parents about their child’s achievement. Even better, write a monthly column in the local freebie newsletter or town website.
  • Send the principal a quick message about a great learning project with a teacher in which you praise the teacher and acknowledge what you did to support her.
  • Invite a local business leader to visit the library and speak of the skills needed to handle their job. While they are in the library, show off student work so they can become advocates. Also be sure your principal (and superintend) are aware of the visit and are asked to join.

Once you start thinking of how to let your communities know the value of school libraries, I hope you will come up with others. When you do, take a step towards announcing your success by sharing them on the School Librarian’s Workshop Facebook page.

I think this is the first Knowledge Quest article I have used as a basis for this blog. So here’s a quick plug for them. According to their webpage, KQ is published bimonthly September through June by the American Association of School Librarians,. Knowledge Quest is devoted to offering substantive information to assist building-level school librarians, supervisors, library educators, and other decision makers concerned with the development of school libraries and school library services. Articles address the integration of theory and practice in school librarianship and new developments in education, learning theory, and relevant disciplines

What does this mean? Another way to share your success could be to submit an article to KQ. Leaders have visibility. Make yourself visible – and use words to show how valuable you are.