my new job

yes, i have added another crown to my gel but not lice ridden head.

yesterday at 8.30 sharp i climbed four sets of stairs to the kennedy school library and assumed my new role as volunteer assistant librarian, 8.30am-10am. it is an extremely prestigious position.

i happen to love libraries, and jumped at the chance of filing books, slotting them away in proper spaces. the head librarian is v. cool and i think we will get along just fine in the 90 minutes we interact a week. a class came in and i just went about my business, putting away books and listening to their teacher read to them.

at 9.15, my real reason for volunteering was up...and i walked down the four sets of steps and then up one set of steps to sebastian's classroom, where my little blonde boy was not even attempting to do his writing assignment "i spy three pigs playing". he was leaning back in his chair looking at the wall. when i stepped into the classroom, he jumped up, made a huge show of hugging me, and i was named their table supervisor and was to assist all the children in their printing and drawing.

after five minutes, it was time to give them all their library books and book jackets, and we walked down one flight of stairs, across the courtyard and up four flights of stairs (30 kids and three teachers, enough said!) and into the library. the kids got 10 minutes to choose a book, and i got to guide them in their choices.

at this level, the kids books are in buckets. and i have to say, there are so many mediocre books out there. but every once and a while, there is a classic. imagine my delight when i saw "FERDINAND THE BULL" amongst the "margery and the medicine man" series. remember ferdinand? the bull that loved roses so much that while in the ring he would stop and smell them instead of charging? imagine my surge of triumph when i suggested a little girl take the book out...and she did!! yay yay yay!!!

and after 10 minutes, i gathered all the children round me and told them i needed their help. did they want to help? hzebezebe they sort of mumbled. you can do better than that! i told them.

yes! they replied.

that's good, i responded, because we're going on a bear hunt! and i pulled out the book.

for the next few minutes i kept them captivated as we walked through grass swishy swishy, through mud, splurk splurk, and touched a wet nose..."is that you, spot?" we got arm movements going, and raving around and then we all practised lying very still under the bed. and then we discussed how sad the bear looked as he walked away and said that he was probably sad because he had been wanting to play with miss c's class, because they are so wonderful!

there was enough time to read one more book after this, and miss c rooted through the buckets looking for a suitable one. i encouraged the kids to shake their sillies out, and then we read one more book and practised playing the banjo (plink plink!), the drums, (rat-a-tat-tat!) and the trumpet (toot!).

and then the teacher and i took the kids back to class.

jk rowling can't do it on her own. i want kids to love reading, and if reading to other kids can help them love reading and make reading interesting, i will come in and climb too many sets of stairs to do it, as many times as necessary. it's something i'm passionate about.

in asia, kids read at a very young age, but so  many of them don't know the definition of the words, can't delight in using them in context, or in the creative sense of word, or just smile when listening to words together making a story. i want to help give them this gift. reading alone isn't enough. i want to make it fun.

so, i am the class reader. not so glamourous, but for me, a very important job.

Comments

[Coral]

Good for you Tess, it sounds like hard work, but rewarding work.

[elaine]

I can't think of a better job in the world than sharing the love of reading with a child!

[Auntie Pammie]

Tess, that is great news! Congrats on your new position, those kids are very lucky to have you.

[Sheila]

Way to go, Tess! Sounds like you have a real gift for this important job. My kids would love to be in your reading group.

[Dad aka Grandad Blake]

Is Ferdinand a spinoff from " How Now Brown Cow" ?

Love to all...Dad

[Louise M]

Ok, you HAVE to read "Fox in Socks" to them. My all time favourite, my kids loved it, the silliness of the rhyming, the trying not to get tongue tied. I love Dr. Suess books. So glad you are helping a new generation learn the joy of reading and using their imagination

[Tammy]

Oh Tess that is wonderful!! I am so proud of you! Sharing a love for reading is one of the greatest gifts to give.

Taking B to the library is one of my joys in life. I get so excited watching him trying to find "The One."

Can we join your group? :)

[joeinvegas]

Tess the librarian and reader. Good title.

[Sister Mel]

It sounds amazing. I so love reading and my 11 year old doesn't. I think if he had an auntie Tess when he was little he might have been a keen reader. Lucky kids.

[SouthernBell]

It IS very important!