Jeff,
No I don't think this is because you are a man. I get the same thing. I work in a
building that has always had two librarians. Part of my job was AV. This past
spring they cut that part of my job. I came right out in front of the
administration and staff and explained that part of my job has been eliminated,
therefore I would no longer service them in that area. It has been very hard not to
help them. But both of us, myself and the other librarian will not help them. The
word is NO. We have an new principal this year and she understands our position. I
send them to other teachers when the need something. This year I am now split
between two buildings. My suggestion to them is to contact their administrator and
our district administrator and express the need to have that part of the position
restored. This has been very hard on me. I have always been in the position of
supporting my staff any way that I can. We didn't think that this would happen in
our building as we have a !
very st
rong and integrated library program , and we administer the Freedom to Learn laptop
program. It just goes to show that it can happen to anyone. Remember the word is NO.
Tina
--
Bettina Brander
Library Media Specialist
Otto Middle School
Lansing, Mi 48906
tbrander@comcast.net
"Whatever the cost of our libraries, the price is cheap compared to that
of an ignorant nation." Walter Cronkite
-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Hastings, Jeff" <HASTINGJ@HOWELLSCHOOLS.COM>
> Colleagues:
>
> [When I have a thought that's somewhat daring or offbeat to bounce off
> you guys, I generally post it on a Friday. A little quirky reflection
> just seems to fit the Friday mind set. Such posts should definitely be
> considered purely elective reading. Proceed at your own risk.]
>
> Here's the deal:
>
> I'm wondering something again today--something I've wondered throughout
> my career in education, from time to time. I'm wondering if I am not the
> victim of some form of subtle, but insidious, sexual discrimination. Let
> me try and explain:
>
> I have--like many of you, I'd guess--a couple of degrees and a couple
> certificates to teach. I got these teaching certificates and degrees in
> part because I thought that the first few jobs I'd wound up in as a
> young lad were two technology-focused. By that I mean that I got tired
> of being merely a "machine-guy." To have a fulfilling career, I
> decided, I really needed to work directly with students; contribute to
> humanity in a way I found meaningful.
>
> Unfortunately, as a library media specialist, I find that I have to
> constantly fight for my right to teach. Constantly.
>
> On the other hand, I simply cannot seem to shake the machine-guy role. I
> am constantly being called upon to fix crap for people, for example. I
> could live with this fact more easily if this accompanying fact weren't
> also true: Most of the people who call me to ask me to come fix their TV
> or troubleshoot their digital camera or walk them through burning a
> stinking CD aren't the teachers with whom I collaborate and co-teach.
> Instead, most of them are the very same people who are most dismissive
> of me as a teaching professional. Some of them, in fact, are actually
> people who are barriers to my efforts to teach.
>
> And It can be very frustrating. And it can feel quite demeaning. Here's
> an example currently playing out:
>
> Circa 1992, I managed to procure some free TV production equipment via a
> cable franchise agreement and started a daily, student-produced,
> televised announcement program. Over the years, I built a very nice
> little studio that cost our school district almost nothing. It was a
> pretty sweet deal for everyone involved, and, for me, it was a great
> opportunity to develop sustained relationships with students and,
> mostly, to teach both television production and writing. I loved it.
>
> Then a few years ago, without any discussion or debate that I was privy
> to, our library clerical position was cut down to half time, making it
> impossible for me to leave the library floor during a good portion of
> the day, including the time frame in which I ran the telecast. I was
> crushed by this, but hey, that's life. The thing that really bothers me
> is this: Though our administrators suddenly become deaf and blind
> whenever I appeal to them to consider restoring my ability to once again
> run the program, they have no compunctions about asking me to train
> people on the use of all the studio gear when they manage to snag a
> willing volunteer to do a telecast or, as happened recently, a rookie
> teacher. "Ask Jeff to train you, he's good with that kind of stuff."
>
> What makes that okay? Isn't that like kidnapping someone's baby then
> calling them up after a few weeks and asking them to come over 'cause
> you need help changing the diaper?
>
> So I've started to wonder what makes me such an frequent target when it
> comes to be this sort of thing. Why do people find it okay to ignore me
> as a teacher and equally okay to use me as their personal Geek Squad.
> Often, when crouched beneath some teacher or administrator's desk,
> choking in the dust and fumbling through a maze of cabling looking for
> something amiss, I've puzzled over this one.
>
> And I can't figure it out.
>
> Unless...
>
> It's 'cause...
>
> I'm a dude.
>
> Now I KNOW I'm going to get some backlash on this, but that's the only
> answer I can come up with. I'm just being honest. And, honestly, I often
> find myself troubleshooting something for someone, sweating and
> generally wishing I was dead, and wondering: If I was female and my name
> was, say, Marge, and I wore flowy and flowery dresses, would I be atop
> this ladder right now checking to see if this teacher's s-video cable is
> properly connected?
>
> Well. What do you think? Would I?
>
> Jeffrey Hastings,
> School Librarian
> Howl Schools, Howl Michigan.
>
> shankhead@gmail.com
>
>
>
>
>
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