Tag Archives: Teacher Librarians

Former First Lady Laura Bush was also a teacher and school librarian

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Former First Lady Laura Bush also served her community as a teacher and a school librarian in her home state of Texas. 

Laura Bush was just seven years old when she informed her parents that she wanted to be a teacher. And she never wavered from her decision. Before she became the nation’s First Lady, she served her community as a teacher and school librarian.

Like many teachers, Laura felt a calling to the teaching profession. As a youngster, she enjoyed lining up her dolls in the pretend classroom she established in her bedroom. There she and her childhood playmates would play school for hours on end.

Laura earned her degrees from Southern Methodist University, where she majored in Elementary Education and completed her student teaching semester. She inaugurated her career as an educator when she accepted a position as a third grade teacher in the Dallas Public Schools system.  At the tend of the school year, Laura moved to Houston, where she taught second grade at John F. Kennedy Elementary School.

After three years as a classroom teacher, Laura returned to college to earn her Master’s degree in Library Science. This done, she accepted a position as a children’s librarian at a public library in Houston, a job which suited her well. But she missed working in schools.

The following year she became a school librarian, working at a school with an inner-city population. Apparently, the students there were tough. One of Laura’s former colleagues described the future First Lady. She said, “She was friendly and very loving but very firm. She had her rules…and you followed them.”

Laura has said that she believes that children need dedicated teaches in their lives. She has often said, “Teachers have a more profound impact on our society and culture than any other profession.”

To read more about Laura Bush and her career as an educator, check out this book, From Classroom to White House: The President and First Ladies as Students and Teachers, by James McMurtry Longo, available on amazon.

Exploring Oodi, the Central Public Library of Helsinki, Finland

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Teachers know that travel, in addition to being fun and intellectually stimulating, is one of the most meaningful experiential learning opportunities available for both themselves and for their students. Summer Break is a great time for travel! Earlier this month, I returned from a vacation to Scandinavia, and while I was there I visited an internationally-renowned Helsinki Central Library in Helsinki, Finland. This visit offers an excellent opportunity to incorporate a travel experience into the classroom curriculum.

Author Terry Lee Marzell visited the Helsinki Central Library on a vacation to the Scandinavian country of Finland in July, 2024. Photo Credit: Hal Marzell

This public library, the brainchild of Finnish Minister of Culture Claes Andersson, was conceived in 1988, and opened to the public on December 5, 2018, the flagship project celebrating the 100th anniversary of Finland’s independence. The facility, affectionately known as Oodi (“Ode”), is located on Kansalaistori Square, directly opposite the Finnish Parliament House. The positioning represents the library’s place as a promoter of equality, literacy, reading, and freedom of speech. In 2019, the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) named Oodi the best Public Library of the Year.

Author Terry Lee Marzell shows one of several sewing machines available for use by patrons at the Helsinki Central Library. Photo Credit: Hal Marzell

Oodi holds a collection of over 100,000 books in 23 languages. The collection also offers musical instruments, sheet music, movies, video games, and board games. I even saw a patron carry out a fishing pole he’d checked out! There are also sewing machines, a laser cutter, a vinyl cutter, 3-D printers, and a UV printer available for use.

The facility also boasts meeting rooms, game rooms, a playground for children, rehearsal rooms, a cafe, and a theater that holds 250 patrons. Often called “Finland’s living room,” there is a massive reading room located inside, a youth space, an interactive fairy tale wall, and seating options on a casual second-floor patio known as the Citizen’s Balcony located outside. The library also hosts lectures and concerts.

At a visit to the Helsinki Central Library, Hal and Terry Marzell came across this little robot transporting books from floor to floor. This little robot appears to have personality! Photo Credit: Hal Marzell

A model of updated technology, we were delighted to come across one of three robots that runs errands around the library, transporting books from floor to floor. And this little robot appears to have personality!

Simultaneously bustling with activity and a haven for quiet, independent study, Oodi is everything a modern library should be.

Given that Finland is a country not often found on travelers’ itineraries, it’s probably unlikely that you might ever escort your students on a trip there, but you can view a virtual tour of the facility—or share that virtual tour with your library science students—at this link: Oodi. Whether in person or online, I wish you happy exploring!

 

Adrianna Swearingen named Florida’s 2024 Teacher of the Year

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Florida Media Specialists Adrianna Swearingen has been named her state’s 2024 Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: Florida State Department of Education

Any campus that has an exceptional Teacher Librarian on their staff is a very fortunate school. A knowledgable and innovative Media Specialist is an invaluable resource for both students and colleagues. In her elementary school, Adrianna Swearingen is exactly such a resource. In fact, she is so accomplished she has been named the 2024 Florida State Teacher of the Year.

Adrianna teaches at Northside Elementary School in Bay County. She has served as the school’s Media Specialist since 2021. In that role, she has been a major reason why the students in her school have increased their English Language learning gains by 21 percentage points, with the learning gains for the lowest students showing growth of 41 percentage points. That’s huge! In addition to this, Adrianna works with her campus Technology Club, the Lego Club, and the Yearbook Committee.

In the prior seven years, when she was a classroom teacher, Adriana worked with both kindergartners and fourth graders. She helped her students run morning broadcasts, she pioneered the Accelerated Reader Program, and she cultivated an environment of confidence among her young charges.

She has other work experiences, too. For example, before she became a teacher, she trained with her dog, Mako, to be a therapy service team. In this role, she and her dog attended events and volunteered at schools, retirement homes, and colleges with Love Dog Adventures through Pet Partners.

“My message for not only the teachers here in my county, but the entire state of Florida is to know that you are enough, and you matter,” declares Adrianna. “And we are doing amazing things in education. We are game changers!” she continued.

Adrianna earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Florida State University, Panama City, in 2015. She earned her Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from the University of West Florida in 2021.