Who are you, and what do you blog?

My name is Christy Howard-Hartley.  On a professional note, I’m a middle school Media Specialist in Tampa, FL.  This is my third year in the library, and previously I was a classroom teacher for six years.  I’ve taught 7^th grade Language Arts, 8^th grade Language Arts, and 9^th & 10^th grade Intensive Reading.  I have a B.A. in English with specialization in writing, with a minor in Women’s & Gender Studies, from the University of Michigan-Flint.  I hold a permanent Florida teaching certificate with the following coverages and endorsements:  Educational Media Specialist (PreK-12), Elementary Education (k-6), English (6-12), English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) (k-12), and Reading Endorsement.  I’m a “graduate” of the Florida Alternative Certification Program (ACP).  Becoming a Media Specialist has been one of the best things I’ve ever decided to do.  I enjoy my job, and I absolutely love my children (my students).  I love the middle school level; the kids in the “middle” are unique.  They are not as dependent as elementary kids, but they haven’t completely left their childhood like high school kids.  There is no place I would rather be.  As a new Media Specialist in Hillsborough County, I was required to complete six graduate level courses, however, I decided to do the whole Master’s degree and I will graduate with my MLIS this December.  Call it a Bucket List item.  

On a personal note, I’m married to my best friend Eric and we love our rescue dog Sam and our four birds:  BJ (cockatiel), Biggs (Love Bird), Wedge (Love Bird), and Thomas (African Grey).  We also have a pond with three koi in our backyard, and I keep an aquarium with six fish in my library.  I love cooking and have been looking into pursuing courses in the culinary arts after I finish my MLIS.  I love reading and my favorite book may be “To Kill a Mockingbird.”  (This past summer I read “A Wrinkle in Time” and it almost dethroned Harper Lee’s classic.)   I also love traveling, especially to southern cities such as Charleston, New Orleans, Savannah, St. Augustine, Charlotte, and so on.  And especially if there are lighthouses and/or wineries involved.  

This semester, I am taking LIS 6303: Preparing Instructional Media and LIS 5566: Materials for Multicultural and Special Populations for Children and Young Adults.  My blog will contain my observations from daily life in a Media Center, as well as multicultural book reviews.  My intention is to give a well-rounded view of all the tasks involved in being a solo school library media specialist.  

Also, some of the titles I have already picked out to read this semester are:

Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis (Newbery Honor Book , Coretta Scott King Award winner, and Scott O’Dell Award winner)

Before We Were Free (Pura Belpre Award winner)

Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata (Newbery Medal winner)

Dragonwings by Laurence Yep (Newbery Honor Book)

Parrot in the Oven: mi vida by Victor Martinez (National Book Award)

Hurt Go Happy by Ginny Rorby (Schneider Family Book Award)

When Shlemiel Went to Warsaw by Isaac Bashevis Singer (Newbery Honor Book)

And many more!

 

I gave my blog the title “Asymmetrical Book Stacking” because I’m a fan of Ghostbusters and “symmetrical” was already taken.  I also think that asymmetrical is a better description of a busy, dynamic library.  The books aren’t neatly stacked, and they’re not all in their right places. 

And that’s okay.

For the title reference, please see:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kj2bF8dDNs