Teaching Philosophy

This philosophy is a work in progress and will likely remain a work in progress. Hey, that's sorta like my career as a librarian! I'm constantly learning new things and adding to my pedagogical repertoire. I think that most folks learn by doing and that I try to never turn down an opportunity to teach someone something new.  I work towards collaborating with the user as much as possible when it comes to identifying what s/he's looking for, where to find it, how to use it, and how to cite it. I call this user empowerment and by that I mean to say that what I do as a librarian isn't something magical that only cardigan-wearing, bespectacled ladies with library degrees can do. Anyone can do it.  I just happen to spend more time looking for things and by trial and error, luck, and okay, maybe a library instruction session or two, have usually figured out the best way to do it.  What is it? you might be saying.  Well, in a nutshell, I help people find things.  Things that they need for a research paper, for a book report that's due by 5pm tomorrow, or for their own personal edification.  I do my best to avoid finding it for them.  Perhaps I should start calling myself a Finding Stuff Sensei, to which I can barely stop myself from saying, "Sweep the leg!"