*Who are you?
Last summer, I decided that I wanted to know more about my personality in relation to my leadership skills. Part of my search for knowledge included taking the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality inventory. I did it because I needed to have a better understanding of individuals and how their personalities form organizational cultures. I also realized that I need to know how to assess situations so that I either step up for the leadership role, yield to another person to facilitate growth, or observe instead of speaking. These skills are important for school librarians because we interact with our entire school communities. Understand the tendencies related to our personality typesRecognize how these tendencies can impact other peopleIdentify how certain behaviors may limit successful interactionsAssess how one approaches conflictDetermine what can be done to improve our communication stylesCapitalize on the strengths of our communication styles Author: Daniella Smith Like this:
About StrengthsFinder 2.0
"Hide not your talents. They for use were made. What's a sundial in the shade?"-- Benjamin Franklin Do you have the opportunity to do what you do best every day? Chances are, you don't. To help people uncover their talents, Gallup introduced the first version of its online assessment, StrengthsFinder, in the 2001 management book Now, Discover Your Strengths. In StrengthsFinder 2.0 Gallup unveiled the new and improved version of its popular assessment, language of 34 themes, and much more. Loaded with hundreds of strategies for applying your strengths, this Wall Street Journal, Business Week, and USA Today bestseller will change the way you look at yourself -- and the world around you -- forever.
Free DISC Test
Use this Free DISC Personality Test to get a fast estimate of your DISC profile based on answers to 12 short questions. It's fast and it's free. You can probably finish it in less than 10 minutes. Use the results to gain insights you can use to better understand why you communicate the way you do and how you can communicate with others more effectively. Your FREE DISC Profile will open in a new browser window. Upgrade Your Free DISC Assessment for More Complete Insights If you’re looking for even more insights and opportunities for personal growth and success, then you’ll be interested in upgrading to our 24 question, more in-depth assessment and 28-page, personalized DISC profile analysis.
Changing Times: School Librarian Staffing Status | Teacher Librarian
Changing Times: School Librarian Staffing Status Debra E. Kachel and Keith Curry Lance This article is from the April 2018 issue of Teacher Librarian. Recently released data show a loss of almost 9,200 full-time equivalent (FTE) school librarians (15%) nationwide from 2009-10 to 2015-16, with more than 10,000 total losses since 2000 (Lance, 2018). The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) annually collects required school and staffing data as reported by each state. Emerging Trends Although school funding is certainly a factor, the steep losses of almost 9,200 school librarians in the 6-year period from 2009-10 to 2015-16 cannot be explained solely by school finances when, over the same time period, the number of teachers has remained fairly static and the number of instructional coordinators has dramatically increased. High turnover rates among superintendents and principals led to instability in school library support and staffing. Large Urban Districts Counter Inequities
8 Tools for Self-Analysis: Mapping Your Strengths, Gifts & Roles
I’ve always been fascinated with the workings of my own mind, and by human nature in general. With a background doing undergraduate work in Psychology, and graduate work in Social and Critical Theory, I’ve spent long hours contemplating individual motivations as well as group dynamics and the potential for (the much sought after, but often elusive) collective intelligence.If we want to determine what it takes to better function as groups, both in physical proximity and across distributed environments, I think it’s important to understand our own internal landscapes and how our strengths are best amplified in the presence of others with complimentary talents. Below is a list of online assessments that are useful in becoming more aware of one’s strengths, gifts and temperaments. I’ve pasted excerpts of my own results below, to give a sense of how the assessments are formatted. 1. my top 5 results: You like to think. You love to learn. You are fascinated by ideas. You are inquisitive. 2. 3.
CliftonStrengths | Gallup
At Gallup, we recently began shifting the brand from StrengthsFinder to CliftonStrengths. We're changing the name of the engine that powers strengths-based development around the world. The CliftonStrengths assessment is the same online assessment that millions of people have used to tap into their talents to succeed. It's the same assessment invented by Don Clifton. Through his pioneering research and bestselling books like StrengthsFinder 2.0, the former Gallup chairman and inventor of CliftonStrengths brought the power of positive psychology to every corner of the world. For his efforts, the American Psychological Association honored Clifton with a Presidential Commendation as the Father of Strengths-Based Psychology. His CliftonStrengths assessment is the one that identifies a person's unique sequence of 34 themes of talent and shows people how to succeed by developing them into CliftonStrengths. But CliftonStrengths is more than an assessment. Buy CliftonStrengths 34
Librarians and Student Leadership
Why do we need librarians if students have access to the Internet and their phones? I find my first answer to this question includes the dubious term fake news. Dubious because fake news is rare; biased or misleading news is where the problems are for today’s inundated readers. Borough Student Advisory Councils The New York City School Library System (NYCSLS) partnered with the Coro New York Leadership Center this summer. 87% of participants feel strong in their ability to build relationships with adults.90% of participants felt they are strongly able to identify inequities in the community, and 81% felt they are strong in coming up with ideas and solutions to advance equity. Student Councils for the Twenty-First Century “I want everyone to know about the magic of libraries,” a new school librarian said to me this summer. The Role of Social Media Best of all, we can work with social media student devotees to showcase what we do to create lasting change. Don’t we all? Like this:
The Wisdom Academy - Consciousness Studies
Consciousness Studies This is a relatively new area of inquiry in the academic world. However, known as the “perennial philosophy,” its roots date back to the ancient Vedas of India and Taoist wisdom teachings of China. Today, it is an emerging interdisciplinary field offered in universities in the West, embracing psychology, philosophy, spirituality, anthropology, history, neuroscience, and cognitive science, as well as gender and race studies. A growing number of colleges in the US, Europe, and South America now offer masters degrees in Consciousness Studies, and a handful of universities offer interdisciplinary doctoral programs involving science, philosophy, and religion. As with all advanced degree programs, which can take from two to six years of dedicated study, three common obstacles need to be overcome: time, cost, and commitment. If you are one of these people, a Mentorship in Consciousness Studies may be a preferable option. Personal Mentorships
