Well, I wrote an email to my boss this morning. I knew that if I went in there and tried to talk to him I would get way too pissed and probably cry (as always happens when Im pissed). I explained my position against leveled reading and gave alternatives to how our homework help person manages his time. I explained about the proven power of choice in developing readers. I told him when I said that I was passionately opposed its not in the same vein as when I go on about my love of Kpop. I leaned all the way in and talked about my 10 years in youth services backing me up, that my masters degree with an emphasis on childhood literacy backed me up, that there are scholarly articles out there that I can provide that show that leveled reading is bs and ended it all with, “but you’re the boss.”
I have one more thing to say if he still tries to make me do leveled reading. Of the three of us (me, my boss, and the homework helper) I am the one who is an “expert” in this topic. And its something that I’ve been wondering about since I started here. Maybe he’s sexist or even racist (and I dont say EITHER of those lightly). Because I dont see how he can discount all of my experience in this field (and with the daycare worker) and side with everyone BUT me unless he’s one of the two. A college freshman, with his first homework help job is not more qualified than I am to make this call. Its not bragging or tooting my own horn or saying that Im better or smarter or whatever. Its just a fact.
Mr. Easy Gig can work on his own list, or better yet, some research on leveled reading. I wish a few of your parents who witnessed the daycare issues would complain to your boss, your library board, the agency that licenses daycares, and the agency in charge of investigating child abuse.
Just a question but: have you given the helper info on why levelled reading is terrible? I mean, that could help you, especially if they are someone who is studying education or childhood literacy. I mean, I assume you’ve made them know your stance, but maybe if they had the info you do they may better understand. I mostly assume you have talked to them, but I wasn’t sure from your posts. I mean, also maybe tell the helper how much experience and education you have in this matter – it may shut them up. You are the expert, and it’s not right for them to make you do busy work that is for something you don’t believe in. Fight away – and honestly, flaunt your knowledge. You don’t have it for nothing. This is something you’re passionate about, and that matters. That matters because you’ve worked your ass off to get here and because you care. You didn’t learn this and read the studies to be walked over by some asshat manager and punk kid.
I explained to the homework helper why I’m opposed and he seemed to understand. When I got the email from my boss saying that I had to do it, I sat down and ranted for an hour or so, slept on it, woke up still pissed and wrote him an email explaining why this is a bad idea. I told him that my 10+ years of experience and my masters degree that has a focus in childhood literacy all back me up in this. Today we had a meeting where he basically said that the homework helper doesn’t have enough time or experience to pick out books so he wants me to do it and that I shouldn’t view it as taking away their choice. I’m just limiting it.
And then, tomorrow –TOMORROW– is the anniversary of mothers death. He thought that today was a good time yo sit me down and tell me that I need yo learn to separate myself from my emotions and just provide service because I’m too passionate about literacy (tf?) and because I said that I don’t do mother’s day programs. If i learn to separate myself from my emotions then I’ll be just fine to do that program. Except that’s not how emotions or grief works and once again, f that guy.
I am so, so frustrated. It’s basically boiling down to my word and expertise isn’t valid.
Ugh. Is he a robot? He’s sexist, for sure, because telling a woman to calm down is basically the most male way to be like “ladiez be cray” and get away with it. You should be passionate and strong and have opinions and feelings about literacy and when you want to hold programs. It’s what makes you good at your job. It’s why you do what you do. It’s an asset to any library to have someone who is passionate and educated and who cares the way you do. I can’t even with this right now. Why are men so awful? What is wrong with emotions and caring about things? Not caring about things doesn’t make you cool or better at your job. Caring does. And here’s the thing that gets me – you didn’t do this from an emotional place, you did this from a cerebral one. You know the research and stats and studies. You know what you’re talking about and that there is no reason to employ outdated methods. You are doing this from expertise and he is ignoring it with the easiest play in the man handbook (ooh, that seems like it would be kind of porn-y…wait, it would be. It’s by men. Sorry, I digress, back to the rant.) Disregarding all the evidence you’re citing is stupid because I guarantee if a male were saying the same things he’d listen.
And the total lack of empathy for you, telling you to “just provide service” is such complete and utter bullcrap that I want to punch him. It’s totally fair for you to not do mother’s day programs. How does making yourself an emotionless robot give you the ability to run a program you don’t want to do a good thing? Like, even IF you separate from your emotions, that doesn’t mean that doing a mother’s day program will be easier for you. Not that you should listen to this nitwit. But still.
Keep being you. Keep being passionate about literacy. Keep taking care of your needs and saying no to the things that you don’t feel like doing. Keep being angry. (And maybe see if there’s a regional supervisor or board that you can submit a complaint to. Because this guy sounds like he’s hurting the library at the expense of the patrons.)
Spare me men and their “women are too emotional, but I’m going to get drunk and punch a bunch of people because my football team lost a match”.
I don’t know about the racism thing, I’m not there, but I agree with Snarky that telling women to ‘calm down’ is the classic gaslighting move. Acting as though the problem is your emotions about a situation rather than the situation itself.
I did not realize it was possible for a *librarian* to be too passionate about literacy. Literally our job description.
Can you just do a Recommended Reads list or Display and mix up the levels? Like have a mix of reading levels with age appropriate content. Would either of them even realize they aren’t actually leveled?
Mothers Day program: Look at Storytime Underground for their work against any holiday storytime. Regardless of your personal situation, a mother’s day program does by default exclude those without mothers or involved mothers. There is a place for those programs, but an inclusive library may not be it. Consider programming that would allow others who have lost their mother or grandmothers a mothers day free space. Perhaps a plain love theme, or pull the CSLP theme in a little early and do Imagine Your Story.
On another note, document, document, document. Write a summary of the meeting, including your impressions. Send it to him like meeting minutes with a date for clarifications. Include some follow up on the trends against any holiday programming. By writing down you give the boss the chance to correct incorrect assumptions on your part and also gives you backup in case of an unemployment or discrimination claim. You’ve got a pretty strong one. It’s not like your degree is 50 years old and out of touch.
Yes, this x10000. Bcc all your emails to a private address so that you have them somewhere other than your work computer/email. Make notes of the dates and times he says/does something inappropriate, email it to yourself or keep.some.kind of record. Make note of who was there if there are any in person interactions.
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isa: I'm not a serial killer I'm just really passionate about things
January 14, 2020 at 7:46 AM
Well, I wrote an email to my boss this morning. I knew that if I went in there and tried to talk to him I would get way too pissed and probably cry (as always happens when Im pissed). I explained my position against leveled reading and gave alternatives to how our homework help person manages his time. I explained about the proven power of choice in developing readers. I told him when I said that I was passionately opposed its not in the same vein as when I go on about my love of Kpop. I leaned all the way in and talked about my 10 years in youth services backing me up, that my masters degree with an emphasis on childhood literacy backed me up, that there are scholarly articles out there that I can provide that show that leveled reading is bs and ended it all with, “but you’re the boss.”
I have one more thing to say if he still tries to make me do leveled reading. Of the three of us (me, my boss, and the homework helper) I am the one who is an “expert” in this topic. And its something that I’ve been wondering about since I started here. Maybe he’s sexist or even racist (and I dont say EITHER of those lightly). Because I dont see how he can discount all of my experience in this field (and with the daycare worker) and side with everyone BUT me unless he’s one of the two. A college freshman, with his first homework help job is not more qualified than I am to make this call. Its not bragging or tooting my own horn or saying that Im better or smarter or whatever. Its just a fact.
mugyuljoie is preciousss
January 14, 2020 at 8:13 AM
Mr. Easy Gig can work on his own list, or better yet, some research on leveled reading. I wish a few of your parents who witnessed the daycare issues would complain to your boss, your library board, the agency that licenses daycares, and the agency in charge of investigating child abuse.
SnarkyJellyfish
January 14, 2020 at 12:05 PM
Just a question but: have you given the helper info on why levelled reading is terrible? I mean, that could help you, especially if they are someone who is studying education or childhood literacy. I mean, I assume you’ve made them know your stance, but maybe if they had the info you do they may better understand. I mostly assume you have talked to them, but I wasn’t sure from your posts. I mean, also maybe tell the helper how much experience and education you have in this matter – it may shut them up. You are the expert, and it’s not right for them to make you do busy work that is for something you don’t believe in. Fight away – and honestly, flaunt your knowledge. You don’t have it for nothing. This is something you’re passionate about, and that matters. That matters because you’ve worked your ass off to get here and because you care. You didn’t learn this and read the studies to be walked over by some asshat manager and punk kid.
isa: I'm not a serial killer I'm just really passionate about things
January 14, 2020 at 2:11 PM
I explained to the homework helper why I’m opposed and he seemed to understand. When I got the email from my boss saying that I had to do it, I sat down and ranted for an hour or so, slept on it, woke up still pissed and wrote him an email explaining why this is a bad idea. I told him that my 10+ years of experience and my masters degree that has a focus in childhood literacy all back me up in this. Today we had a meeting where he basically said that the homework helper doesn’t have enough time or experience to pick out books so he wants me to do it and that I shouldn’t view it as taking away their choice. I’m just limiting it.
And then, tomorrow –TOMORROW– is the anniversary of mothers death. He thought that today was a good time yo sit me down and tell me that I need yo learn to separate myself from my emotions and just provide service because I’m too passionate about literacy (tf?) and because I said that I don’t do mother’s day programs. If i learn to separate myself from my emotions then I’ll be just fine to do that program. Except that’s not how emotions or grief works and once again, f that guy.
I am so, so frustrated. It’s basically boiling down to my word and expertise isn’t valid.
SnarkyJellyfish
January 14, 2020 at 3:10 PM
FUCK THAT GUY.
Ugh. Is he a robot? He’s sexist, for sure, because telling a woman to calm down is basically the most male way to be like “ladiez be cray” and get away with it. You should be passionate and strong and have opinions and feelings about literacy and when you want to hold programs. It’s what makes you good at your job. It’s why you do what you do. It’s an asset to any library to have someone who is passionate and educated and who cares the way you do. I can’t even with this right now. Why are men so awful? What is wrong with emotions and caring about things? Not caring about things doesn’t make you cool or better at your job. Caring does. And here’s the thing that gets me – you didn’t do this from an emotional place, you did this from a cerebral one. You know the research and stats and studies. You know what you’re talking about and that there is no reason to employ outdated methods. You are doing this from expertise and he is ignoring it with the easiest play in the man handbook (ooh, that seems like it would be kind of porn-y…wait, it would be. It’s by men. Sorry, I digress, back to the rant.) Disregarding all the evidence you’re citing is stupid because I guarantee if a male were saying the same things he’d listen.
And the total lack of empathy for you, telling you to “just provide service” is such complete and utter bullcrap that I want to punch him. It’s totally fair for you to not do mother’s day programs. How does making yourself an emotionless robot give you the ability to run a program you don’t want to do a good thing? Like, even IF you separate from your emotions, that doesn’t mean that doing a mother’s day program will be easier for you. Not that you should listen to this nitwit. But still.
Keep being you. Keep being passionate about literacy. Keep taking care of your needs and saying no to the things that you don’t feel like doing. Keep being angry. (And maybe see if there’s a regional supervisor or board that you can submit a complaint to. Because this guy sounds like he’s hurting the library at the expense of the patrons.)
So, yeah. Fuck that guy.
LT is Irresistibly Indifferent, Dame Judi
January 14, 2020 at 4:23 PM
Spare me men and their “women are too emotional, but I’m going to get drunk and punch a bunch of people because my football team lost a match”.
I don’t know about the racism thing, I’m not there, but I agree with Snarky that telling women to ‘calm down’ is the classic gaslighting move. Acting as though the problem is your emotions about a situation rather than the situation itself.
librarianerin
January 14, 2020 at 6:45 PM
I did not realize it was possible for a *librarian* to be too passionate about literacy. Literally our job description.
Can you just do a Recommended Reads list or Display and mix up the levels? Like have a mix of reading levels with age appropriate content. Would either of them even realize they aren’t actually leveled?
Mothers Day program: Look at Storytime Underground for their work against any holiday storytime. Regardless of your personal situation, a mother’s day program does by default exclude those without mothers or involved mothers. There is a place for those programs, but an inclusive library may not be it. Consider programming that would allow others who have lost their mother or grandmothers a mothers day free space. Perhaps a plain love theme, or pull the CSLP theme in a little early and do Imagine Your Story.
On another note, document, document, document. Write a summary of the meeting, including your impressions. Send it to him like meeting minutes with a date for clarifications. Include some follow up on the trends against any holiday programming. By writing down you give the boss the chance to correct incorrect assumptions on your part and also gives you backup in case of an unemployment or discrimination claim. You’ve got a pretty strong one. It’s not like your degree is 50 years old and out of touch.
mugyuljoie is preciousss
January 14, 2020 at 8:42 PM
Keeping meeting notes for yourself, at home, is a good idea also.
SnarkyJellyfish
January 14, 2020 at 9:09 PM
Yes, this x10000. Bcc all your emails to a private address so that you have them somewhere other than your work computer/email. Make notes of the dates and times he says/does something inappropriate, email it to yourself or keep.some.kind of record. Make note of who was there if there are any in person interactions.