Putting It All Together

Posted March 7, 2019 by Megan Ondricek

These past few weeks have been about putting things together and wrapping up everything I’ve been learning into an actual product. At my internship, all my previous class work, observations, readings, and discussions have finally culminated in an actual teaching experience! I have now taught undergraduate freshmen and lived to tell the tale, haha! But really, my first teaching day went as well as I could have hoped. It was rigorous – three 75-minute classes in one day – but rewarding. I did not realize how unaccustomed I would be to talking and standing that much in one day! My very first class was a little wobbly and I couldn’t quite shake the nerves, but my second two felt much more natural. By the last one I wasn’t even looking at my outline or checking the clock. Whew! I am relieved to have the first day over with so that I never have to be teaching for the very first time again.

In my metadata class we are working on an assignment that involves several pieces, each of which we have learned about and practiced previously. We have to create our own XML schema and then create three XML records based on our schema. This is the third Simmons class I’ve taken that requires actual coding, and I quite enjoy it. I never thought I’d be coding this much in library school, but I’ve seen so many practical applications of this skill since I started. Many of us begin our tech-heavy classes with some trepidation, but I can almost guarantee you’ll find something fun about coding. I do recommend, however, that you take those classes in-person if possible. I’ve realized that troubleshooting code is a bit trickier in an online class. There’s a delay waiting for responses to your question and something is always lost in translation. It is much easier to have someone else looking at your screen with you and being able to walk you through something. My advice is: take tech classes in person, and if you have to do it online, start your assignments early so there is time to get help.

In other news, we’ve begun the painfully slow slog toward spring on the heels of what was probably our biggest snowstorm this season. Since I’ve lived in Connecticut for four years now, I know that March-April often feels more like a second winter than spring, but the signs are there. The sun is coming out more and the birds are beginning to sing – as if nature knows something we don’t. Simmons’ spring break has given me a little extra time to do my work, but other than that, life goes on as usual.