An Introduction
"LinkedIn" Image property of Jasmine Monroe
Hello! You can call me Jasmine.
I am 32 years old and live in the southwest suburbs of Chicago. I live with my husband, two daughters, and two dogs named Tito and Milo. I attend Dominican University online and will finish my MLIS (Master's Degree in Library and Information Science) in the fall.
"Milo and Tito" photo taken by Jasmine Monroe
I work as an adult services associate at my public library. I enjoy all aspects of my job, including reader's advisory, information services, and programming. I am known for my monthly Cricut Crafting Club program, in which I provide step-by-step instructions on how to complete a craft project using the Cricut machine and software.
I have also created other non-crafting programs, which I also enjoy. However, I tend to gravitate towards crafting programs because they combine two things I love: teaching and crafting. You can learn more about the programs we offer at the Alsip Public Library by visiting the library website.
"Adult Coloring Contest" photo taken by Jasmine Monroe
During my free time, I enjoy reading historical fiction and magical realism novels. I also enjoy spending time with my family and playing video games especially The Sims.
"Teacher Twitter Account" Image property of Jasmine Monroe
I use the same Facebook account I had since high school and use it to communicate with relatives who do not live in the state or country. I am guilty of saving videos I think are interesting on Facebook and then forgetting about it. When I was teaching I used TikTok and Instagram to gather ideas on what other teachers were doing in their classrooms. Although the accounts are still active I do not use them the same way. I occasionally use Instagram or TikTok to view and send funny videos to my husband and to watch cooking videos.
The social media I use the most is Goodreads. I use it to track the number of books I am reading and to rate them. I also use it to view what my friends are reading and to read their reviews. It is a great way to discover new books.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your post: I have a part-time job at a library as well and can understand your use of goodreads in order to rate books. It is very interesting to see the different ways in which people of different walks of life use social media. I also like the fact that you used it to keep in touch with relatives as well (I tend to use whatsapp). While for the older adults like me it is difficult to embrace social media fully, it seems like books and family are those two areas where I can be convinced to try something new. Thank you!
Thanks for a sneak peek into who you are, Jasmine. Did you find it difficult to transition out of public education and into a library role?
ReplyDeleteI did not find it difficult, but I found it very different. For the first few weeks, I felt a little out of place. I learned to appreciate the little things that I did not have before, such as going to the bathroom whenever I wanted, not taking work home, and eating my lunch without working. Those took some time getting used to.
DeleteHi Jasmine, great to meet you! Goodreads is definitely a social media I feel like I should be using more regularly, because I am always looking for new book recommendations. I was also a big fan of The Sims growing up-I think I had about every expansion pack that they came out with during the early years of the game! I think it's very cool that you used social media to connect with parents when you were teaching-this is definitely something I had not thought about before, but could see being a good use for social media, as I know most parents of my students are probably active across different platforms. If you have any great book recs in your favorite genres, would love to hear those as well!
ReplyDeleteI am a big fan of Isabel Allende's books. My favorite is Portrait in Sepia. I also really enjoyed Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. However, my favorite book of all time is 1984 by George Orwell.
DeleteHi, Jasmine! I love that you have created a crafting club. As an avid Cricut user, this sounds right up my alley. I also love to use Goodreads to keep up with my friends reading and to find new books. I've even entered their contests and won free books before! I use Seesaw in my classroom currently and I find that it's a great way to connect with parents. I have found though, that since coming back from the pandemic, parents are less active on there. I think they were a little fatigued with online learning and using Seesaw as a learning platform. I wonder if that participation will pick back up in future years.
ReplyDeleteHello Jasmine! I would love to learn how to use the Cricut machine! Our school received one recently and I would like to be able to use it, but I am not sure where to even start. After visiting your library’s website I’m intrigued and possibly thinking of taking the 40 minute drive to your Cricut crafting club. It is also interesting to learn that your school district allowed you to use Facebook and X to communicate with parents, did that help increase parent participation? Also, how do you like being in the library rather than in the classroom? I also use Instagram and TikTok to watch, save, and share videos of what other teachers are doing in their classrooms and learning about helpful resources to use in the classroom too. Lastly, I am interested to learn more about Goodreads, and would consider joining that social media platform because I love to read and would like to know what other people think of the books I’ve enjoyed reading so far.
ReplyDeleteUsing social media definitely helped with parent participation. They were more aware of the things we did in the classroom, which were often different from what children would tell them. I remember asking my children what they did, and they often said "nothing". Social media allowed them to get a glimpse of what their day-to-day looked like. I enjoy being in a library setting a lot more than being in the classroom. Occasionally, I do miss it, but former students visit me at the library all the time, which is always nice.
DeleteHello, Jasmine! Milo and Tito are adorable, so thank you for sharing your pup pics. I also enjoyed learning about your Cricut Crafting Club program. We recently ordered a Cricut for my own library for staff use, and I'm excited to learn how to make the most of it. Decorating glass tumblers are a fantastic way to make the most out of your Cricut, in my opinion!
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that your school district required your team to use X/Twitter to communicate with parents. Were students following the accounts as well? In your experience, was it a successful method of communicating with families? Were there any downsides? I can definitely see X being a fun way to get families involved, even when X may not always be a fun platform to navigate. I enjoyed reading your insights on navigating social media. Thank you for sharing fun facts about your library programs and yourself!
Hi there Jasmine! Your post was delightful to read. I don't know much about magical realism, but I always like novels in that genre. Do you have any you would recommend?
ReplyDeleteI use Goodreads too, to keep track of books and see what my friends are reading. Sometimes the algorithm is off with recommendations, so I get some amusement out of what it thinks I would enjoy. And those cricut tumblers look amazing! I volunteered at a DIY fest at a local library recently and wondered about doing similar crafts.