Who is Crazy Mrs.T and how did I get here?

My Mom always said that I would be a teacher though I fought it in every way possible.  I dabbled in several majors at the College of Charleston (S.C.) - marine biology, sports management, costume design - before settling on English with a minor in Secondary Education.  I taught high school English for 13 years and worked up a sweat everyday getting my students pumped about Shakespeare and Huck Finn and writing.  I have always been an extremely active person, so my classroom techniques were usually less than boring, aptly earning me the nickname "Crazy Mrs. T."  Students never knew what to expect when they ventured into my room each day.  When I first began teaching, the Internet was just arriving on the scene, and I was eager to embrace technology.  A lot had changed with technology since 1995, and I remained eager to continue trying out the latest tools that would enhance my students' learning.  I was attending so many workshops and conferences, that I finally realized that I should just go ahead and pursue my Masters in Informational Technology.  I knew that Media Specialists were no longer just about books, though I love to read on a daily basis, but more about the latest technology and collaborating with teachers.  I was already assisting teachers on my hall with trying new things, so I knew that I was heading in the right direction by enrolling at Georgia Southern University.  Little did I know that I would end up in the Media Center sooner than I realized!  One of our Media Specialists had to move with her husband's job transfer, and though I was not completely through with my course work, I was asked to fill her position on a provisional basis.  I was thrilled and haven't stopped learning about the exciting world of being a media specialist since!  

In my second year in my school's Media Center, I helped with a huge transition for our program.  Our school has quadrupled in enrollment in 18 years, so we outgrew our Media Center quickly.  In January 2012, we added to our Media Center and Technology program by opening a space called The LiNK, which is a digital learning lab.  I assisted in designing it and now run it on a full-time basis, while occasionally swapping off with the other Media Specialist who still runs our book collection in our Media Center.  I miss the everyday contact with the books, but The LiNK has afforded me the opportunity to collaborate with teachers more and introduce Web 2.0 tools and apps with our iPad lab and Chromebook lab that were not always possible in our limited Media Center space.  In a perfect world, these two spaces would be in one facility, but we are utilizing what we have to the best of our ability to meet the AASL standards and create amazing 21st-century learners!