Recognition I can feel GOOD about

During my first year using twitter, I had heard differing views about the Edublog awards. Awards in general make me uncomfortable, so I tended to agree with those who were anti-Eddie. And then...my blog was nominated! I was thrilled with the nomination and felt completely affirmed and validated by my library community.

If it had stopped there, with my blog on a list with 20+ other librarians I respect and admire, I would have been more than delighted. But, it didn't. I posted the nomination badge on my blog, and some of my little fans in the library saw it, asked about it, and learned about the voting process. Suddenly, they had a mission! They voted from home and school daily. I told my colleagues about it and many added their votes. 

The votes of my students and our faculty put me into the winning slot. But what do they know about what's happening in the library profession? They don't even know who Joyce Valenza is!

Winning is fun and puts my blog in the spotlight for a bit. I hope some who read it find it helpful, and I'm happy to make connections with some new followers. But in my heart I know that it's not a win from my PLN and library colleagues. So although it's fun, it doesn't mean as much to me as this....

The website "Teacher Certification Degrees" recently compiled of list of 50 Top School Library blogs. Each blog listed is thoughtfully annotated, and the list includes the mentors and PLN friends I learn from every day. To have a place on this list is recognition I can feel good about. To know that someone has read over my work and felt it compared well to the body of work of these others gives me a sense of true accomplishment.

What does "recognition we can feel good about" look like?

It is meaningful; it comes from those knowledgeable in the field

It is comprehensive; it casts a wide net and includes as many as possible

It is non-competitive; there is no contest and it may come as a surprise

Feeling what I feel after this experience strengthens my resolve to find ways for my students to experience this type of recognition, not the hyped up artifice of the awards we sometimes see in school, but recognition they can feel GOOD about.

For more about what's wrong with the Edublogs awards, see Joe Bower's post.