About Me

I am Phatima Mitchell, the passionate librarian and the founder of A Journey With Words. I am a mother of four amazing children who have taught me a lot and have introduced me to their personal views pertaining to reading.  They are each brilliant young minds and have different reading styles. I have learned that all children are truly unique and the importance of meeting them where they are regarding how they approach reading.

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Teacher:  I am a dual certified teacher, grades 1-6 and a school media specialist. I currently teach at a Charter School as the library teacher. I have the opportunity to work with a wide range of learners from kindergarten to fifth grade. Some of my students are new to reading for pleasure. In my opinion, this is because they have only been introduced to reading with the expectation of completing an assignment.  I have been able to reach some students (5th graders) twice a month in my after school book club showing them the fun side of reading with themed activities. My goal is to show all of my students the joy of reading.

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Librarian:  I am fortunate to work part-time for my public library as an adult reference librarian. I love this part of my week because it allows me to read novels and advise my peers on great reads. While I specialize in children's literature, I know the importance of adults being able to create a peaceful space for themselves as well while going on a journey. The fact that I am an avid reader myself, readers' advisory is one of my favorite parts of the job. Once a month I also host a "Bestsellers" book club allowing me to make connections and hear many different perspectives from adults from different walks of life.

 

 My careers encourage me to read a plethora of books. While reading, I am often taken away to another place . I want to share this experience with children and show them that reading for pleasure could take them to an entirely different world as well.

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Credentials:

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Rutgers University,  New Brunswick, New Jersey                          

Masters of Information, Area of Concentration: School Library Media Specialist

American Library Association Accredited Program

 

Dowling College, Oakdale, New York     

Bachelor of Science in Childhood Education, Area of Concentration: English

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