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Thanks to everyone who responded. It was very helpful. I was asked to post a HIT. I started with my question. The responses follow. There are quite a few. I put a line between each response. On Sun, 24 Jun 2001, Lawana Croksey wrote: > I am working on a media degree. I need to inquire about the locations or > techniques media specialist use when they hold meetings with their principals > where they are discussing reports or announcements. Also, how often are these > reports submitted? If you can help I would appreciate it. Thanks in advance. ____________________________________________________________I talk informally several times a week with my principal. She has been at our school 1 1/2 years and I have been there only 1 year. We get along well... she hired me which I think helps and both feel the need to make the media center the center of the curriculum - especially reading since we are a K-5 school. I gave her a written copy of the proposed media budget (how much for each category) after she gave me the amount to plan to spend. I give her budget updates twice a year showing what we have spent. I also give her copies of anything we are circulating to the teachers just for her info.... I give her a monthly media report as well. I can send you a copy if it would help. When I give her the monthly report, I take a few minutes to point out anything I see as different or significant. I also give her a school wide AR printout. also kept copies of the monthly reports for my evaluation portfolio because they show the range of what we did all year. Usually we talk in her office... but she walks thru the media center at least weekly so sometimes we talk there also. If I had a different principal, I might do things more formally. ______________________________________________________ I write a monthly report -- also see him frequently during the day. I get to school very early - like him and we talk then if we need to . ______________________________________________________ I have a website on working with your principal. It is at http://www.islandnet.com/~daichan/ It has also been published as an article in the June issue of Teacher Librarian magazine. sorry for the wrong URL; the principal's speech mentioned in the EXPECTATIONS ARTILE is at this address: http://www.memoweb.org/memorandom/memor1197.pdf article is @ http://www.winona.k12.mn.us/wms/maryalice/expectations.html _____________________________________________________________________ I have a website on working with your principal. It is at http://www.islandnet.com/~daichan/ It has also been published as an article in the June issue of Teacher Librarian magazine. __________________________________________________________________ I work in a high school and I submit a monthly summary memo to the principal. I include the number of classes that visit and names of teachers who have scheduled classes for projects. I also include information on the projects they have used library resources to complete. I write several paragraphs explaining materials ordered and received, future needs, events that should be mentioned to the principal or anything that I need. It is a quick, efficient method to keep the principal informed. I also keep a chart which is submitted monthly which tracks number of books circulated, number of other items used, number of students who have visited during the month, number of classes, estimate of reference questions that needed my research time and interlibrary loans. I have always voluntarily done this rather than schedule one more meeting to take the time of the principal. I only have meetings when absolutely necessary.She can read the memo at her convenience, keep it in files for future needs, or use it to help document media center usage, as well as a basis for my evaluations. I have all my monthly memos for 13 years and I enjoy going back to read them. The library media center can become a whipping boy for some people who are uninformed about how to use it or who may not understand its purpose. This memo can help a principal head off potential problems with people who have a political agenda or someone who wants the library cut first when the necessity of cuts arise or when your job could become at risk. I attach anything that I think can be informational like computer printouts that establish that the library doesn't have to have an assigned number of students period by period to be a very highly used, necessary component of the school program. We sometimes have informal discussions in the hall when an issue arises that needs attention. Good luck. _______________________________________________________________ I responded to the requests for information this way: (I'm sharing it now with LM_NET because I've had many, many requests for copies of thespeech I mentioned) . . . . . . . .I communicate with my principal by email almost every day and talk in person at least once a week. My only formal reports are those which are for the school board. If there is a request or something of real significance than I write a formal request. Same with the superintendent. Lot of what you do will depend on the structure of your district, building size, personalities etc. We have 1100 kids in our school; I've been there for 15 years and work closely with the principal so we can be informal. This might help you: http://www.winona.k12.mn.us/wms/maryalice/expectations.html It's an article I wrote about principals at the end is a link to a speech my principal gave at our state convention; people liked it a lot. I would like to echo Pam Nutt's statement about knowing what your principal is interested in; I'm fortuanate to have a principal very interested in technology. My general feeling is tht principal's want media speciaists to be very involved in technology and they don't need to hear about any minor details of our jobs--that's why they hired us. I think it's very, very important to always be communicating; short tidbits now and then might have more impact than longer reports which they might not have time to read. ___________________________________________________________ Pam Nutt wrote: > find out what is important to your principal, be it > sports, curriculum, history, and try to work within the perimeters. I wholeheartedly agree with Pam's statement. I would also add that many principals are not up to date on Library Media activities or programs. It is our job to keep them informed. Keep them "in the loop". My state Ed. Media Association has a leadership breakfast at our Fall conference to which we are allowed to bring our principals or superintendents along for free. The idea is that they will get an idea of current media practices and concerns. Unfortunately I have never been able to get an administrator to come along because of time and distance of the meetings. So I give my principal an update on any interesting or exciting thing that I learned. This helps to keep her connected. My district, like many others, gives the principal a fixed amount of money to divide the budget among the various grades or departments at will. I have been lucky enough to get a decent budget because I let her know what my needs are and she trusts my judgment. Like Pam, I have also been unlucky enough to work for one principals who had little or no regard for the Media Center. I left the position when for 2 years in a row my ENTIRE budget was withheld by the principal to use elsewhere. His rationale was that we had enough books on the shelves!!! ____________________________________________________________ I got into the habit of putting a FYI message into my principal's box-- its outside his office door-- at least twice a week-- and I email him with links to our website so he can see what's new-- I'm also webmaster--- and it has worked very well for us-- ____________________________________________________ I communicate with my principal by email almost every day and talk in person at least once a week. My only formal reports are those which are for the school board. If there is a request or something of real significance than I write a formal request. Same with the superintendent. Lot of what you do will depend on the structure of your district, building size, personalities etc. We havd 1100 kids in our school; I've been there for 15 years and work closely with the principal so we cn be informal. This might help you: http://www.winona.k12.mn.us/wms/maryalice/expectations.html It's an article I wrote about principals at the end is a link to a speech my principal gave at our state convention; people liked it a lot. ______________________________________________________________ My principal's door ws always open. As a result we talked whenever there was something on either of our minds. We sometimes planned to have a topic discussed with the entire faculty at a faculty meeting. We did not have regularly scheduled conferences. Usually the problem needed immediate attention. I often sent him a memo to give him lead time on topics that were not of immediate need. He could think about it before we sat down to talk and was prepred for my input. You might find the book by Yesner Operating and Evaluating School Library Media Progrms a Handbook for Administrators and Librarians of use. It could give you ideas of topics you two might wish to discuss and some possible solutions. 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