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Hello - As a school media student soon to be on the job market, I have found the discussion of prior teaching experience very interesting. But I have some questions about the whole thing. First of all, what does everyone mean by "prior"? Does that mean that the LMS has been a "regular" classroom teacher first? Or just that they have had teaching practice? Those are two completely different things. If everyone means practice, I agree completely with this -- a school librarian is a teacher, and they certainly should have tried teaching before they step in front of students for the first time at a new job. However, if what people mean is that they should have been "regular" teachers first, I can not completely agree. While it certainly would be to a person's benefit to have held a prior teaching position, why should it be more necessary than for any other new teacher? New content area teachers just fresh out of an undergraduate program don't have this kind of "prior experience", yet they get hired anyway. They have done student teaching, but so have I, in a sense. School media certification (at least in New York) requires education courses, and the internships required by Syracuse University provide practical experience teaching students. Just like a "regular" teacher, I have written lesson plans with objectives and assessment measures, implemented them, examined the results and modified them as necessary. Anyway, my point in all this is, while professional teaching experience prior to becoming a library media specialist is certainly a plus, it is no more essential than it would be for a content area teacher. I am interested in clarification on this topic, and in hearing others' responses. --Norm Bagley Syracuse University nebagley@mailbox.syr.edu