Re: Teaching experience

[Sarah Wurdlow <swurdlow@FREENET.COLUMBUS.OH.US>]

I find I must disagree with Marjorie"s response.  I don't think you need
to spend a year or more in a traditional classroom in order to be an
effective teacher in the library setting.  Those who know me are aware
that I have been a strong proponent of school librarians as teachers since
I began working back in 1966.  I chose to be a librarian purposely, and I
chose the school setting purposely.  Oh the whole I think I've been pretty
effective at my job, and I have worked at all levels (K-college).  It
seems to me there needs to be student teaching experience for all
teachers, and it should be in the area for which you're preparing to
teach.  If it's the library, then that's where the future teacher should
be placed for student teaching.  Of course that student teaching
experience should include some "active classroom teaching", but from the
library perspective.  Perhaps I feel so strongly about this because I was
fortunate to be among the first group of students offered this opportunity
at Indiana University, but for me it has worked very well.  I don't think
I would have made a particularly good classroom teacher.  We need strong
school media specialists.  It seems wrong to deny potentially good people
access to the profession simply because they are unwilling to spend time
and money in training for, and "paying their dues" doing, something they
don't really want to do.  To me that's a waste for everyone, and is
especially detrimental to the students.  At bottom, isn't that what we're
all about?  For me too, "Information Power" was a validation of what I've
been saying, and trying to achieve, for years.

Sarah Wurdlow, Media Specialist
Clinton Middle School
Columbus, OH


>    I am a first year library student at the School of
Information
> and Library Science at the University of Buffalo. In one of my classes, I
> have been going out to various schools in the area and observing their
> libraries. When I meet the SLMS', some ask me where I've taught previously.
> I tell them that I don't have any prior teaching experience. Some SLMS
> seem surprised and others are aghast, especially those who worked in public
> school systems.
>         My question? Should I be concerned by their reactions?
>          <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
>
>      YES!
>      I believe that librarians who hope to be successful in LMCs of the
> future must be teachers and curriculum consultants.  Previous teaching
> experience  not only enables that, but provides new LMSs with credibility
> with other teachers.  If LMSs want to (and must be able to) do instructional
> consulting with teachers they must know how to teach and design instructional
> activities.  That has been an important part of Information Power (our
> national guidelines), and will only grow in significance as technology and
> educational restructuring issues (student-centered learning, authentic
> assessment, etc.) impact the role of LMSs in schools.
> Marjorie Pappas
> LM Program Advisor
> Wright State University
> email:  marjorieP@aol.com