HIT Teacher Cooperation with Assignments Pt 1

[Brian Ralph <bralph@ZETA.ORG.AU>]

Many moons ago I asked for assistance with an assignment re teachers
cooperating with the teacher-librarian when setting assignments. I found
the whole thing so depressing that I gave up the whole course. Just finding
time to repair computers, develop home page, catalogue items, tidy shelves,
chase overdues, read sales brochures, search internet for teacher's uni
assignments(!)  and keep up with email etc. keeps me at school from 8 - 5
or later plus some of the weekend. Asking to help teachers with their
assignment preparation seems out of the question. However I have given some
tips in the library bulletin and staff meetings.   Following are the
messages I received - thank you very much.

1. My experience is that unless your school principal (teacher's
evaluator) insists in the eval. form that the teachers show evidence of
planning with the LMS you can forget it across the board.  There will be
the handful of enlightened teachers who recognize the good help they get
and who see how their lives are eased, enhanced, and do make use of the
program's services.  But on the other side of the coin are all those who are
unsure of  themselves, possibly incompetent, and who will not willingly put
themselves into the position of admitting (or even looking as if) that they
need help, are inferior, or any of those other notions that go along with
nonlearners.
Not every adult believes that there is something new to learn every
successful day.  It takes a very self-confident person to let anyone else
see them at work.  What does that say about LMSs who work l00% of the
time in a goldfish bowl????
Janet Stroud speaks of this in the Wilson Library Bulletin (Feb. 82) and
in a repint of the article in Frances McDonald's "The Emerging School
Library Media Program -- Readings," p 154.  It is a turf battle and
classroom teachers may not want to be seen as being invaded by the LMS.
Evelyn Daniel"s research (U of NC) found that teachers were not accepting
of the LMSs who were more active, aggressive, and independent.  Not sure
whether she meant more than the MLSs who were more successful in wooing
teacher cooperation, or more so than the average classroom teacher.
Either way the problem is the same.  To an extent it becomes an easy
personality clash if not carefully considered.  In our desire to be
helpful it is easy to overlook how the other guy feels.  This is a tough
nut to crack and one that is really out there.  Glad your schooling is
taking a look at the situation because I think the part of training least
well done is the whole area of people dynamics and the role of
"politics."  I'd like to hear more.  Hilda L. Jay, Collington, Bowie, MD

2.Interestingly enough one of the biggest problems in this country is
getting the librarians and the teachers to work together. Too many
times the teachers don't even know what is in the library, and the
librarians too often feel it is the teachers responsibility to find
out. Now and then you have wonderful time when teachers and school
librarians AND the public librarians will all get together.Maybe one
day this will change.
Scott

3.It has taken me years to train the teachers to consult me about assignments
before they go to print.  One powerful weapon is the students, get them to
complain to the teacher when all the books have gone from the library
because the first student grabbed them all.  If the students complain to the
teacher instead of you they gradually get the message !! You then become the
friendly person who is trying to help them get the students off their back
!!  It also needs lots of nagging to heads of departments as well as
individual teachers.  You could make all library bookings go through you so
the teacher has to explain what they are doing before they go onto the
booking sheet, time consuming but effective.

Judy.Tregoning@CCEGGS.act.edu.au