Dear All,
Responses just continue to pour in to my original question, which was:
> "I'm working on an article for SLJ as a follow up to my two
> collaboration books from Linworth and am commenting on the significantly
> low level of collaboration between teachers and LMS's at the elementary
> level. I'm curious, for those of you who aren't using collaboration as
> your primary planning/teaching model, to know why. I am speculating that
> it is primarily fixed scheduling and contractual obligation of the LMS to
> provide coverage for teacher prep time that limit feasibility, but I
> would love to hear directly from any of you who wouldn't mind sharing."
This is the final posting of responses I will make, but I do want to thank
each of you who took time to respond and express your frustration and
sadness about situations which stand in your way of doing the best job
possible--collaborating with your teaching colleagues to improve student
learning and achievement.
Best wishes,
Toni
Toni Buzzeo, MA, MLIS <mailto:tonibuzzeo@tonibuzzeo.com>
Portland, ME 04103
http://www.tonibuzzeo.com
35 Best Books For Teaching U.S. Regions (Scholastic Professional 2002)
Collaborating to Meet Standards: Teacher/Librarian Partnerships for K-6
(Linworth 2002)
Collaborating to Meet Standards: Teacher/Librarian Partnerships for 7-12
(Linworth, December 2002)
*** *** *** *** ***
I have spent the last 10 years begging teachers to collaborate with me.
Actually, I think there are a bunch of reasons why it doesn't happen. Every
time I get someone really into research, they transfer to another school or
my schedule gets to the point I can't fit them in. Very frustrating.
1. Poor administrative support
2. Teachers don't know how to collaborate--didn't learn in college and
graduate classes don't provide good models either. They think they are
collaborating if they ask about books and videos on electricity after
they've planned the unit.
3. Time--not enough for conferencing
4. Resistance to change--my state has changed many things, but teachers
still want to do what they feel comfortable with.
5. Teacher view librarians (and art, music, PE, and anything else) as being
somewhat inferior to classroom teachers. Because our responsibilities are
different; we must not be working as hard as them. Therefore, whatever I
want to do is questionable.
Teachers, bless 'em. I love them, but many of them are clueless. I think I
finally have an administrator that will stand behind me and make them start
doing some of these things, even if they don't want to right now. It won't
win either of us any popularity contests, but it will help kids.
BTW, I have an MLS '74 George Peabody College at Vanderbilt University and
27+ years experience.
*** *** *** *** ***
In two different schools I have had the same, or at least similar
experiences. In both cases I had a flexible schedule. With the original
principal who, I had interviewed with and chosen to work for, the school
staff participated in a great deal of collaboration. Instructional
interactions and motivational activities were developed and presented
cooperatively. It was obvious to the classroom teachers that resource
based, which integrated information literacy and thinking skills was a
priority. My skill in designing such activities was respected. In both
schools I experienced a change in principals. The staff remained
primarily the same. The quality of the media program disintegrated
within two years or less. In one case I was actually told, "all you can do
is offer" in contrast to a principal making a suggestion to a classroom
teacher related to collaborating with the media center and following up to
see that it happened. The all you can do is offer approach was frequently
met with, "that is not how we teach the unit" when I suggested using
databases and spreadsheets to organize data related to tier units or "we
don't have time" or other such rejections by many who prefer to close
their classroom door and do their own thing. It turned into a have and
have not situation for students based upon the interest of the classroom
teacher in providing access to the media center program and resources.
In both schools the media specialist who followed me happily provided a
fixed schedule, drop and run approach to the media program.
Yes being in a locked in schedule providing contractual coverage is a
barrier to collaboration, but one can find kindred spirits and work around
it to some extent. The value or lack of value message communicated by the
principal is much more difficult to overcome. When classroom teachers
know that during evaluation conferences they will be asked by the
principal about their use of resources and collaborative activities with
the media specialist their interest and behaviors change dramatically.
Probably the most disappointing conclusion I have reached is that a
quality media program is dependent upon the personalities in place at any
given time and does not appear to have the ability to sustain itself.
*** *** *** *** ***
My main barrier to collaboration is lack of time/opportunity to plan with
teachers. I am half -time and the teachers here want me to meet with their
classes in the afternoon. For the most part I am scheduled for 11-3. The
teachers are reluctant to meet with me at lunch because they say it is
their free time. They are reluctant to meet with me after school (on my
time) because they say they have "important things to do". Library is not
release time for teachers but they treat it as such, I am new here this
year and every time I mention my desire for them to stay with their class
they get that glazed deer-in-the-headlights look and move quickly in the
opposite direction. At the school I came from I came in before school (also
on my own time) and made a point of touching base with every teacher at
least once a week, and we did manage some collaborative work. Library was
not release time and all the teachers stayed with their classes and
participated in whatever we were doing. The big problem at that school is
that the teachers want to dictate what was covered in library each week but
they didn't want to think about it until the morning of the day their class
had library. This of course meant that I spent the rest of the morning
prepping for that day's classes. Same district different schools.
*** *** *** *** ***
This year, I had a fixed schedule and covered teachers' prep time,
however for the first time in 2 years, I actually had the opportunity to
collaborate with the fifth grade.
Mostly what I find is that there are so many pulls on teachers' time
that they don't have the time/energy to look into what I might be able
to offer them. Also, between new state-mandated longer PE
requirements, plus art, music, Spanish and counseling, it seems there's
not a whole lot of time left for instruction.
Finally, when teachers are willing to work with me, they usually want
something done that day or within the next couple of days, which usually
doesn't allow for much collaboration.
*** *** *** *** ***
I have a flex schedule and my blocks are: no time on both sides, but more on
the teachers' and they want to plan but won't discuss until they know what
they want to do. They seem to feel and insist on coming to the librarian with
a fully developed plan. We do team teaching here and there is a lot of
collaborative planning, so it shouldn't be a problem. Fortunately, there are
some teachers who will plan a unit with me or talk it over in the early stages
and most are receptive to suggestions I make in the last stages.
*** *** *** *** ***
I so far have done little collaboration. Part of the reason is that I am
part time. Another is that I have been unable to convince our staff that I am
willing to do it and that it is a good thing. We have had some trouble finding
good administrators for the school so it is not encouraged from the top. The
little bit of collaboration I have done is with my husband who teaches in our
mid school. Maybe that works because we can discuss it at home when our
children are asleep or otherwise occupied.
*** *** *** *** ***
1. Time (or lack of it, on the part of the teachers)
2. Teacher perception that the library is a place to spend 30 minutes
"not teaching" rather than a classroom in which serious work is done.
3. Lack of understanding of the librarian's role.
I'll admit that as classified staff rather than certificated there is
something of the perception that I am not "really a teacher." I am
hoping that will change once I receive my LMT/MLS, but I would say the
biggest difficulty I encounter is the perception that the library is a
place to check out a book and listen to a story. I am making slow
progress in making library services a collaborative teaching effort, but
it is a lot of work! The younger teachers are much more aware of the
importance and changing role of school libraries.
Funny thing: I had to do a benchmarking study for one of my classes - we
looked at collaboration and information literacy issues. Across the
board, the librarians we visited reported the same problem I am having.
The school with the most successful collaboration was the one with full
and vocal support from the administration. It has to come from the top!
*** *** *** *** ***
I see 38 classes a week in 3 different buildings. I have
complete responsibility for ordering and administrating 2 of
the buildings and have a part time para in each building to
shelve books, help teachers when I am not there. I have had
lunch in the teachers lounge twice this year because I have
to work through lunch to keep my head above water. I have
Reading Counts in one building, AR in the other. The
collections have had different librarians over the years and
have different needs. I weeded over 3,000 books out of one
school last year just to get the collection looking
interesting. I usually meet the teachers at the door and get
the one minute collaboration. (Have them get a biography.)
Even with E-mail it is difficult to get in touch with
teachers when you are not in the building when they have
grade level meetings. I make sure that they know I will
order anything that they can use. Time is so short that I
can barely say hello to people before I am out the door to
the next school. We rotate on digital days so I can't be
counted to be in the building on Wednesday. We do not
service Kdgt which is a crime in my opinion.
I wish I could co-ordinate more but since we were cut and
have to service 2 or more schools it's impossible. The up
shot is that when students come into the library to do
research they can only get into the media center when I am
not there.
*** *** *** *** ***
You are right on the money. I am planning/teacher release time. Therefore,
there isn't always time to meet with teachers because of my schedule to
plan together. I try to be as available as possible.
*** *** *** *** ***
Those are certainly major elements of the problem. And those are the ones
you hear about most often. But there are others as well. I am in my first
year as a library teacher, and collaborating is like pulling teeth at my
school. Teachers there are highly territorial, and extremely resistant to
any kind of change that they themselves did not initiate. The more
experienced ones do not change their methods of delivery without a darn
good reason, and they new ones are just trying to keep their heads above water.
It is my opinion that the beginning seeds of collaboration should be
planted with teachers while they are still in undergraduate school. Every
pre-service teacher should have a visit in one of their methods courses
from a certified LMS who can explain just exactly what it is that we can do
for them. If teachers know what we can offer them in terms of help and
collaboration before they ever hit the classroom, they are much more likely
to work with the LMS when they are hired. And it would certainly make that
first year teacher feel a little better going in if she knew she had a
friend in the media center. Just my .02
*** *** *** *** ***
I am so happy to hear that you'll be writing about this topic! Before I was
hired two years ago, a library assistant managed the facility. She did this
for sixteen years! She did not utilize parent volunteers, did not want the
teachers in the library, had children who did not return their books sit at
a specific table and look at books she selected, and did not allow
nonfiction books or magazines circulate
The principal accommodated all of this! When I was interviewing, I asked
the principal if the teachers stayed in the library with their students.
She told me they didn't, but she wanted to change this...
I carefully thought a lot about this position before accepting (I'm in a
K-1 building) and thought, that if I had her support, the teachers would
want to collaborate.
Well...I was wrong. The principal continually tells me one thing and turns
around and tells the teaches something different. I have collaborated this
year with two first grade teachers, but all of them have come to think of
library time as planning time...when in actuality it isn't. BUT, the
principal will not enforce this.
So.needless to say, I'll be moving to another building in the district next
year...one where the teachers do collaborate. And the librarian there will
move here...because she doesn't collaborate!
I can't understand why the teachers can't understand how collaboration
between them and the media specialist enhances student learning! They
appear to only be thinking of themselves
*** *** *** *** ***
IAbsolutely! Classroom teachers don't see us as fellow teachers - even
though they know I was a classroom teacher for 12 years before getting my
MLS. They know I know the curriculum, they know that I know the collection.
They just don't think to come to me when they're planning a unit because
I'm (the Media Center) is a special (release time.) I've tried many ploys -
sending forms to be filled in with the topics they teach, eating lunch in
the staff lunchroom every day, asking them what materials they would like
me to purchase for their use.
Maybe they think I'm too busy. Many are too busy to sit down and plan with
me. I'm at school by 7:15 (teachers don't have to be there til 8:30) and I
don't leave before 4:00 (school's out at 3:35) so it's not because I'm not
available.
I see 26 45-minute classes a week though! Teachers rarely see me without
students during the school day.
A few good friends collaborate with me but even they don't do it often.
Most reports are assigned in the classroom and carried out there too, by
students checking out materials that they use in the classroom. Every
classroom has computer access too.
I think teachers have way too much to cover and very little time to plan
for anything more than all the requirements of their curricula. There is
very little room for teachers to do in depth study of anything - teacher
passion or student passion. At least in the Media Center, I can pursue
those areas that are of interest to me and the students. Maybe that's
another reason- teachers know that I have a (self-imposed) curriculum that
I follow. They may think it would be a problem if they asked me to help
them with their plans.
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