Dear LM_Netters,
The original posting asked about portfolios and suggestions about what to
include. The response was fantastic with wonderful, creative ideas and,
as always, sent with a very supportive spirit. Thank you all. Here is
the first in several postings :
Several years ago, I had to complete a portfolio for my evaluation. I
included samples from my work in various roles: teacher, program
administrator, information specialist, technology. I included sample
PowerPoints for lessons I had developed, pictures of bulletin boards and
displays, pictures of students involved in library activities, copies of
budgets, summaries of how budget was expended, copies of circ stats,
lesson plans for library lessons, newsletters, samples of tech lessons
offered faculty, etc.
******************************************************************************
How about copies of forms you have designed for faculty and staff, pictures
of Book Fairs, contests, bulletin boards, etc. Also include any committees
on which you have served. Include something about AR, if you use it and
other programs you use in the Media Center.
*******************************************************************************
This is a wonderful opportunity to promote how important the library is to
your school. Include information on the library skills taught to each
grade
level, examples of collaboration with class room teachers, statistics on
usage of general collection, reference materials, software and technology.
Include examples of author and illustrator studies you do with different
grades. Your lessons on book care and responsibility. Include records of
your administrative duties: ordering procedures, cataloging statistics.
The list goes on and on, but the most important thing is to include things
that cover as many of your responsibilities as possible. Keep a running
record of number of times you help with technology problems, aid in
Internet
searches or find the perfect sites for teachers to use. Include forms that
you have made to aid in collaboration, research needs, etc.
***********************************************************************************
This portfolio ought have ANYTHING reflecting positively on the
librarian's career.
1. Don't you teach library classes? Then you should also have made library
lesson plans. If you have not done any such plan, RUN now and make one. If
first time, ask another teacher for help.
2. What about student and/or teacher/staff surveys? These are "tests." Put
one.
3. Ask letters from other teachers who have observed you working
with/teaching students.
4. Handouts you may have done explaining library services/OPAC/online
databases, etc. This may be a moment to talk to another librarian,
teacher, or teacher aide as to whether the handouts are readable,
understandable, or user-friendly.
5. Put photos of displays you have made.
6. Copies of 2~3 library newspapers.
7. Letters of congratulation for book fairs.
8. Letters received about or announcing workshops you have given or
sponsored at the library.
9. Licensure information.
10. Resume.
11. If you are involved with the community, make a section for that. Put
anything that shows your involvement with the community. Not much in this
section, though!
Cover about two-three years only if you have a lot of things like this,
otherwise cover longer if you have worked longer.
********************************************************************
I am in a graduate class on Children's and YA Programming and our
final is to produce a portfolio. Some of the things my prof has mentioned
include:
*curriculum mapping and connections
*bibliographies on subjects of interest
*storytelling props (felt board characters, puppets, whatever you use to
support the story)
*picture books programming
Hope this helps!
******************************************************************
I would put in things like the various reading programs you may do, author
visits, any committees you are on, professional committees/offices held,
awards won.
*staff development presentations (personally I am creating one on helping
teachers teach or present sensitive subjects--homosexuality--and
introducing books that have such themes.)
*books discussion group Q&As for middle and hs readers
*************************************************************************************
I include samples of the students research projects. Most kids will let
you have their work or copy their work to be included.
*******************************************************************************************************
As part of our licensure and accreditation process, we also have to support
our application with materials. A portfolio is the best way. In mine I
place, a list of all professional meetings, workshops, classes, etc.; list
of professional periodicals and books read with some quotes that I found
helpful or enlightening and how I applied them; a list of classes I
collaborated with: teacher, class, subject, date, synopsis of lessons; a
list of communications to the teachers and samples: notices of websites,
new
books, coming events; Current circulation statistics and comparison with
last year's (percentage of increase, etc.); a short synopsis of my year:
new
materials (number ordered, catalogued, processed), equipment handled
(checked out, cleaned, repaired); weeding results; bulletin boards and
displays created. I add anything extra I did: served on school committee,
worked on school fund raiser, talked to PTA.
How do I collect all this? I keep a folder in my desk drawer and in it I
drop a copy of every note to teachers, paper with each bulletin board and
display drawn on it, class handouts, sheet with lesson plan and date, etc.
I also have a Day-Timer in which I record not only my meetings and other
appointments but also each day anything I have done and I plot the time-ex:
catalogued new books 9-9:30, met with English teacher to discuss research -
10-10:15, reference questions (used hash marks to record how many
students).
Good luck - it takes a few minutes to do each day, but at the end of the
year I have a full folder (or two) and lots to put in. It makes it very
easy to be evaluated, and also helps me to feel good about all I accomplish
each day.
********************************************************************************
What about examples of students work. Do you have students come in to
the library to learn library skills? What about information on special
projects you do? (i.e. National Library Week, Teen Read Week, Banned
Books Week, book fairs, author visits, special displays, etc.) Just
some ideas. We do soooooo much!! I know it's hard. Good Luck!
********************************************************************************
I recently went through the evaluation process when I moved to another
state. My portfolio was designed around the components of the
evaluation instrument. Under each section and each component I included
copies of samples that met that criteria. For example under managing
instruction I included copies of weekly schedules where groups were
signed up, student brochures with rules/regulations, correlation charts
for information skills and curriculum skills. Under managing public
relations I included staff newsletters, student announcements,
promotional flyers for book fairs, visiting authors, Book Week, etc.
Under Planning I included annual and short term goals, rough copies of
cooperative planning between myself and teachers-just a sampling,
teacher generated timelines. Other sections included policies for
acquisitions, weeding, etc. and statistics on circulation, collection ,
etc. Also, included minutes from Media Advisory Committee meetings,
teacher surveys, proposed budgets, flyers and minutes from Teachers As
Readers notebook, and programs/agendas from conferences and in services.
Needless to say, it is a huge notebook but I find it useful in getting
ideas and remembering activities from previous years.
********************************
Jacqueline Bergson, Librarian
Rippowam Cisqua School
Bedford, NY 10506
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