Thanks so much to all of you who contributed responses.
For those of you looking for ideas, this is a great post. And be sure,
everyone, to look at Carl Harvey's post below and read the Indiana
Principal's Leadership Institute newsletter! Talk about getting the word
out to a whole STATE full of principals!! We should do this in every state.
I've organized responses by grade levels below.
GENERAL
I'm really talking about collaboration in terms of leadership in the
building or district more than teaching and learning (although we both know
it is all teaching and learning). All too often I see a good LMS who just
doesn't share expertise for leadership unless they are asked. And of course
principals are seldom trained to ask them because they are so totally
unaware of what we can do in terms of reading, technology integration,
literacy etc. Too often the LMS is not on the curriculum committees or the
technology committees or the textbook committee whatever because no one
thinks of it. When I talk to the LMS they have the knowledge and
willingness to participate on these but not the assertiveness/confidence to
go in and tell the principal they should be there. When you talk about
collaboration, please tell this group that collaboration includes
collaborating in school leadership efforts and give them the pep talk on
what we have to offer for teaching, strategic planning, and overall using
the knowledge of the "heart" of the school as a central overview for
initiatives.
***
I am concluding my dissertation work in educational technology. A large
part of my dissertation is devoted to collaboration. One of the things I
was most surprised to learn was the large body of literature that is
devoted to norms of isolation in American education. Not only are teachers
not collaborating with librarians, they are not collaborating with each other.
Not so surprising was the body of literature related to the effects of
collaboration on student achievement. If I were talking to principals in
Texas, I would clearly spell out for them how collaboration benefits their
students on standardized achievement.
***
SLMS in Indiana had an opportunity this fall to be the focus of a newsletter
mailed to all principals by the Indiana Principal Leadership Academy. We have
one article from elementary, middle, and high school levels along with another
one talking about some data connections. You can find it at:
<http://www.doe.state.in.us/ipla/newsletter.html>http://www.doe.state.in.us/ipla/newsletter.html
It is the Feb. 2005 issue.
***
ELEMENTARY
I would welcome the opportunity for Principals to understand the detriments
of a fixed schedule, or in a more positive way, the benefits of a flexible
schedule. They need to understand the importance of providing time for
teachers and the media specialist to plan and collaborate. I would give
these principals examples of how this collaboration fosters critical
thinking skills, creativity, problem solving, writing and reading
skills. I suspect they are going to want numbers, so take every piece of
research you can get your hands on with you. (I suspect you already know
that.) Good luck and have fun!
***
Meeting with a principal to discuss collaboration?! Wow, what a chance.
Here is what I would ask --
1. What would you as principal expect to happen form collaboration?
2. When and how will appropriate time be set aside for this activity?
Collaboration, true collaboration, takes some time. The on the fly kind
that happens as you pass in the hall or at the coffee pot counts but doesn't
allow for serious work together.
3. Will we be starting small - with one or two teachers or a grade level,
first and then adding others?
4. Collaboration is a time consuming task - is there aide time to do the
clerical tasks while the librarian and teacher are planning?
5. How will we measure results realistically?
I am at an elementary school as you can see - hope these questions help.
***
I am an elementary teacher right now, just finishing my library media
endorsement this summer.
I would ask administrators for their support and cooperation in scheduling.
Flexible scheduling is a hot topic because it is recommended as optimal,
but in many places it is not being implemented. This is something we have
been discussing a lot in one of my current classes.
Another idea that came up is to give principals a copy of Information
Power. If they would read it, I think it would really help toward gaining
administrator support for collaboration.
***
Everywhere I go it seems that TIME is the one factor that is missing.
Principals tend to equate collaboration time with PREP time. There are two
elements here: Time of the LMS's job of being a LMS -- that is
administrative time for the facility and that includes
collaboration, scheduling, selecting books, etc. AND time for her/his own
PREP for classes he/she will be teaching. Principals must recognize the
need for LMS people to do their job and not schedule every minute of their
day WITH children in groups.
As a full-time LMS I was able to designate one day where I did not meet
formally with any large group (we were basically flexible scheduled so
center was ALWAYS open for individuals or small groups unscheduled at any
time). I used this day as a block of time to be available for ALL teachers
to come in unannounced and talk with me about their upcoming units
etc. Since the entire day was blocked out they ALWAYS knew that I would be
available during THEIR prep time. If no one showed up then I used the time
for selection, preparing, developing PR, other administrative duties. The
rest of the week I was booked pretty solid but had an hour here and there
to pick up pieces in-between the classes.
BTW I also had a full-time secretary who helped individuals when I was with
colleagues or students so it made flexible scheduling work wonderfully.
***
MIDDLE SCHOOL
I would tell the principal that the best thing about
collaboration (besides the fact that all of the
studies show test scores rise, etc.) is that it means
you have two teachers working together with the
students. When I am collaborating with a teacher, we
are both working with the students, often at the same
time. How can the students not benefit and achieve
more with two teachers working with them instead of
one?
The principal can help this process by getting the
message out to the staff that they are expected to
collaborate with the LMS on a regular basis. In my
school, I've had 8th grade Social Studies teachers who
collaborate with me three times a year, while others
never collaborate with me. I would have loved for my
principal to have made part of the way they evaluate
teachers contingent upon their collaboration with the
LMS (obviously this wouldn't be the case in the same
degree for all subject areas!).
***
HIGH SCHOOL
I would want my principal to know that 'lip service' doesn't cut it. He/she
would need to be supportive and involved with the process. They may consider
one portion of staff evaluation concerning collaboration with the librarian.
They also need to be aware of time constraints on the librarian. Not all staff
can suddenly collaborate, or collaborate at the same time with one person.
That would lead to immediate librarian burnout - especially if just one
librarina and no aide help. I would like both teachers and administrators to
know that even though librarians are wonderful and can work magic, that
expecting collaboration with 5 minutes, or less, notice is not fair to the
librarian, or the students. Bringing a class into the library on the spur of
the moment may be nice, but please don't ask the librarian to 'take 5 minutes
and explain to the class how to use/find such and so'. I don't consider that
collaboration.
I work in a high school, but have also been at the junior high/middle school
level.
***
In an ideal world here's what would be great
Just letting the principals know what collaboration is
An opportunity to share with staff exactly what is meant by collaboration
and examples- staff meeting or inservice. ( I get to talk to the new
teachers but it is for such a short period of time that I can just only
mention that collaboration is something that we can do.)
Having the principal encourage teachers to collaborate by talking it up,
including in his correspondence with teachers, highlighting examples of
collaboration that are already occurring, including this as a goal for
teachers, making it a part of their evaluation. Perhaps bringing in a
speaker to discuss collaboration-- sometimes its better to hear from an
"expert" JHMO
***
I am moving (thank the Lord) to a new school district with just two schools
-- it's in rural Virginia (so hopefully, I'll see you at VEMA in November).
I have met twice with my new principal, once during the interview, a second
time a week ago with my two sons (one will be in my high school). We had a
wonderful chat about reading, and that children at any age still need to
read and to be read to. Fortunately, my principal shared some information
about his upbringing. His mom was a librarian and he used to read under the
blankets with a flashlight long after it was lights out time. He still is
into reading, so I would say, if you have a chance to speak one-on-one with
the principal, make reading a priority. We are so tech-oriented that we
have forgotten about literature, particularly as children get older.
***
I would ask to be put on the school-based planning team, the district
curriculum committee and put on every grade level team. I am on all
these teams in our school and find them invaluable. Since our grade
level teams meet every Wednesday at the same time, I obviously cannot
attend every meeting. I have not yet developed the skill of being in 4
places at one time - much as I would like to. However - I just go to a
different grade level each week. It helps me keep in touch and make
contact with the teachers, offer new services etc.
Toni Buzzeo, MA, MLIS <mailto:tonibuzzeo@tonibuzzeo.com>
Maine Library Media Specialist of the Year Emerita
Maine Association of School Libraries Board Member
Buxton, ME 04093
http://www.tonibuzzeo.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------
All LM_NET postings are protected by copyright law.
To change your LM_NET status, e-mail to: listserv@listserv.syr.edu
In the message write EITHER: 1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL
3) SET LM_NET MAIL 4) SET LM_NET DIGEST * Allow for confirmation.
LM_NET Help & Information: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/
Archive: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/archive/
EL-Announce with LM_NET Select: http://elann.biglist.com/sub/
LM_NET Supporters: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/ven.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------
LM_NET
Mailing List Home