Whoa! When a class is in here doing a research project I do want the
teacher helping and my Para-pro! One of me and 30 kids means that I
only get to spend 1.5 minutes with each child. With the teacher helping
and my Para-pro helping I only have to worry about 10 kids in 55 minutes
so I get to spend 5.5 minutes with each child.
Our Para-pros are only as good as we've taught them to be. My opinion I
grant you that, but I believe it is important to the powers that be they
see EVERYBODY available helping students be successful.
If your Para-pro is the one doing the processing and shelving, they
probably know the library better than you do. Use that knowledge to
your benefit. Give them kudos for their help when assisting with
classes, send students their way for those topics you know they know
more than you do.
Tough questions or hard to find subjects, the child will usually end up
in my line, for all the rest the teacher or the Para-pro are certainly
better than the students spinning their wheels waiting in my line that
may not get to them by the end of the period.
As to the original question about Para-pro's keeping the Media Center
open after school I say YES!!! Again, our center is open 1 hour after
school, I am here for the first 30 minutes by law and generally I'm here
after that. I am here for the getting the students what they need stuff
and then the Para-pro is helping monitor and assist the students when
they sit down to work. I have a bunch that come first thing in the
morning when I'm the person in charge again to finish up or ask
questions.
It is hard when some districts replace "us" with "them." But we should
use this service to our benefit and the students. Now, I'm not talking
about an evening time period. This is right after school. First build
the program with the person who will be staying. Explain the idea for
staying open, what they should expect, how to use the library, the
computers, the behavior expectations and give them some idea of the
things the students will be working on. Let them know your plans and
expectations, what they should do in case of problems, be the first
person they go to for help. Then to your students and their parents
sell it as a great service, (but let the students know your personal
hours.) My students will come find me, even if that person is sitting
in the computer lab with them; they know who's really in charge. Our
students know they need to be there right after school, no out messing
around for 20 or 30 minutes then expecting to come in and work. They
sign in when they get here and sign out when they leave. And again they
know how long I will be here.
Before I get lambasted, remember I do the morning shift; dealing with
disks, and last minute panics and the Para-pro does the afternoon shift,
half of which I am here for. The afternoon shift is easy, it is just
kids putting in some extra time finishing or working ahead. The morning
shift is the "I need it now time," they need you so badly to make things
work for them-I've had kids bring me chocolate!
I say, instead of fighting it, embrace it, work it to your advantage!
Make it a fantastic opportunity for your students to use the resources
their tax dollars are paying for. Be an active participant in the
planning and organizing of this and help train the person so they
support your program to the best of their ability.
Jean
R. Jean Gustafson
Teacher/Librarian
Selah Jr. High
Selah, WA 98942
jeangustafson@selah.k12.wa.us
http://www.selah.k12.wa.us/JHS/Gustafson/Library.cfm
-----Original Message-----
From: School Library Media & Network Communications
[mailto:LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU] On Behalf Of Josephine Dervan
Sent: Friday, October 07, 2005 2:11 PM
To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: Re: GEN: Using Para's to keep Media Center open
Linda Zop wrote-
> As for Kelly's response, I disagree. Paras cannot assist students in
> obtaining materials....book selection, article retrival online, that
> requires the training of a LMS. >
Linda and all-
In a perfect world, paraprofessionals would NOT have to assist students
in
book selection and other professional tasks. Rather they would only do
clerical tasks. However in reality, there are many libraries that
function
solely with a paraprofessional for a part or all of the day. I have seen
that happen to many library media programs here in NJ and in other
places.
The job is for us to convince our administrators and school boards that
certified trained librarians are important to student achievement.
However
in the final analysis, they are the ones making the decisions and
sometimes
those decisions include turning a library over to a paraprofessional or
even
a certified teacher with no library training.
Our state regional library cooperative has even gone so far as to set up
professional development workshops for those paras who find themselves
in
charge of reader services in a school or public library occasionally.
I have been a public and school librarian for over 25 years and
encountered
many paraprofessionals who were as competent as the professional
librarians
in charge. Some were inspired to go onto college for the MLS degrees.
Jo
******************************************************
Josephine G. Dervan. Library Media Specialist
Strathmore Elementary School
Aberdeen, NJ 07747
rderva@infionline.net
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