Hi all -
I experienced a moment of frustration today that we've discussed before.
Allow me to get this off my chest and then I'll let it go and rest better.
This afternoon a student came to me saying that he had to interview
a teacher as part of a research project about careers, since one of his
choices was to be a teacher. He asked me if I had time to answer the
questions. I told him I could sit down with him and answer his questions,
and I did so.
Later in the day the English teacher who assigned the project came to me and
said that she was sorry that the student had come to me, and would not
be able to turn in his interview for credit, because "you're not a teacher."
This led to a short conversation (not heated...she's a terrific person, but
like so many, unaware of what we do, in spite of the fact that we actually
collaborate on some lessons!). I explained to her that to work in
a high school library in New York State I am certified by the Office of
Teaching Initiatives as a teacher, just like her, except that my content
specialty courses are in library science rather than English.
She seemed surprised that I had taken education courses that included lesson
planning and rubrics, instructional design, special education, reading and
writing across the curriculum, classroom management, children in the American
educational culture, had to take a Content Specialty Exam for my subject, had
to take all the necessary undergrad courses required for teacher
certification, and that my field required a practicum as well. Not to mention the
fact
that I spend all day in the library with the subject teachers' students
continuing to teach them the material they are assigned in their classrooms as
they
complete homework and projects. I wondered later what she thinks our
superintendent observes me doing during my observations...checking out books?
Perhaps she doesn't even realize that teacher-librarians have observations.
Ironically, this came on a day when one of our social studies teachers
had brought in his classes and gave them over to me for an in-context lesson
in
print and database research (for a project on social reformers of the 19th
century), and then we spent the rest of the period co-teaching the class and
helping them with their tasks. He's a big library advocate, and as a newer
teacher perhaps understands the current role of a teacher-librarian better.
Anyway, I had a knot in my gut for a while. This isn't the first time a
classroom teacher has had this type of conversation with me. A couple of years
ago a science teacher asked me if I thought that I might like to move into
teaching someday! You have to laugh...but it's not always easy. I hope I at
least
educated one more classroom teacher about what we all do. But there are
so many more to go. Permanence, perseverance and persistence!
Thanks for providing a place to unload this, and for getting all the way
through it!
Steve
Permanence, perseverance and persistence in spite of all obstacles,
discouragements, and impossibilities: It is this, that in all things distinguishes
the strong soul from the weak. Thomas Carlyle
Steve Patnode, MLS
Grades 7-12 SLMS
Chazy Central Rural School
Chazy, NY 12921
sun85@aol.com
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