Thanks for all the wonderful suggestions!
Pat Hoppe
Lincoln MS
Colorado
Marbeth2@aol.com
Get hold of the curriculum - ask your principal if you need to- then look at
what they should be doing in the next few week. Then go to your collection,
and pull up bibliographies to go with what they are doing. Then find
websites - especially interactive ones or ones that help explain, etc.- then
brainstorm how you can use your resources, plus your knowledge to help the
teacher get these concepts across..Then do a sample lesson plan - go to the
teacher and explain how you really want to complement (note the word) what
she is doing. You know you are not the English teacher but you are the
resource they can really use. Explain how you can help make life a bit
easier for her. You will only have to get one on board and the rest will
soon follow when they see how you can really enrich what they are doing.
Remember: the emphasis is always to help - not supplant. That is what I did
when I had the grade school - I ended up doing lots of collaboration ( before
t was the "in thing" to do.)
I am marking Masters papers on a subject very closely aligned to this and my
suggestion to my students is to identify the reasons behind the symptoms.
So talk to the teachers involved first, not the principal, and find out why
they do not allow their students to come. From that you should be able to
work out
practices and priorities that meet everyone's needs and
expectations.
Don't be hasty in asking for the elementary school position back. I moved from
elementary to middle 3 years ago within the same district.My middle school library
was also underutilized and certain departments still do not use it much. However,
we are now so busy I don't care much if some don't want to come. My school is
large and overcrowded and some teachers schedule to use computers only. When they
come to schedule a date I sort of "work them over." I suggest "add ons"-things I
know they don't know about.My personal experience has been that teachers do not
respond well to general requests to work with them, purchase books etc. I have
publicized our services through e-mail announcements and faculty presentations but
this has not brought them to the library door. In my case individual outreach has
been the trick. Another example-twice I started a trial database and asked for
teacher feedback-almost no response. I decided to just purchase it anyway, got kids
on it, showed the science teacher and all of a sudden everyone loved it. All I can
say is, keep at it, don't get discouraged, if you have money, spend it on the most
attractive products possible and offer some things that make the teacher's lives
easier, i.e my language arts teachers love our booktalk/checkout days because that
is a nonteaching day for them. One more thing-enlist the aid of your principal in
promoting the library. Good luck and have fun in creating som
ething from the ground up.
Clearly this MS is not used to an active librarian. You must gird your loins and
get "in their face." As a new member of the faculty, your biggest job may be to
find out
what all those teachers are doing in their rooms, and then do a one-on-one
evangelization explaining what you have to make their job easier, their kids
more engaged, etc.If at all possible, see if you can determine how your
principal feels about the library. What does he/she think the library's role is
in the learning community? See if you can solicit support so that teachers are
encouraged
from above to take advantage of the library. It is good that you have initiated a
newsletter--they know you exist--but I have found that they are of limited use if
people are not used to depending on you or using your expertise. I have been at
my present school going on nine years, and NOW people come to me, and with my upper
school librarian, we have talked to every teacher and advertised our services. One
of the
first things I did was ask the 8th grade English teacher if I could do a
banned book lesson during banned Books week. It has become a staple every
September.We have dug into the curriculum to find out what projects (not
just big ones, but essays, discussions, debates, etc) happen and how. We let
people know what we are purchasing that supports their work. We offer to do
booktalks to help get the kids reading. We started a book review wiki as an =0
Aincentive and reward for kids who read a lot that they can write reviews
for. We offer to get kids started on the big projects, to help them get into
their topics, show them how to find materials and even help them prepare
their bibliographies. Sometimes we proofread papers with kids. If you have
a budget that so allows, offer to purchase what they need--a video here, a
set of books there.So often teachers are used to working by themselves; neither
they nor the principals really understand what we can do that is so important and
helpful. You will have to sell yourself.
I suggest trying to get the reading or LA teachers to schedule bi-weekly visits so
you will at least get to see the students and you can spend that time with them
alternately promoting books/reading and teaching research skills mini-lessons. I
know it isn't the best if you don't have a bonifide research project to tie it to
but it is better than nothing. Try to find out what they are studying in class and
use those concepts/content to base your research skill/demonstration/activity upon.
Once the teachers get to know you better and what you have to offer, they may start
collaborating a little. Believe me, I'm still struggling against the time factor.
Everyone says they will "do research" or "integrate technology" after the TAKS
test. I keep telling them, it will be too late then and we won't have time to
accomodate everyone after the test.
I ran into a similar problem in my high school library..
.teachers who
don't know how to collaborate/don't know why they should
collaborate/won't collaborate. I decided that it was my job to get the
teachers to understand that they needed to be bringing their kids into
the library to do research projects and the like. The collaborations
were sometimes slow to develop, but frequently I started by asking what
they were working on /reading their syllabi/asking their students and
suggesting resources they might be able to use and then getting them to
ponder resource based assignments. It was slow work, but I did generate
a lot more library use over time. Unfortunately, my best collaborators
have recently moved on. It is hard to start over... Anyway, I encourage
you to get out and pound the streets, uh, hallways? And drum some
business up. The students will benefit from resource based learning
When I was back in a school building, I sent a simple survey out to the teachers
quarterly asking them to just briefly tell me what units they would be covering the
next nine weeks. Then I would look them over and be able to go to the teachers with
specific ideas of how we could collaborate. The surveys were also helpful in
determining what materials I needed to order.
The way to get people is to go get them. Newsletters and e-mails won't do it, as
teachers don't have time to read more paper. You have to schedule yourself into the
agenda, then speak, at department mtgs. Show them how you can help them. Be
specific. Speak at a faculty mtg.20Show them how you can help them with citations,
with research, etc. The idea is to show how you can help make their job easier. If
your school uses NoodleTools, do a short presentation. Show how you can help them
search better on Google. Introduce a new database to the S.S. dept. and explain how
it'll help them, etc. etc.
Find a teacher who is new, and find out a project he/she is working on that you
guys can collaborate on together. Once that teacher gets impressed, the word will
start getting out on what you can do. Research projects are mandatory in every
grade. Find out what they are, and start talking yourself up to the teachers.
Much of our job is being a salesperson. We have to "sell" ourselves/what we do. Do
a good job, and they'll "buy" you and begin to come to the library. I have been
booked solid since Oct. when I began outreaching, (I gave myself Sept. to figure
out who's what & what's where) so know it can be done.
I made friends with students and teachers. I made myself as helpful as
possible. I joined many committees. I listed in on conversations and was quick
to jump in to help.
I made the atmosphere of our media center inviting. I rearranged the books to
make them easier to find. I put up more signage. I put up new posters. My
assistant and I are constantly putting up new displays. I keep the media center
open an extra 15 minutes at the end of each day for student
s who go to extended day. I also allow students to come in a little early in the
morning. I asked for a laser printer so that students can print. I charge them 5
cents a page to cover the cost of toner. I hold trivia contests for events such as
Black history month, Florida reads week, etc. I have the questions announced on
our morning news program and the kids have to come into the library to submit
answers. I give out prizes to the winners. I have ‘celebrations’ to reward
kids for earning Reading Counts points. I have a year long bull riding theme.
Our school mascot is the bull. We have music, food, and give away prizes. When
I have teachers ask me for anything I try going above and beyond. I had a teacher
ask me if we had any old magazines in the beginning of the year. I asked her why
she needed them. That gave me the chance to tell her about our online
databases. She hadn’t heard of them. I offered to teach her and her
students. That teacher told other teachers and it spread. Word of mouth has
worked great! I keep my principal informed about what we’re doing in the media
center. I send her a report every nine weeks.
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