The Librarian as Collaborator
|
Curriculum Connected-- Strategically
Schools are busy places. Teachers have no time to waste time in meetings that don't tangibly meet the needs of the kids in their classrooms. So, finding the right way forward with her information literacy program requires the Teacher-Librarian's savvy to ride her integration efforts on existing school initiatives.
Toward that end, the teacher librarian should work in close partnership with the Curriculum Coordinator and Department Chairs. She digests the reports by accreditation officials who draw a target for school efforts and action plans. She frames her proposals in the language of standards and the agendas of the administration and their task forces. Simultaneously, she is attuned to undocumented but evolving needs at the grass roots. She markets herself and the library program as an answer to problems. Tools for Communication
Facilitating her work beyond the meetings for collaboration, here are a few things that can equip the Teacher-Librarian for effective communication of the things she can offer learners. I have found it very useful a web site specifically for collaboration where teachers can find most of the following in one easy place:
Administrators are often interested in how library lessons get traction in one-on-one meetings-- specifically, how can Teacher-Librarians get buy-in and partnership with busy classroom teachers? Vital are the Teacher-Librarian's research on the curriculum, planning, her resourcefulness, people skills, organization and follow-through. (I've found it to be a delicate balancing act: respecting people's time and getting right to the work, while finding humor in situations and being an easy and enjoyable person to be around. And the Teacher-Librarian needs to get that balance right for each individual encounter.) To see what a Teacher-Librarian's participation in a planning meeting with a teacher or teaching team looks like (before, during and after) read about developing a win-win partnership while implementing Fixed vs. Flexible schedules of information literacy lessons. The results of this partnership are exciting for all involved and pay off in higher student achievement that teachers notice and want to replicate. This is something that research has proven again and again. |