Library Media Specialist are encouraged to collaborate with teachers to enhance classroom instruction and to help students become independent learners. Even though collaboration is vital between library media specialist and teachers there is very little going on in schools. Why do you think teachers and librarians are hesitant to collaborate together on lessons or have you as a teacher collaborated with a library media specialist to complete a class project? Please comment below.
I do not have experience in this area yet, but I can go on a limb and guess. I think teachers may not consult with library media specialist because they probably do not think about them while they are in the midst of things. I know when I am trying to plan lessons with interactive components I do not think about the library media specialist. I think it also may be a thing of some teachers may have no idea what that means. They may think it is a fancy name for "Librarian." I know some people just might not want to collaborate because they do not work well with others. I think the Principal should make teachers and library media specialist get together and get familiar with one another and learn how to work together to make the best well rounded class room environment for each student in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your honesty. And yes the word Library Media Specialist can sound pretentious, but it gives new meaning to the library since there are so many different resources available electronically now. I have found with substituting for teachers in the classroom and for the librarian in the Media Center that both are consumed with day to day activities that adding one more thing to their load sounds daunting. I feel too that building a strong relationship with young electronically friendly teachers will enable collaboration to take place with small steps. Like through a wiki with a second grade teacher, I want to start small and extend on elements that she is discussing in class and show students different resources that they can use in the library to find out even more about topics discussed in class. But if I don't know what is going on in the classroom I cant elaborate on it in the library. I guess what I am trying to say is maybe through a wiki or blog teachers and librarians can collaborate to enrich classroom instruction. Together we can accomplish so much more. While pursuing my Library Science degree so much emphasis was placed on collaboration and how important it was for us to do that with teachers, but its funny that teachers are not encouraged to work with librarians to extend and enrich classroom instruction. Something is missing!!!
DeleteI do not have experience in this area but I would think that teachers and librarians would want to work together since the goal is to educate children. My recent experience with this topic was this past week in my daughter's classroom. Her teacher had to leave for the day and a substitute teacher was called in to help. I was volunteering in her room and they are learning about community helpers. The teacher next door wrote a note to the librarian to please get any books that deal with postal workers for our class. The librarian was so nice and helpful and found two books for us to read to the class. I thought it was a really nice collaboration.
ReplyDeleteHesitant? Only because I'm ignorant of what a great resource the library media specialist is. The one at the high school where I teach is fantastic. I wish she had more media resources to work with.
ReplyDeleteThe library media specialist is frequently not available because he/she is always getting tapped by the school administration to help with other activities, such as administration of school-wide examinations, assemblys and pep rallys.
I would be interested to know how many teachers coming out of alternative masters programs or teacher programs in general were encouraged to co-teach with library media specialist? Do you or did you know that it is essentially our job to enrich the curriculum with teachers through collaboration. I dont know if education programs are teaching this? But teachers seem to think they are out there on their own, but the LMS is your allie.
DeleteWow! I did not that at all! If I ever get a teaching position, I will have to keep that in mind.
DeleteElementary school kids get so little time in the library! My kids visit the library once a week for 30 minutes. There are definitely times where we (the teachers) ask our media specialist to teach lessons to the students involving things like reading an index/table of contents or locating information. I honestly would much rather the kids get the whole 30 minutes to explore the library and get comfortable and read. I have very fond memories of lying on the floor in the library at my elementary school and just reading.
ReplyDeleteI love this feedback. I love all the feedback and I need to explain that co-teach or collaborate together can be as simple as knowing which authors you are studying in class or what is being taught in class (community helpers, specific author, etc) so the LMS can connect it to the library in a fun way, especially with younger children. I agree with you that 30min. is just enough time to read a book or two and checkout. This is a hot topic for me and I was reluctant to bring it up but so glad I did.
DeleteI don't know that I'm hesitant, but I just don't think about using her. Acutally, we just got a new specialist in our school, so I don't really even know her yet. We've had little time to talk at all, much less about planning a lesson together. I think some teachers may be hesitant because they simply like control of their class, and reliquishing that control to someone else is sometimes hard.
ReplyDeleteI can promise you she doesn't want control of your class, but to simply help enrich your lessons with additional resources from the library. Just by simply signing up for time in the library and discussing with her what you would like the students to accomplish while in the library is collaboration. I agree with you that getting to know each other is a challenge because we are all so busy. I appreciate your honesty. This blog is turning out to be very helpful to me, because I know no one would have said all of this in a regular classroom setting. Thank You!!!
DeleteI believe that teachers are very territorial when it comes to their lessons. They don't trust that a library media specialist can help enhance the lesson instead of botching it. For me, I spend a great deal of time with our media specialist asking for ideas and materials. I don't see them as trying to take over but to help me. Often, they can see how to complete something in a different but easier path for my students.
ReplyDeleteAwesome!! When I posted this question, I did not mention all of the variables. High school LMS are much more research based compared to lower school. Also the media specialist in general is a big factor, her personality, her willingness to collaborate, her schedule (fixed or flexible), and does the library house current resources. There are lots of reasons that teachers don't collaborate, but I want to figure out how I can be most helpful to students, teachers and administrators.
DeleteI have not yet taught in a traditional classroom, but in the future I hope to work regularly with the library media specialist. I think that they could help me to build more media-interactive lessons as well as keep me abreast of the latest in technological tools for the classroom.
ReplyDeleteYes!!!Yes!!!Yes!!! You got it. Use him/her, that's why they are there. Bounce ideas off of them, brainstorm together, we can accomplish so much more as a team.
DeleteI don't always think of using her/him as a resource and often they are really busy with all of the other responsibilities that a media specialist has. Some can even be a little snappy
ReplyDeleteI have yet to teach full time, so my guess would be that perhaps teachers may not want so much input from someone whose primary responsibility is not teaching. This may also have to do with teachers wanting control over their instructing materials in their own classroom, with their own students. I do think however that a lot can be gained if they learn to work together, the library media specialist can be of service to teachers, at the teacher’s discretion.
ReplyDeleteNo,no!!! We are not trying to tell you how to teach. You tell us what you want to teach and we gather resources or bookmark websites or look for virtual field trips, you name it, that will enrich your lesson even further. We just want to help bring your vision to reality by collaborating together. : )
DeleteOur library media specialists tend to be the guinea pigs for the office, making copies, setting up professional development for the school, and running errands. They also facilitate ACCESS classes and are responsible for providing some media ideas and technology to our staff and students. I would love to collaborate and have some help with a projects sometimes, but the opportunity has never arisen. We have access to laptops in our classrooms and they assume we will use those to conduct our own research. Common planning time is also an issue I guess.
ReplyDeleteOh no!!! You are kidding??!!! Making copies??? Professional Development, technology classes to staff and students yes!!! That is why I like the idea of using a wiki or blog to find out how to best help teachers in the classroom. No need to meet at a certain time, but on a certain day for sure, so you can finish your plans.
DeleteCan library media specialists help with lesson planning or lesson enhancement? If so, I could have really used one. I went for a whole week, or longer, just trying, unsuccessfully, to figure out how to present the material to the students in a way that would keep their attention. I finally had to ask the science teacher, who had also taught language arts, for advice and resources. I was working with no lesson plans, no technology, and no structure, and I was more frustrated than I think I've ever been.
ReplyDeleteYes!!! We don't write them for you but we are your go to for help in enhancing instruction. If your librarian isnt there to help you then there is a problem.
DeleteI have a friend who worked as a Library Media Specialist at a middle school, and he felt this same frustration. Teachers thought he was the "copy boy" instead of a valuable resource they can tap into for lesson enhancement. I think because of his experience, I know the value of collaboration.
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