N O T E S F R O M T H E F I E L D | T I M E LY TO P I C S

The School Librarian and the Collaboration Process by ANDRIA DONNELY

T

HE SCHOOL LIBRARIAN needs to answer many questions in order to successfully plan with a team of teachers throughout the entire collaboration process. Answering the following questions before collaboration begins is essential to the success of the project: ▶How do the teams plan? ▶Who will be planning with the librarian? ▶How will the plan be disseminated to the team? ▶Who is responsible for the materials? ▶How much support do the team members need?

KNOWING TEAM DYNAMICS TEAM PLANNING TIME

However, it is often beneficial to have the entire team plan with the librarian, because everyone, then, has a shared understanding of the plan and can ask questions at that time. In addition, the preparation roles can be shared by all those involved, if all team members are in attendance. It can also help to have the special needs teachers attend because they can provide alternative ideas for students who need adaptations.

DISSEMINATING THE PLAN The librarian should keep some type of record of the created plan. It should include: standards covered, resources needed for the teacher and the librarian, step-by-step plan

The first question relates to how grade-level teams/ teachers plan. Do the grade levels plan quarterly, monthly, weekly, or the day before the lesson? Sometimes the answer to this question is the most difficult for library staff, because it means letting go of control. If the teacher planning style, for example, is the polar opposite of how the librarian internally plans, this poses an additional challenge. Most teams have a different style of planning and the librarian needs to adjust to what works best for each team. Occasionally, the planning style can even differ within a grade level. For example, my personal preference is that all lessons for the next week are planned by the Friday before the lesson is to be taught. However, I have had to let go of my need for control in order to avoid unnecessary stress that could harm the team dynamics and the working relationship.

PLANNING TEAM MEMBERS Will the librarian be planning with just the team leader, or will the planning take place with the entire team, including the special needs teachers? Planning with one person is sometimes easier, allowing the librarian to work out the details with one person. 34

SCHOOL LIBR ARY MONTHLY | VOLUME 31 | NUMBER 3 | DECEMBER 2014/JANUARY 2015

of the activity, the teacher’s responsibilities, the librarian’s responsibilities, parts of the activity that might be completed in the classroom, and any assessments needed. After the plan is created, a copy should be provided to each member of the planning team for review. After review of the plan, the librarian should touch base with the planning team to determine if there are any further questions. After a number of lessons are created, there will be fewer and fewer questions to answer after each plan is disseminated.

RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MATERIALS The librarian needs to think about his or her procedures ahead of time. Are there baskets of pencils in the library already waiting to be used? Is there a place in the library where the teacher could store lesson materials so that they are undisturbed by others? (Providing a safe place for lesson materials could go a long way towards the teachers feeling as if they belong in the library.) Are there books that need to be pulled for the lesson? Who will create and make student copies of needed graphic organizers? During the first year of working with a staff, I offer to create and make graphic organizers for students. This relieves some of the stress of the first year of the collaborative process. The second year, the graphic organizer is turned over to the teachers so they can make changes that accurately reflect what they would like to have the students record. Will there be an assessment? Teachers often volunteer to create the assessment because they want the assessment to match the state standards. After the assessment is created, the librarian could offer to create the answer key or run copies of the assessment for the teacher. Each member of the planning team, however, should take part in the preparations for the lesson, so there is a sense of team ownership.

SUPPORTING STAFF It is probable that each teacher needs a different level of support. Some will have prior experience with collaboration in the library. Some will be satisfied to meet only during the planning meeting. Some teach

ers will be able to make changes to lesson plans amidst the lesson as they determine that something is not working well. Other teachers will need constant reminders of times, details, and plans, as well as librarian availability; this will provide reassurance and answers to questions. Many different approaches can be used to support the teaching staff in these collaborative efforts. The librarian can use email reminders and personal notes in the teacher’s mailbox. She can also check in each week with the few teachers who are unsure about the entire collaborative process. It may take extra time to support teachers, but the teachers really appreciate the care and attention given to the developmental process of collaboration. Over a period of time, the librarian can pull back from such a high level of support, because the teachers will become more confident in the collaborative process.

MODELING AND COACHING As the collaborative process begins in a school, some teachers might need a bit of modeling or coaching support. For example, the librarian, when working with a new teacher, might model how to complete a bibliography with his or her students. On the other hand, the librarian can serve as a coach and talk the teacher through a process of how to do something while remaining next to the teacher to help troubleshoot any problems. For example, the librarian is in a coaching role when she stands at the promethean board explaining how a database works to the students, while the teacher is accessing and projecting the database at the computer to the board. The teacher completes each step with the librarian. When in the coaching role, it is important for the librarian to determine the level of skill that each teacher has for any particular activity. After determining the level of skill, the librarian should discuss with the teacher which approach best fits his/her needs.

SUCCESSFUL RESULTS Knowing team dynamics and answering these questions will help the librarian and the teachers become better collaborators.◀

See page 59, “Use This Page: The Importance of Collaborative Practices” in this issue of SLM for a list of positive outcomes associated with collaboration.

Andria Donnelly is the school librarian at Discovery Elementary, Ashburn, VA. Email: [email protected]

SCHOOL LIBR ARY MONTHLY | VOLUME 31 | NUMBER 3 | DECEMBER 2014/JANUARY 2015

35

Copyright of School Library Monthly is the property of ABC-CLIO, School Library Monthly and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.