Many thanks to the 40 or so respondents I got to this query. I am certainly not
alone in this experience. I was heartened to hear all of your responses. Sometimes
I start to feel paranoid that I’m the only librarian that this is happening to. It
was nice to hear that I am not alone. I have included responses that cover the
major reasons that people gave me. Many people said the same thing in different
ways. The main responses fell into these categories: teachers don’t have time,
teachers don’t want to give up control or look they don’t know everything in front
of their students, they don’t know how because they weren’t taught to in school.,
they don’t really care about research, they don’t understand the benefits.
I was also give suggestions by several responders.
Sample responses follow, with names removed. Thank you all so much!
One thing my co-librarian and I do is not have a sign up book. We have a "plan
book" and no one writes in it but us. Thus, everyone wanting to use the library
has to talk to us about their assignment. We never schedule our 31 computers as a
lab, if the class is not using library resources, and librarians, then the
computers are not available. Yes, we have turned teachers away -- but if we didn't
we would never have those computers available for classed signed up for the
library. (Although we have NEVER uttered the words aloud, we have thought:
Failure to plan on your part does not necessitate an emergency on my part.)
As we discuss the assignment with the teacher, we determine what resources will be
used each day or research. Usually day one is books only, day two is databases,
and day three is online searching. That way we can justify the resources (print
and online) the district provides for us. We ask who is going over bibliography
information and offer to teach, help with, or show our online bib. tool. We make
sure the teachers know we start each period with brief instruction on what
resources are available, how to use, reformatting for printing, "power searching"
on the internet, and where to find the bibliographic information.* (As we are
evaluated on our teaching, instead of library administration, we are expected to
teach students. ) Sometimes we offer to "turn the key" on the copier for free
copies and make sure the students know it and that it is a one-time offer. While
we allow students 5 free printouts (from computers) a day, when their class is
signed up, there are no
(reasonable) limits during that period.
(*I remember a story from Alice Yucht once on how she dealt with a teacher
unwilling to have her pull info, show kids databases, or give any help: She sent a
memo to the teacher letting her know what resources had been pulled and set aside
for that assignment, and what instruction sheets would be out for students to use
the databases. Alice declared she would not cut into the students' research time
with explanation, but all these would be available for students. Alice "insisted"
the district-provided resources be used. She copied in the Principal/supervisor,
who chose that day to visit the library. The kids used the resources Alice
provide.)
Often for subsequent days (after the first 3 of research) we only assign half the
computers for that class, leaving more available for another class to sign up.
Because we schedule what area of the library they will be using (computers)
students need to use the resources wisely -- computers may be scheduled far enough
in advance they cannot tack on another computer day. If a class is unruly and off
task we will comment out loud to the teacher that apparently the students do not
need any more time in the library -- and on rare occasions (twice in 4 years) have
asked a class to return to their classroom because they were not working. Boy, did
those teachers light into their students for being kicked out of the library.
We have established good rapport with most of our teachers. We have a good
atmosphere of productive work. Some teachers collaborate more than others, some
extensively -- we almost co-teach one class. Non-English teachers are grateful we
can help with bibliographies (we often have to remind them to require it). Our
suggestions that the teachers require a minimum of resources -- with specifications
on how many have to be print or database, and how many can be from the free web --
are being taken. And just this year we finally have some teachers requiring
annotated bibliographies.
Could it also be because they aren't taught to collaborate in school. It isn't a
skill. If it was worked into the teacher prep program, maybe it would be more
successful
I don't believe teachers are taught in college how to work in a teamenvironment.
Collaborating with a librarian goes against couple hundredof years of the one room
schoolhouse autonomy mentality. And onceteaching they are rarely given inservices
on how to operate in a teamenvironment. I worked in healthcare for a good many
years and believeme the whole attitude towards collaborating and working in a
teamenvironment was very different and we were inserviced to death on teamwork.
Here's my theory - classroom teaching is inherently stressful, and teachersdiscover
they can reduce their stress by controlling their environment i.e.setting up class
rules and procedures and seating charts and bulletin boardsand lesson plans to suit
themselves. Collaborating means giving up somecontrol, which raises stress. In my
experience teachers are wonderfullyfriendly and helpful people who will share any
of their ideas or materialswith other teachers, but they DON'T want to collaborate.
I'm sure this has been said before, but I really think that the ones thatdon't
collaborate just think that it will be more work for them. Even doingsomething new
that might help their students and save the students time, isseen as more work for
them if they are either already overwhelmed or justfeel that they have enough work
already.
I believe it's somewhat of an issue of how the LMS is perceived in said school or
district. Teachers sent students to me for pull-outs, which gave them a conference
period. (That's a whole other post....) Collaboration at my school was always a
non-issue because I am a "special" or "activity" teacher. Although I am a former
classroom teacher, I am often perceived as a non-teacher because I'm no longer
considered to be "in the trenches" with everyone else. In my opinion, being a
librarian is like teaching full time while running a small business. It's tons
more work, but people outside the profession don't see that.
When one is perceived as just being a "baby-sitter" or "planning period" - it just
presents a negative perception that is very hard to overcome. My advice was rarely
asked - and I'm also rarely consulted over lessons, etc. I strive to be the
librarian I would have loved to have as a classroom teacher. My teachers have
first choice of my budget for specialized materials and books. Only one or two of
the 16 would even consider it at the time. It's difficult to serve people who
don't want to be served.
I've also noticed a difference between teachers and librarians in that our levels
of openness are different. I'm eager to share anything and everything - but I know
better than to peek in a classroom. Teachers are very possessive and protective of
their lessons, ideas, and room. Librarians are an open book (excuse the pun.)
Some of this comes from lack of administrative leadership and lack of any true
collaboration with each other. I wish there was an easy answer for this - I'm
enjoying the collaboration we're sharing here!
I have watched management set up collaborative planning with the literacy team
(which is much needed here in our multicultural school) and set it up
successfully.What is different?* Management set it up and it has been accepted.*
Literacy staff get time at full staff meetings to train teaching staff in the
literacy skills required. (I find it hard to get 10 mins at staff meetings)* It is
compulsory. Before an assessment task is ready for distribution to students, staff
must have spent time with the literacy team making adjustments for the students
that need them, checking comprehension and reading levels etc.* The time is
scheduled. The Literacy team put time aside to work with ppl form each subject
area* The literacy team sit in the staff study and are readily accessible and
recognised as teachers (I have asked, even pleased for this and it has been
refused each year). *They call it 'co-planning' and it is successful. What is
different? Management understanding and commitmentStaff acceptance as part of the
ethos of the schoolStaff understanding of the skills.
I taught in a K-8 teacher preparation program for 2.5 years. As someone whoserved
for 12 years as a teacher-librarian, I was dedicated to helpingpreservice classroom
teachers learn how to collaborate with one another andto seek collaboration with
their teacher-librarian colleagues. You can read some of these students'
testimonials regardingclassroom-library collaboration taken after their student
teachingexperience at: http://storytrail.com/IRLS/TwoHeadsTestimonials.htm On the
whole, these student teachers found it difficult to connect withteacher-librarians
for various reasons - fixed scheduling, cooperatingteacher bias/attitudes, time,
librarian's expertise or perception of ownrole, and personality of librarian.
Teacher-librarians, who are committed to collaboration, MUST get out of thelibrary
and perform evangelistic outreach - particularly at the high schoollevel where
learning is divided into perceived-to-be-distinct disciplines. At the elementary
level, classroom teachers practice interdisciplinaryteaching, which is more
compatible with what goes on in the library setting. At the high school level,
fewer classroom teachers practiceinterdisciplinary teaching.
If your teachers are like a few I have encountered over the years, they don't want
their students to know that they, "the teacher, the expert, the great font of
knowledge" might actually not know everything. If they had to be told by you, they
feel that diminishes their claim to expertise in all areas. Then too, the
technophobes among that group might have to ask you for even more help when it
comes to signing in to the database, again, something that makes them uncomfortable
and further undermines their fantasy that students think they are omniscient.
Back when I was in library school 20-odd years ago I remember a discussion we had
that had nothing to do with collaboration but I think it applies. What we came up
with was, briefly, "librarians like to share, teachers don't."
I think it is because teachers don't really know how to collaborate and don't
understand the benefits of that collaboration.
I know this is a cynical response, but it's how I feel. I think some of myteachers
don't care where the information comes from, they just want thekids to get
something to cut/paste or rewrite, so they'll have something toturn in. Meanwhile,
they get to spend the time doing their own thing ontheir laptop, making personal
phone calls, socializing, reading the paper,etc. It really is maddening. These are
not technophobics - they just don'twant to bother helping their students get the
best information, so theydon't worry about what resources we have to offer. Sorry
for the negativity,but it may be the case with you, too.
**************************** Juliann T. Moskowitz Library Media Specialist Norwalk
High School Norwalk, CT 06851 juliann14@hotmail.com Reading is a means of thinking
with another person’s mind; it forces you to stretch your own.--Charles Scribner,
Jr. A cynic is not merely one who reads bitter lessons from the past, he is one who
is prematurely disappointed in the future—Sydney J Harris, journalist (1917-1986)
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