A.+1.4+Final

Classroom-Library Collaboration Mini Study Final Draft  In today’s world of hustle and bustle it is hard to fit everything into one day! Have you ever found yourself out of time and energy to add one more thing to your “To Do” list? I have and especially when trying to plan fun, learning experiences for my students. So, why would I rather work and plan alone, when I have a teacher-librarian that is willing to go the extra mile for the achievement of my students’? As Pat mentioned, “This is a good example of how teachers and librarians can work together to help students learn and become more successful” (Pat). I realize as an educator, it is hard to get in all the required TEKS, this is away to get that done and to feel as though an authentic learning has taken place as it did in Judy’s classroom, here is what she had to say, “Collaborating  with a teacher-librarian is very important because providing authentic learning is important” (Judy P. 3rd grade teacher). After reading the articles by McGregor, Schultz-Jones, listening to the testimonials, and watching the Power Points on collaboration and strategies definitely gave a new understanding of the importance of collaboration. I would have to admit, before taking this class I might have been one of the ones that referred to collaboration as adding to my plate instead of adding to the opportunities to plan with a partner. Let’s face it, to collaborate would be a change on some campuses and change is hard.

Thinking about this type of change makes me wonder, what or if a principal would ask a new teacher-librarian in an interview about collaboration? McGregor’s article shares that a principal adds color to the attitude of the process and if that is the case I would think he/she would ask questions about collaboration in an interview. The article also says the following about how important a principal can be in the process of this type of change, here’s is what McGregor has to say, “ One of the most important factors in this type of change is the principal. He or she can either be a vital support or a hindrance in the process” (McGregor, 207-08). Leadership is very important; Kearney in McGregor’s article makes it clear that the teacher-librarian must create a leadership role in their environment guided by a vision and a mission (McGregor, 200-01). Along with this, a teacher-librarian would need to gain trust and have a clear and comprehensive understanding of what a teacher and teacher-librarian do by collaborating, is to provide learning experiences that bring achievement, respond to learning needs, provide resources at the point of need, give teachers a working partner and promote academic growth (McGregor, 201). Although collaboration is not an easy fix; in fact it can be a change that is very difficult to bring about. (TN) With these changes comes effective teaching to bring about high student achievement in all content areas, here are a few examples of what collaborating can do for all involved: Teachers from various grade level and content areas have experienced success, Tracy, an art instructor says collaborating has expanded her classroom with the ideas it provides to her students, they can take it from her classroom to the books they read and asking questions such as: Which is done first, the illustration or the writing? (Tracy ); Godfrey an elementary principal feels as though, “ There is no one in the building that impacts student achievement like the teacher-librarian does.”  (Godfrey); MaryAnn, 7th grade language arts teacher says, “Dr. Moreillon taught the students many things, like how to use the Wiki, and how to correctly write a bib card.” MaryAnn was amazed at how fast the students caught on. (MaryAnn) ; Kelly, a student teacher, came looking for a information on a unit she was doing and ended up collaborating with the teacher –librarian to make the project more meaningful for student learning. (Kelly) Kelly also discovered that working with a librarian made the project more fun with the different ideas of two people working together. (Kelly-Student Teacher); For Sherri, high school English teacher, collaboration was a fun experience! Her past experience had included the librarian pulling books for her, that’s it. (Sherri- HS English) Sherri believes, “Collaboration can benefit teachers/ students" (Sherri ). Not according to a librarian found in the article written by Schultz-Jones, her response being, "a lot of teachers think collaboration is going to be a lot of trouble so they resist investing time to work together beyond requesting books that support what they are teaching" (librarian, 2009). That is why McGregor tells us that teachers want to know what is in it for them (McGregor, 209). Tell them!  Is collaboration a benefit to teachers? Yes, definitely! Here is what Zmmerman and Hutchins has to say about co- teaching strategies and how they can affect student learning, <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt;">“the opportunity for co-teaching would lower the student-to-teacher ratio during instruction” (Zimmerman and Hutchins, 2003). A lower student-teacher ratio provides a more individualized instruction. (TN) Friend and Cook would agree, providing a variety of approaches for co-teaching in their article; for example’ one teaching, one supporting, station or center teaching, parallel teaching, alternative teaching, and team teaching (Friend and Cook, 2010). The approaches mention above would or should be found in the collaboration process between a teacher-librarian and a teacher. I would like to end with the following quotes, "a style for direct interaction between at least two coequal parties voluntarily engaged in shared decision making as they work towards a common goal" (1996, 6). Isn’t our common goal student success with higher achievement? “Two heads are better than one” (Dr. M. PPT.). <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12.5pt;"> Thelma's Reflections on Classroom- Library Collaboration: ** <span style="background: yellow; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-highlight: yellow;"> As I reflect on collaboration between a classroom teacher and a teacher-librarian, it is hard for me to understand why a teacher would turn down such an asset to their classroom. The teacher-librarian can add to or extend a lesson through the use of technology or activities to provide a deeper more authentic learning to create success and higher achievement in students. Along with such learning opportunities involves the planning process where plans can be designed by two educators with two ideas instead of one. When I think of planning with our librarian, I get excited because I know it will be fun and my students will be provided with life-long learning that they can use today and tomorrow while in my classroom or another content area. I realize that teachers feel overwhelmed and do not want anything added to their plate, but this would remove part of the load because it is like you are team teaching or share teaching. The greatest benefits to the students is to be provided with an authentic learning that will travel a life time with them, especially when being taught to evaluate Websites and resources for quality and how to cite sources (print and non-print). To have the opportunity to provide students with individualized instruction on a project or to witness growth in their achievement due to time in planning authentic learning with a co-teacher is worth it. As a teacher-librarian and because of the time spent to complete this task I would take pride in my time and effort in gaining leadership with staff, students, and administrator’s. I say task, but it is my professional duty as a teacher-librarian to meet the needs of all users, considering all mentioned above to be the users of my library. I find many benefits to being a teacher-librarian, one of the most important benefits is student success, if a student is successful; the teacher, administrator, and teacher-librarian will be successful. I’m sure principals can have an impact on the collaboration process through past experiences; however, this is a time when the leadership of the new teacher-librarian has the opportunity provide he/she with a different experience using collaboration. When collaboration is managed by a teacher-librarian with interpersonal people skills whom truly cares about their staff and the success of all involved, there will be a true leadership/relationship formed, an accomplishment to be proud of. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; msobidifontweight: bold; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; text-align: center;">Works Cited <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt;">Friend, Marilyn, and Lynn Cook. //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Interactions: Collaboration Skills for School Professionals //. 6th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2010. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">McGregor, J.Collaboration and Leadership.In Stripling, B. K. and Hughes-Hassell, S. (eds.), //Curriculum Connections through the Library//. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2003. 119-219. (Accessed Sept. 18,2009). <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt;">Moreillon, Judi. //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Collaborative Strategies for Teaching Reading Comprehension: Maximizing Your Impact //. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2007. Schultz-Jones, Barbara. //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Collaboration in the School Network. // ALA Vol.37. 4. March/April 2009. (Accessed Sept. 18, 2009). <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Testamonials ** <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">"Kindergarten Teacher." Interview by Judi Moreillon. Web. 19 Sept. 2009. < <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">[] <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">> <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> “Third Grade Teacher.” Interview by Judi Moreillon. Web. 21 Sept. 2009. < [] > “Elementary Art Instructor.” Interview by Judi Moreillon. Web. Sept.21 2009. < [] >“Elementary School Principal.” Interview by Judi Moreillon. Web. 21 Sept. 2009. <[|http://teachertube.com/members/viewVideo.php?video_id=121838&title=Principal]> “Seventh Grade Language Arts Teacher.” Interview by Judi Moreillon. Web. 21 Sept. 2009. < [] > “Seventh Grade Social Studies Teacher.” Interview by Judi Moreillon. Web. Sept. 21 2009. < [] > “8th Grade Language Arts Teacher,” Interview by Judi Moreillon. Web. Sept. 23 2009. [|http://teachertube.com/members/viewVideo.php?video_id=125114&title=8th_Grade_Language_Arts_Teacher] “High School Art Teacher,” Interview by Judi Moreillon. Web. Sept. 23 2009. < [] > “High School Student Teacher/English,” Interview by Judi Moreillon. Web. Sept. 23 2009. < [] > “High School English Teacher,” Interview by Judi Moreillon. Web. Sept. 23 2009. <[] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
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