Brainstorm+of+Ideas

Thelma's Reflections and Questions Page
The partners **analyze ** the testimonials and **relate ** them to their **own ideas AND questions ** about the practice of classroom-library collaboration. They indicate the reflective aspects of their paper by highlighting them. Skills || Staff that collaborates || Teaching/developing || More time to plan ||
 * **Benefits to the Student** || **Benefits to the Administrator** || **Benefits to the Teacher-librarian** || **Benefits to the Teacher** ||
 * Student achievment || Student achievement and success || Leadership and learning || A partner and twice the ideas ||
 * Indiviualized instruction || Teachers providing authentic learning || Interventions for students and teachers bringing higher student achievement || Providing students with authentic learning creating higher student achievement. ||
 * Authentic learning || Strong leadership || A team that shares in decision making || New skills learned and practiced ||
 * Technology


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 that creates success and higher achievement in students. Along with such learning opportunities comes 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 seems like it would remove part of the load because it is almost like you are team teaching or share teaching. The greatest benefits of 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 cite Websites sources. To have the opportunity to provide students with individualized instruction on a project or to witness growth in their achievement due to time spent planning authentic learning with a co-partner is worth it. As a teacher-librarian, I would take pride in my time and effort in gaining leadership with staff, students, and administrator’s because of the time spent to complete this task. I say task, but it is my professional duty to meet the needs of all users and I would consider all mentioned to be the users of my library. There are many benefits to being a teacher-librarian, one of the most important benefits is student achievement, if a student is successful, and the teacher, administrator, and teacher-librarian will be a success. I’m sure principals can have an impact on the collaboration process through past experiences; however, this is 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 that truly cares about their staff and the success of all involved, there will be true leadership/relationship formed to be an accomplishment to be proud of.