Cindy Erle is the School Librarian at Center School in Stow, MA and received a 2017 Super Librarian Award.
The ‘buzz’ in school libraries right now is for them to be a center for Maker Spaces. It cannot be forgotten, however, the importance of the library and the school librarian as a teacher with the training and resources to assist the classroom teacher to implement the curriculum.
I began my career in education as a classroom teacher, so perhaps that is what fuels my interest in this topic. The amount of time needed for teachers to implement the curriculum, as well as the other responsibilities, is overwhelming. When I became a library teacher, my first thought was how I might possibly help this situation. The ideal situation to do this is with a flexible schedule, but a fixed schedule can work as well. The first step in the process is to know the standards and curriculum.
I began my career in education as a classroom teacher, so perhaps that is what fuels my interest in this topic. The amount of time needed for teachers to implement the curriculum, as well as the other responsibilities, is overwhelming. When I became a library teacher, my first thought was how I might possibly help this situation. The ideal situation to do this is with a flexible schedule, but a fixed schedule can work as well. The first step in the process is to know the standards and curriculum.
The ability for the library teacher to attend common planning times with classroom teachers is relatively easy when the school library has a flexible schedule. As a middle school librarian, I was able to meet with teachers in every content area to discuss possible projects, research, or even co-teaching some units because I had a flexible schedule. I must emphasize ‘relatively easy’ because the library teacher must self-promote in the beginning of this process until the classroom teachers are ‘on-board’. In ELA classes, I provided background knowledge for the students so they would better understand the assigned books. For example, our 8th grade classes had to read Animal Farm, but they had absolutely no knowledge of the Russian Revolution and the rise of communism. I put together news footage, pictures, and information in a multimedia presentation so the students were better prepared for understanding the book. Another example was in science, where I collaborated with the teacher to create interactive computer lessons to teach the Space Unit (a unit that she previously had difficulty getting completed before MCAS). I even had math enrichment lessons in the library, giving the classroom teachers the ability to work with students who needed more support and review. When other teachers began to see the possibilities, I wound up never having free periods!
Now that I am in an elementary school with a fixed schedule, it has been a little more difficult because library time is the prep for classroom teachers. Knowing the curriculum and standards is crucial in this case. Therefore, rather than collaborating directly with the classroom teachers, I have supplemented what they are doing in the classroom. For example, the second grade teaches the continents of the world, so we “travel-around-the-world” in the library. This exposes the students to more folk tales, diverse authors and illustrators, music, crafts, and games from many different countries. In the first grade, we concentrate on theme while doing both a fiction and a non-fiction author study. The teachers have noticed the transfer of knowledge and skills learned in the library to the classroom. As a result of three years creating library curriculum that supplements the classroom, the principal approached me to work on fables with grade three and poetry in grade five (MCAS scores showed a need in these areas).
We all know the importance of school libraries, that “Strong School Libraries Build Strong Students”, and that student scores improve when there is a school library with a certified school librarian. We can give all the articles to the administration, but demonstrating this by implementing curriculum will get the message delivered.
Now that I am in an elementary school with a fixed schedule, it has been a little more difficult because library time is the prep for classroom teachers. Knowing the curriculum and standards is crucial in this case. Therefore, rather than collaborating directly with the classroom teachers, I have supplemented what they are doing in the classroom. For example, the second grade teaches the continents of the world, so we “travel-around-the-world” in the library. This exposes the students to more folk tales, diverse authors and illustrators, music, crafts, and games from many different countries. In the first grade, we concentrate on theme while doing both a fiction and a non-fiction author study. The teachers have noticed the transfer of knowledge and skills learned in the library to the classroom. As a result of three years creating library curriculum that supplements the classroom, the principal approached me to work on fables with grade three and poetry in grade five (MCAS scores showed a need in these areas).
We all know the importance of school libraries, that “Strong School Libraries Build Strong Students”, and that student scores improve when there is a school library with a certified school librarian. We can give all the articles to the administration, but demonstrating this by implementing curriculum will get the message delivered.