[CALIBK12] Teacher Librarians / Classroom Teachers - How?

[Kelly Sunderman]

My short answer to how you juggle being a teacher librarian and a classroom teacher based on past experience-it's not easy, but you do the best you can.  Your Spanish kids (and their parents) will expect Spanish to be your first priority, and the rest of the staff/students, in spite of their best intentions, have a difficult time remembering that you are pulling double-duty and physically cannot meet their needs in the same way you can when you're not teaching an additional class.

The long answer-I taught one period of Spanish a few years ago in addition to teaching two other "floating" language arts classes for three weeks at a time, meaning that for about one full trimester (spread throughout the year in three-week increments) I was teaching 3 periods a day.   I taught Spanish in a different classroom, and language arts in the LMC (Library Media Center).  I still have the floating language arts classes.  I had/have a Media Tech who works just under 20 hours a week.  I was/am in charge of textbooks AND all instructional technology (computer labs and teacher computers included), and at that time I did not have a technology aide.   Here were the issues:


*         Teachers did not like having to wait for their technology emergencies to be solved and did not hesitate, especially in the beginning, to send kids to get me--while I was teaching Spanish--if something went wrong.  I was not a new teacher, but new to the LMT position, so the first few weeks I tried to accommodate people while I was teaching Spanish because I didn't want to let anyone down... I was teaching in a good friend's classroom during his prep, and he was very generous about covering my Spanish class, but needless to say, it was REALLY unfair to my Spanish kids...I quickly learned to be very protective of their time, and made it clear that requests for help were off-limits during Spanish.  People didn't like that, but ultimately realized that even if they sent kids to get me, I couldn't leave my class.

*         It made it MUCH more difficult for teachers to bring their kids in because most teachers teach the same class several different periods.  Having the LMT teach a class does NOT only affect their availability the period they teach.  My Spanish class was Period 5;  if a teacher needed to bring in the kids for periods 1, 3, and 5, the Period 5 class was not able to get the same lesson because I wasn't there to teach it.  Teachers like (and rightfully so) continuity among their classes, so they would choose NOT to use me as a resource.  This also becomes a big issue if classes need to check out novels, supplemental texts, etc. during the period you teach.

*         I had to have a sub for several days at the beginning and end of the year during orientation, textbook check-in and check-out.  Probably the WORST times of the year to be out...it was REALLY difficult to establish a routine with my Spanish class because I was out so much during the first month.

*         There were days when my aide could not cover all of the periods I was teaching because she was only there for 4 hours and my classes were at the beginning AND end of the day.  We had to close the LMC to kids at random periods of the day which was hard for EVERYONE to keep straight.  We have an open school, and the LMC has no doors...no way to keep kids from trickling in if their teacher forgot no one was there.  Luckily, our principal and counselor have their offices in the LMC, so at least SOMEONE was usually there.

*         I did not have an established prep-I think the thought was that I only had one class to prep and grade for so I could just sort of fit it in. The language arts class is not really viewed as a class because it is not full time.  Because my first job is to be the LMT, and so many people rely on me in that role, there were times when I was made to feel really guilty about "taking" time to plan/grade...people had no qualms about interrupting me if my aide was busy and I was planning/grading.  I tried to do it before school, after school...I finally had to find places to "hide" to get these tasks done (the book room, the teacher's lounge), and make my poor aide play dumb about where I was.  It sounds horrible, but I literally could not make it through a stack of tests if I was anywhere close to the LMC, and taking it home was not an option.

We made it work...the LMC did not fall apart, my Spanish kids went on to the next level, and I'm still intact, but it was incredibly stressful for all involved.  After one year my administrators realized it was a bad situation all around and relieved me of my Spanish class...though I'm sure it's a possibility that I will be asked to teach a class next year in light of the budget situation.

Good luck-if it becomes a reality, I'd be happy to share the strategies that helped me cope with the demands of the two different jobs.

~Kelly
From: calibk12-bounces at lists.sjsu.edu [mailto:calibk12-bounces at lists.sjsu.edu] On Behalf Of Marie Slim
Sent: Friday, March 07, 2008 10:58 AM
To: CALIB
Subject: [CALIBK12] Teacher Librarians / Classroom Teachers - How?

Hi all!

Our district has proposed that we Teacher-Librarians (who already have Library Experience students periods 0-6) ALSO teach one or two "fifths" of a subject.  (Mine would be Spanish).  Is there anyone out there who is doing this?  Does it work?  How does it affect student learning and student safety when the Teacher-Librarian is teaching a fifth (or two, or teaching an "online" class) and not supervising students in the Library?

I know that many of you are down to one person in the library already - we still have two full-time people.  It has also been suggested that we "share" library techs.  How is this done?  What is its impact on student learning and safety?

Thank you in advance for your responses.  I will post a HIT and I will only post your name if you request it.

Marie Slim
Teacher-Librarian
Troy High School
2200 Dorothy Lane
Fullerton, CA 92831
Library hours: M - Th 6:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Fridays 6:30am to 3:30 p.m.
phone: 714-626-4482
fax: 714-626-4485
http://www.ilovelibraries.com<http://www.ilovelibraries.com/>
http://slimlibrary.blogspot.com/
SraSlim at sbcglobal.net<mailto:SraSlim at sbcglobal.net>

"This is the age of the open-source encyclopedia.  Words like 'research' and 'corroborated' now mean whatever the majority says they mean.  Personally, I'm voting for 'research' to mean 'speculation' and 'corroborated' to mean 'a zesty sour cream-based dip.'"

- Steven Colbert, I Am America (And So Can You!)
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