[CALIBK12] Teacher Librarians / Classroom Teachers - How?

Fri Mar 7 18:57:54 PST 2008

Kelly's experience was similar to mine except that I didn't have an  
assistant at the time.  I taught one period of a class called Young  
Adult Literature. It was a fun class and I enjoyed being back in the  
classroom for the one period. But... my oh my it was hard hard hard  
and there were lots of things just wrong about it:

1. I had no prep period.
2. I had no lunch - I was supervising the library at lunch like I  
always do.
3. I had no assistant to help, so all the library clerical work had  
to still be done; students needed taking care of during class time;   
and collaborations take a lot of time - the library work didn't go  
away just because I had a class to teach elsewhere.
4. There was no extra compensation.
5. A science teacher watched the library while I was teaching in the  
classroom. We booked classes in that period- but that meant that that  
one class [out of the teacher's whole day] didn't get the direct  
instruction that the other classes did.
6. I was exhausted every day.
7. This is doing TWO jobs! You administrator needs to know this. Your  
union needs to know this - and it seems to me that if this is the  
only solution that is considered, then you have to negotiate some  
time in your day to get things done - and be compensated for it.   
That could mean that your day goes a little longer, or that you have  
to close the library even more in order to get it done.
8. Don't forget all the things that go along with teaching a class:  
lesson planning, copying worksheets,tests, etc, parent contact,  
grades....teaching for one class is the same amount of work as  
teaching 3-5 classes.

There are lots of ways to work it out, and to make it work, but it  
has to be humane to all - you, the students and the administrators.

The 'up' side to this for me was that like Kelly said, the classroom  
teachers  didn't like having their classes get 'off kilter'. They  
appreciated the value of the library and my role as Teacher  
Librarian, and it was their support that made the year work at all.  
They have since supported anything that helps to keep the library  
open and the curriculum we offer available to them.   [I have an  
almost full time assistant too - thanks to that very support!]

Good luck!

Connie

Connie Williams
Teacher Librarian
National Board Certified
Kenilworth Jr High
Petaluma, CA

chwms at mac.com

On Mar 7, 2008, at 4:44 PM, Kelly Sunderman wrote:

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://slimlibrary.blogspot.com/

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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