I’ve issued an open call for guest bloggers for the month of October. Partly this is just to break things up, and partly it’s because I’ll be doing my best to finish strong on #OKElections16.
There are few if any limits on topic or length – I merely ask for basic decency and sincerity. It’s ideal if you disagree with me about something, but given how difficult that is to do once basking in Blue, it’s not a requirement. I’m looking for other voices – whatever the angle or passion in play.
This post comes from Lisa Hunt, Library Media Specialist and NBCT for Moore Public Schools.
Collaboration is a popular buzz word, and like most buzz words it has been losing its power. As humans we enjoy working together – as the old proverb (or Bible verse, depending on your preference) explains, “many hands make light work.” Collaboration, though, is not easily achieved. I’m an elementary school media specialist, and one of the things that drew me to my work is the opportunity for collaboration. I’ve engaged in strong collaborative efforts with teachers, students and parents throughout my career.
We have been hearing for the past generation from researchers like Keith Curry Lance that school library media specialists promote higher tests scores through collaboration, and as I said, I’ve been engaged in strong collaborative practices. Are our words ignorantly empty, though? Collaboration is just not that easily achieved.
“Collaboration is a ubiquitous term that has been defined in numerous ways across diverse fields.” This is a quote from linguist and professor Vera John-Steiner mentioned in her ALA position paper on collaboration. She suggests that we need training and a framework to achieve successful collaboration. Wait, ain’t nobody got time for that! More training?!? Who are we kidding? I see my role as that of in house trainer, and that is worth gold to administrators in this time of budget cuts to Professional Development.
I enjoy the opportunity of longevity in my job. This is miraculous or boring according to your side of the fence. I’ve been in my position for 20+ years in the same building. It is miraculous because school librarians are an endangered species in education. This is true in some parts of Oklahoma, and in large districts across our country. The fact that I work for a school district with a strong commitment to effective school library programs in a bonus for me and my school community. The fact that I’ve been in this space so long might be sad because it begs the question “Couldn’t I find something else, something better to grow into during my career?” Well, no. One of the biggest reasons I am still here is my love of the job and the challenge to collaborate!
Working in public education is a challenge in and of itself these days, but to be a collaborator means I must have a stable group of collaboratees. Is that a word? Well, it is today. I collaborate with teachers, students and parents. The latter two are always coming and going; and, that is as it should be. The teachers, though… well, that is part of the problem. We have an ever growing teacher shortage, and that means constant turn over. It means that each year I have many new people to work with in my school. I enjoy that because it keeps me fresh and helps me learn new skills. It makes collaboration tough, though.
Collaboration more than anything is based upon trusting relationships, and that takes time. As a collaborator I am a partner. A big part of my job is building partnerships. Time for teaching is valuable, and my role is to engage with educators and teach with them. Is a lesson with me in the library worth sacrificing classroom time? You bet because I want to collaborate, embrace classroom objectives and reinforce what teachers are teaching. How can that be achieved if you are new? It takes time and I will work with you to build a relationship.
We keep hearing that schools should be run like businesses, and usually that means producing a product. The learning of children is not a product, so this doesn’t correlate directly when it comes to product; but, some practices are found in both schools and businesses.
Collaboration is one of those practices. Google has been promoting it for years, Go To Meeting is an entire industry based upon collaborative effort in the workplace, and advertising, science and medicine have embraced these practices for generations. Why are schools coming slowly to the game? It might be the punitive structures in place such as teacher evaluations, testing, and constant turnover! As national leaders have tried to improve educational practices they have inadvertently put barriers in place that impede growth in practice.
As the library media specialist I provide direct instruction, instructional support, collection and resource management as well as technology integration. My job description includes providing professional development, and I do that every year. I collaborate, identify needs and address those needs through instruction. I teach students, teachers and patrons in my role. My greatest success comes from strong relationships.
This year I have 8 new certified teachers in my building, and another 8 or 9 that I have taught with less than 3 years at my school. That is high turnover! Building a collaborative team takes a minimum of 3 years and can only grow given time and opportunity. Notice I haven’t even discussed teaching skill levels. What if the teachers are Rookies? What if the principal is new? What if the librarian is not only new to the building but in the first year of running a library media program?
I am a champion of collaborative teaching. I embrace it, throw my library doors open (or even join the teacher in classroom or computer lab) and engage is some of the most powerful teaching I have seen. It comes at a price though. Teachers need to be given time to learn collaborative instruction techniques (I train them as part of my job!), develop collaborative lessons, and then time to deliver these types of lessons. Ain’t nobody got time for that!
This is my perspective as the library media specialist, but there are other collaborators within our schools. Title 1 teachers, special education teachers who push-in with co-teaching, counselors and speech pathologists, as well as Music, Art and PE teachers can all bring collaboration to learning. How can we promote more collaboration within our schools?
Collaboration might be a powerful buzz word, but effective implementation is more powerful. That implementation requires a stable teaching force, a commitment to supporting effective teaching practices, and the opportunity to build the trusting relationships that collaboration requires of us.