Many of our members work in school libraries – but these tips can be helpful for anyone who wants to build collaboration with their parent organization, or with others!
Check out this material from an article by EBSCO; and get the entire thing here, with all the advice and information.
“Teacher-librarians support their school communities in a variety of ways. Among many other activities, they acquire materials to support evolving curricula, help learners use print and digital information resources, evaluate and curate websites and apps, deliver information literacy instruction, and provide students with welcoming “third spaces.” What some classroom teachers might not realize, however, is that co-planning lessons is also a skill in the school librarian’s professional toolbox. Just as they support student achievement, school librarians are also available to help teachers, administrators and staff meet their goals.
Research shows that partnerships between teacher-librarians and classroom teachers strengthens the quality of instruction, leads to higher levels of student skill development, and increases the likelihood that students will transfer those skills outside the walls of the school library. Teacher-librarian collaborations are successful when curriculum delivery leverages the skills and expertise of both instructors. For example, the classroom teacher brings content area knowledge to the lesson, while the librarian serves as the technology guru and database searching specialist.
In addition to forming partnerships with teachers, librarians can find strong supporters in school administrators, many of whom believe teacher-librarians set the tone for collaboration in their learning communities. Collaboration can also include special education staff, who can advise on differentiating instruction.
An informal review of the literature uncovers many strategies for increasing and improving collaboration, so librarians are bound to find a few that work well for them.
- Do your homework.
- Read the latest research.
- Look to your fellow librarians for guidance.
- Be proactive.
- Market your skills.
- Lead professional development for teachers.
- Be flexible.
- Start small.
- Articulate clear goals.
- Measure your success.