Day 16

Collaboration with Classroom Teachers...

This can be tricky business as teachers are so busy and overwhelmed by day-to-day requirements.  From lesson plans, to team meetings and parent communication, teachers have very little time to meet and talk with the media specialist about possible collaborations.  What I have learned is to make it as painless as I can while still encouraging communication.  One thing I do is email a group or an individual with an idea of how I can support learning.  This allows teachers to repond in their own time, and I have found it useful.  Another strategy that works is to pop in on meetings that are already scheduled.  Since teachers have to be there anyway, taking 5-10 minutes maybe once a month is not too much.  For example, teachers at my school already meet with the reading coach every Wednesday, so I can easily ask for a few minutes once a month.  This can open up dialogue with a whole team about ways I can support what they are already doing.  One final thing I have tried this year is to develop lessons for those required things that come up during the year such as Constitution Day, Black History Month, etc.  I can plan lessons that the teachers can write into their plans without doing anything extra.  They love this!  My goal is to be a support for teachers and students.  Collaboration is one of my main responsibilities, so I want to use it as a help rather thatn "one more thing to do."