Content+Summary

Case Study Content: Summary


 * To Fu**lfill Rubric A 1.4, Part 3: Content-Summary****

This mini case study showed the importance of collaboration between the teacher librarian and the classroom teachers, and the teacher librarian and other specialists. This study also brought to light the influence that a teacher librarian has with the students at the school. "The teacher-librarian is one of the most important people, who are at the school, because there is no one else who impacts the academic achievement of every single child in the building." (Principal Paula). In Principal Paula’s testimonial, she showed a deep appreciation of the role of the teacher librarian, and she also had a clear understanding of the potential of the teacher librarian position. The teacher librarian and the principal should both be on the leadership committee at school, in order to promote and support the idea of collaboration. "The job of the leadership team, then, is to create the conditions for internal accountability so that staff members hold one another accountable for student achievement, staff development, and coherence of leadership efforts" (Zmuda and Harada 32). Another factor that was discussed in the McGregor reading was the isolation that librarians can feel at school. Many librarians are seen as not being a part of the team involved with student achievement or classroom curriculum. "No individual in a school environment exists or operates in a vacuum." (McGregor 200). Librarians are not seen by classroom teachers, as teacher librarians, but only as the librarian. Classroom teachers do not see the advantages of working with librarians, and it is up to the librarian, to demonstrate how he/she can help support academic success. Teachers may request that the librarian check out books for them on a subject or topic and after that request is fulfilled, they feel that the librarian is no longer needed in the learning process. The librarian needs to go beyond that and become a partner in the lesson. "By collaborating, teachers and teacher librarians provide learning experiences that respond to learning needs, provide resources at a point of need, give teachers a working partner, promote academic achievement."(202). The McGregor reading supports Newmann and Wehlages’s assertion that "teachers in effective schools do not operate in isolation, unconnected with each other" (McGregor 202). Although their findings were not specific to school librarians, they do apply to school librarians. McGregor states that because collaboration affects learners and learning, "...the teacher-librarian, who is a teacher, must situate himself or herself solidly in the middle of this [teacher + librarian + student] collaboration" (202). One of the most important aspects that came out of this mini case study is the leadership role the librarian must take. The librarian needs to be the leader of this movement of collaboration partnership classroom learning. "The teacher librarian interested in creating a climate in which collaboration takes place must be prepared to take the lead, since anecdotal evidence shows that the teacher librarian who waits for someone else to lead is not included in most collaborations."(202) The importance of this leadership role has lead both of us thinking of how we can become teacher librarians and involve our teachers and administrators in the collaboration process.