Librarian in the Learning Community
Course
Specialists [3:47]
- Learn to work with specialists who can offer a different perspective based on their expertise.
- Learn to identify the unique opportunities for collaboration based on guiding standards or individualized education plans.
- Learn to support student learning through the common goals of your school's specialists.
Specialists in a school are experts in their own field. Much like science teachers, whose educational background focuses on how to teach science, specialists have specialized training in their own area of expertise. Specialists at your school may include counselors and speech pathologists, as well as reading specialists, social workers, and paraprofessionals. Each brings a unique perspective to working with students, and some specialists may see students more or less frequently than the school librarian. They interact with students in varied, smaller settings, and may see more of students' creativity, curiosity, and self-expression than most teachers. Consider asking specialists in your building for suggestions or their opinions on matters that relate to their expertise, such as identifying struggling readers or how to include strategies that they teach students in your lessons, too. Consider their needs when purchasing books for the professional collection as well.
Most specialists have guiding standards established by their subject area or need to abide by goals set by students' individualized education plans. Among these standards are valuable opportunities for collaboration. For example, counselors may ask the librarian to compile resources on a character trait, such as empathy, or a mental health topic, like anxiety. Collaborate with the reading specialist to design student summer reading programs or to offer literacy support to classes, such as science or history. To identify potential areas of collaboration, research the student objectives or standards for specialists on your state's education website to identify areas of alignment with library standards, or simply meet with them to discuss their needs.
Ultimately, school librarians and specialists have several common goals. In addition to increasing student achievement, common goals may include family connections, community outreach, and additional student support. In order to establish the commonalities in your school, reach out to specialists to learn about what their areas of focus are. Read previous years' school newsletters and explore the school's website. By working together to accomplish these goals, students, staff, and parents see the unwavering support for their success across departments.
Librarians can work with specialists to design innovative approaches to student success, especially in areas where roles may overlap. Work with the reading specialist or counselor to offer a book club for students on a particular topic. Create a quiet space in the library filled with relaxation items and invite special education teachers and paraprofessionals to bring students who need a break from their classroom environment. Collaborate with the school's technology department to create a unit on digital citizenship or advanced searching techniques. These ideas and more will help students succeed both academically and personally.
There are many ways to build relationships with specialists and other staff in your building. Acknowledge and welcome their unique perspectives into teaching and learning. Reach out to discover common goals. Find opportunities for collaboration to benefit everyone involved. Identify needs among your school's student population and work with specialists to create new solutions. Together, you can support student learning and be a model of effective collaboration for them.
Like classroom teachers, counselors need support from librarians, too. In this activity, collaborate with your counselors and create a product for student use.
Connect with counselors at your school to brainstorm a list of mental health/character traits that are needed most at your school. Use the Resources for Counselors worksheet, found on page 6 of the handout in the Resources above, to analyze your collection and online resources for these topics. If you have few resources, consider focusing some of your budget to fill out that part of your library's collection. Design a professional product for your counselors that lists the resources you have. Suggestions include bookmarks, a page on your school's website, flyer, etc. Get feedback from counselors before creating the final draft, and follow up by asking how your product can be improved and whether it is effective with students.
MLA Citation
Grover, Rachel. "Librarian in the Learning Community: Resources for Counselors." School Library Connection, October 2020, schoollibraryconnection.com/Content/Course/2254734?learningModuleId=2254582&topicCenterId=2247902.
Entry ID: 2254750
Additional Resources
MLA Citation
Grover, Rachel. "Librarian in the Learning Community. Specialists [3:47]." School Library Connection, ABC-CLIO, October 2020, schoollibraryconnection.com/Content/Course/2254734?learningModuleId=2254582&topicCenterId=2247902.
https://schoollibraryconnection.com/Content/Course/2254734?learningModuleId=2254582&topicCenterId=2247902
Entry ID: 2254734