Take the Lead. A Dozen Ways the School Librarian Can Help Administrators Find Time

When school principals ask teachers what they most need to improve academic achievement for their students, the response is often time. They want more time. They need more time. As a school principal, how do I give them time? Or, should I instead give the teachers resources, tools, delivery systems, and a venue to acquire new knowledge?

Another View of Time

Do teachers, however, really mean that they want time? If the face of the analog clock is examined, it is obvious that a principal can only give opportunities each day that measure from the time available within the confines of number one to the number twelve.

Administrators study and reflect on student achievement data to use during the strategic planning and school improvement process. Out of this reflection and data mining process, the most exciting resolution to the quest for more time is found through the school librarian. The classroom teacher and school librarian can work together for an effective delivery system that enhances planning and expands the time available for teaching.

Lesson 1

The school librarian can teach the principal to begin with the hour hand and slowly advance to one o’clock by just listening. The message begins with respect for the tools necessary to achieve success in high stakes testing and Race to the Top initiatives. These tools can be found on bookshelves, on racks, on screens, and in electronic formats. School librarians can help principals find time to know the tools and resources. No, not just know them, but to love them, respect them, and not just because of a test score, but to discover messages and detours when picking up a book, for example. A compilation of test scores and rankings are regularly shared with the department of education, but the discovery and escape a child finds within the shelves of a school library cannot be measured through a spreadsheet. This lesson must be taught to the leader of the school building and spread to the superintendent and decision-making school board members.

Lesson 2

The clock strikes two and a second lesson begins for the principal. The library curriculum supports and integrates cross curricular objectives leaving less of a segmented approach created by bells and class periods. The learning prompted by historical fiction can begin in a library book chat or be sparked by the social studies instructor. Common themes and connections in integrated lessons such as this are reinforced through multiple resources and deeper understandings between the two collaborating educators. Library instruction can no longer be seen as a Drop and Go style routine within the public education settings. The principal needs to promote professional development based on the AASL Standards for the 21st-Century Learner (2007). These standards describe how learners use skills, resources, and tools and provide an intensive in-service opportunity to save time by making smooth connections between curricula.

Whether a lesson is team-taught by a music teacher and a school librarian or co-taught in mini-lessons by the third grade teacher and school librarian, colleagues participate in collaboration and integration of teaching across disciplines. Principals are familiar with the data showing the successes of co-teaching through practices such as inclusion within special education programming. The principal’s priority to weave a relationship between the specialist and the classroom teacher cannot be subtle and vague. A strong message of interdependence must be conveyed to every stakeholder who supports the children of the education system. The school’s master schedule is also evidence of collaboration and planning between the school leader and the school librarian. Creating schedules with planning time for the teaching teams is an essential component of the integrated pedagogy.

Lesson 3

The next tick on the clock conveys the message, “Furnish the room.” A school library isn’t just a place; it is an experience. From the littlest school building to the largest secondary facility, a library can come alive with resources that teach and produce not only readers but lively writers. Barnes & Noble style seating with overstuffed chairs or sofas can be used to invite students to lay claim to the area while exchanging literary reviews. Even though this student engagement creates noise, administrators should realize that this management style is enriching for the participants, not unruly and loud.

Lesson 4

As time goes on, the school librarian can show the school principal how to visualize the opportunities. Students usually enter the library seeking something. Some will become vivid readers because they find the images created inside their heads, others will become writers because they study the art of words, and a few will become artists as the illustrations speak a silent language to them. Librarians and qualified support staff should be available to show the students how to make choices about new reading materials.

Working with the school librarian, library support personnel know about the collection and resources as well as process lending choices for students. Clerical duties can be delegated to support staff so the school librarian can go to a classroom for a book chat or an author study. Just as the librarian can share his/her expertise, principals can teach librarians management techniques to effectively delegate clerical duties to the library staff.

Lesson 5

School librarians, as time arises, can help school principals learn about the many choices available to the school library program. They need to inform the school leader about current topics and controversies in the area of information literacy. Choices reflect the variety of rich literature selections which include titles that not all families may choose to read. The principal should understand that there must be support for the selections and should encourage others to respect the practices and procedures for intellectual freedom.

Lesson 6

Minutes of time can be saved by making connections. Connections are made through thoughtful and sometimes challenging discourse and inquiry. Principals should create scenarios for school librarians to expand their highly-qualified training into leadership roles inside and outside the building. School librarians can be researchers for various school district committees and can serve as teachers of professional development sessions. They should not be used as proctors of study halls and lunch duty monitors. Librarians can remind administrators of the commonality of the careers; both have the global view of the entire school community and monitor the vision through strategic planning.

Librarians share a similar charisma with school leaders. They can open doors to service learning opportunities or character education venues. School district community outreach ideas can be as simple as a book walk with local preschool directors to align read-aloud opportunities for preschoolers. Principals can arrange for the preschool director to visit the school for such a special event. Principals should remember to hire substitute educators to replace the library team for the day so that there is not a disruption in the school programming and curriculum.

Lesson 7

Endless hours of meaningful time can be reinvented by the large number of Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) participants. PTA officers and members who value the enthusiasm found in the library often organize support such as a read-a-thon fundraiser for the number of minutes spent reading a book rather than selling candy or wrapping paper to parents. Principals can appreciate the win-win results of increased focus on reading and increased funding for the school activities. School librarians can host the PTA meetings in the library so members can learn about the resources available to children as well as parents. Summertime Offers a chance for Book Buffers to enjoy vacation days in the school dusting and re-shelving books. The principal should recognize the year-round emphasis on a program that never shuts down.

Lesson 8

The librarian needs to participate in the schoolwide induction plan when new teachers are hired. He or she can highlight the resources and discuss differentiated instruction. differentiated instruction began with librarians helping students to make book selections. When principals are required to conduct walk-through evaluations of faculty members, they should begin their evaluation model in the library. This spotlight can serve as a model for student teachers and new faculty members. Although librarians share common themes and genres with all of the students during a book chat, each child leaves with a specific book according to his/her interest or appeal. The message is clear: the school librarian does not approach children with a one-size-fits-all approach. This individualization takes time.

Lesson 9

Extension of time is reflected by the librarian who sponsors interesting themes and topics for schoolwide activities. The principal and librarian should work together to create building-wide themes promoting a sense of community and belonging. The librarian should work with the grade levels to showcase units of study or activity. School principals need to set aside space in the building such as bulletin boards, easels, or display cases for this public exhibit. Librarians can continue to remind the teaching staff of the significance of finding the time for the children to read during the school day whether it is through morning announcements or the principal’s newsletter to parents. Librarians can assist the principal in making connections to faculty or students for read-aloud books or reading incentive programs such as the Principal’s Book Club.

Lesson 10

The school principal should examine the stretch of the library dollar when preparing the yearly budget. From rotating book baskets dropped of at the door of the first grade teacher to piñatas on display after a project-based unit in Spanish class, the shelves of a library stretch to the classrooms and outside the boundaries of the brick walls. The librarian must take time to teach the principal to take time to look beyond the line item on the budget and consider the number of students being served by the information literacy endeavors.

Lesson 11

Librarians can add to the principals’ skill set when finding the time for teachers to engage children in 21st-century curriculum. Sometimes, a different perspective from the librarian can Influence proactive decision making when selecting resources with the principal. Resources such as Web 2.0 tools can send a principal’s message to every child’s home within minutes. Wikis, blogs, and podcasts help a large elementary school be a family community. Google docs can give a principal the opportunity to be involved in professional learning communities throughout the entire school.

Lesson 12

Librarians can teach the administrator how to maximize time. Participating in many professional organizations can layer the expertise of the school librarian and the principal. When an administrator shows support for the library, it means attending professional development opportunities such as the state conference (Pennsylvania State Library Association) or a national conference such as the American Association of School Librarians (AASL). The opposite should also occur; the librarian should accompany the administrator to conferences such as the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESSP).

Perfect Timing

Librarians should be praised for reaching and teaching beyond the hands on the clock. They must teach the school leader to tell time based on the use of skills, resources, and tools. When principals are faced with teachers who say, “We need more time,” he or she should consider the twelve numbers on a clock and encourage teachers to collaborate with the most valuable resource within the school—the school librarian. The reply should be, “What time is it? It is the moment to think outside the clock.”