Collaboration Article

I came across Doug Johnson’s article “Collaboration and reflection” on his web site
dougjohnson.­squarespace.­com/­dougwri/­collaboration-­and-­reflection.­html. In this article Johnson says that “Collaboration is the Holy Grail of librarianship”. He states that Librarians need be proactive and reflective. We need to become indispensable others and constantly reflect upon our own practices to assess what is working and what is not. This article also includes a biographical list of writings on collaboration that is a great reference for professional development.

He gives a long list of practical suggestions when working collaboratively with teachers. I have listed some of these suggestions. Johnson suggests that we be very knowledgeable in curriculum, and an expert in teaching techniques methodology and resources. We should make ourselves the resource. When collaborating we should look for shared interests with other teachers, and search out unusual areas of collaboration including the math teacher, parent organizations etc, and keep a record of successes and communicate them to staff. We need to build our own interpersonal skill set and communication techniques through personal study and workshops. We need to be likeable-well groomed, similar to others, give others compliments, and be associated with positive things. Responding quickly to requests and send thank you notes is a must. He says don’t whine, build relationships slowly, and start with friends. It takes time to build personal trust. We should be active in mentoring beginning teachers. And most importantly never give up.

This list provokes a lot of thought. I think what comes to mind most is that becoming a good Teacher Librarian takes time and practice, and reflection. Developing teaching techniques and methodology is a lifetime pursuit and collaborative teaching takes a lot of trial and error. I think his point about reflection is a must. We need to constantly evaluate our program and ourselves to fill areas of need. I also think this includes input and feedback from others-students, staff, parents, administration. Being a good communicator and developing strong relations with the school community will help develop my own skills. I think this is what I love most about being a Teacher Librarian is the personal growth and development that occurs while learning the craft. This is a list that I will refer to over the years and check my progress.

Johnson, Doug. "Proactivity and Reflection: Tools to Improve Collaborative Experiences", Minnesota Media, 2004