LIS 525: School Library Center Practicum

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Colleen Johnson

LIS 525: School Library Center Practicum

Fall 2007

Sue Janczak

Reflective Self-Evaluation

As I begin my career as a school library media specialist, I am evaluated regularly by my mentor or principal, I am evaluating others in an effort to learn from their experiences, and most importantly I am evaluating myself. The word “evaluation” or “evaluate” in the field of education is often in conjunction with the process of being observed by a principal; thus, feelings of anxiety and nerves are also often associated. While an evaluation from a principal or assistant principal is important, many teachers often forget the value of self-evaluation in an effort to improve their own teaching practices; thus, making teaching and learning more enjoyable. Through self-evaluation, teachers gain the ability to analyze their own skills, attitudes, behaviors, strengths, needs, and successes in achieving objectives.

This year marks my first official year of teaching. Naturally, I feel as though I still have a great deal to learn. Therefore, I am eager to attend as many workshops and conferences as possible in an effort to gain knowledge and become a better teacher. However, in my anticipation to learn it all, I realize that no amount of workshops and/or conferences can provide me with the knowledge that ten or twenty years of experience will; so for now, I reflect upon my strengths and weaknesses, using my strengths to build on, while developing the skills that come less naturally.

I never would have thought that assertiveness was a struggle of mine. Growing up in a household with two sisters, I learned quickly how to speak up for myself, and establish and enforce the laws for borrowing clothes, shoes, purses…etc. Therefore, I was surprised when I began teaching and found myself struggling to enforce the rules and regulations that I had created, or agreed to— as they were instated library rules from the previous year. Although I had experience with classroom management before, I quickly learned that library management was quite different. I was initially uncomfortable making students leave if they did not have a pre-signed pass, or reminding teachers to check the library schedule before sending their students to the library. However, I realized that I needed to improve upon this weakness quickly if I expected to have an orderly, respectful library environment. I knew that I had to enforce the laws of the library, just as I had enforced the laws of my closet as a teenager. My assertiveness had to extend to classroom teachers as well, who were sending students to the library during periods when classes were there— a time when study-hall students can only be admitted on a pre-signed pass from a librarian.

Although it did not come naturally, I quickly began enforcing the library rules in fear of the damage I had already done in establishing an inconsistent code-of-conduct. Fortunately, the students responded well to my new-found assertiveness because I was consistent: if ipods weren’t allowed during school, they weren’t allowed before or after either; if a teacher forgot that 7th period is pre-signed passes only, everyone goes back to study hall. Once I had improved upon my weakness with the students, it was much easier to approach certain teachers with “friendly reminders” about sending their study hall students to the library if it is a pre-sign period only. Although certain situations are still more difficult than others, I am making a conscious effort to improve upon my assertiveness, and the benefits are already evident.

Long-term planning is another struggle of mine; although I am very organized and well-planned, it is difficult for me to see months down the road when I methodically plan each day at a time. I become so focused on fine-tuning the events of each week that it’s over-whelming to plan for a project that does not take place for three months. So in an effort to improve my long-term planning skills, I have set aside blocks of time to meet with both my library mentor and an English teacher to discuss the goals and objectives for her upcoming projects. For example, I know this English teacher is in the planning stages of a large project called “People Who Change the World.” This project will be completed by all five of her English classes, and she has sought our assistance in the pre-research stages of planning. In an effort to avoid becoming overwhelmed, I have set-aside time each week to meet with her and evaluate the information we’ve retrieved so far, and discuss what still needs to be done. I try to do this with each teacher that requests our assistance in the library. This way, I always feel prepared and confident going in to a lesson.

In addition to addressing my areas of weakness, I have also focused my attention on building upon my strengths. Although I view strengths as those things that come naturally to you, I also see strengths as experiences and opportunities. For example, I am naturally easy-going and approachable. I rarely find myself feeling awkward, nervous or uncomfortable in front of a group of people—friends or strangers. Consequently, one of my natural strengths is building relationships. I really enjoy connecting with other teachers, meeting new people, and in general, personally interacting with others. I ask appropriate questions, which not only illustrates I am listening and that I care about what others are saying, but it also allows others to see their own issues and usually the solutions to their problems. This strength is truly valuable in a profession like teaching, where you are expected to communicate information to students. It’s also helpful as a librarian, as we communicate regularly with a variety of people, from library staff members to students, teachers and administrators.

As I mentioned earlier, I not only view strengths as those things that come naturally to you, but as experiences and opportunities as well. In other words, a strength does not have to be something you are born with; rather, strengths can be acquired as a result of a personal experiences or learning opportunities. For example, I am fortunate enough to have not only grown up in a family of educators, but I had phenomenal teachers when I was in school. Both of these factors influenced my decision to become an educator, and also provided me with an exceptional role-model for teaching. I had a declared major on my first day of college: Secondary English Education. For four years, I was enrolled in education courses that had me completing field experiences in Harlem, N.Y., taking part in a mentoring program in downtown Ithaca, student-teaching in a rural farming community and tutoring a Korean exchange student at Cornell University. I began substitute teaching after graduation, which added to my variety of teaching experiences I had gained in a short four-year time span.

When I began graduate school to become a school library media specialist, I perseverated on the fact that I did not have many librarian-skills. However, I quickly realized how valuable my teaching experience was; I was able to easily relate to the classroom teacher-perspective when working with a media specialist. Classroom management, lesson plan writing, collaboration, technology-integration all came easily due to the experience I had gained in a classroom setting. I am also familiar with curriculum and state standards for core-subject areas, which helps in developing collaborative projects with classroom teachers.

In addition to experiences creating strengths, certain opportunities can also lend themselves to establishing strengths. For example, my mother is the School Library Systems Director for Monroe #1 BOCES in Rochester, N.Y. Therefore, I have had several opportunities to meet and learn from the librarians who work in the Monroe #1 BOCES school districts. While working on my MLS, I had to complete several field experience requirements. Having my mom in a position where she works with school librarians daily was a major benefit to me, as I established several connections and relationships this way. I was able to observe and work with wonderful librarians, which has encouraged me to reflect their success today.

Throughout my first few months of teaching, I have had to acknowledge my struggles in order to improve them; however, as a result of this process, I have become a mentor-figure to other new teachers who are struggling with similar challenges. I feel as though I now possess the knowledge and empathy to help others improve and become better teachers. In addition to my continual efforts to improve upon my areas of weakness, I have embraced my strengths and continue to utilize these qualities to develop my teaching abilities.