SLIS 794 - Teacher Librarian Interview #1

Interview date: February 14, 2022

Librarian and school: Alexandra Magee at Hunley Park Elementary School, North Charleston, South Carolina

Shared Foundation: Include

Teacher Librarian, Alexandra Magee, at Hunley Park Elementary School in North Charleston, South Carolina, graciously agreed to discuss her experiences implementing the shared foundation Include from the National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians and School Libraries (American Library Association [ALA], 2017).  Before conducting this interview, I wrongly believed that Include would be one of the simpler foundations to address in an elementary school.  It became clear though, that in the absence of  a culture of collaboration, complicated by the youth of the clientele, it could actually be quite challenging.  Read on for to learn how Mrs. Magee has successfully addressed this foundation for her K5 students and examples of challenges she has encountered.

                                 

The domain, Grow, states that, “School librarians explicitly lead learners to demonstrate empathy and equity in knowledge building within the global learning community…” (ALA, 2017, p. 76). Mrs. Magee shared a practical way that she addresses this domain to make it meaningful for younger students during partner activities. She explained that while she often allows students to choose their own partners for group activities, she also strategically plans activities with assigned student pairs. Thoughtfully assigning student partners creates opportunities for students to work with peers they might not normally interact with. She noted that while students sometimes push back against the arrangement, she typically observes positive interactions once an activity is underway. Occasionally stretching students beyond their social comfort zone gives them the chance to learn to appreciate perspectives different from their own as they work within their school community. 

Technology can also be used to foster a global mindset, in students by stirring interest and bringing awareness to their place in the world. The third competency of the domain Think, states that librarians should, “…support learners’ understanding of cultural relevancy and placement within the global learning community” (ALA, 2018, p. 76). The database, Culture Grahams, accessed through Macinvia is one tool Mrs. Magee uses to broaden students’ global perspective. When context allows, for example after a diverse read aloud or to parallel with classroom content, Mrs. Magee often guides her classes into deeper exploration of other cultures.  She says her students especially enjoy the Life as a Kid tabs featured on each culture page because they think it is fun to compare themselves with children around the world.

Mrs. Magee shared that one of her biggest challenges as an elementary school librarian is finding time to collaborate with teachers.  She noted that when she is able, however, the impact on student learning is exciting.  Last year, working with the school’s 5^th grade team, she collaborated on a social studies unit about muckrakers - journalists, photographers, and writers from the progressive era of the United States who focused on controversial social issues of the day.  Mrs. Magee’s role was to teach students research strategies and support their efforts as they sought out information about current social issues. Students were highly invested because they were researching issues they personally cared about, and their end products reflected such. To demonstrate learning, students created posters in class that featured their own perspectives about a social issue of their choice.  Each poster included its creator’s personal perspective and a call to action.

In summary, Mrs. Magee strives to employ organic strategies with her students' age in mind to address the Shared Foundation, Include (ALA, 2017, p. 76).  A final point that she added to our conversation is that she felt this particular foundation is sometimes difficult to address with younger students simply because of their youth.  Limited life experiences and exposure to diverse thinking can make it difficult for students to put themselves in another’s shoes.  This insightful point validates the importance of intentionally exposing young students to high interest books with diverse characters so that while they grow in maturity, the seeds that will enable them to progressively participate in a global learning community are being planted.

References

American Library Association. (2017). National school library standards for learners,
                school librarians and school libraries.