Mary Hoover

LBSC 744
Final Reflective Paper

I have had the opportunity to see two very different schools and districts through
my internship. I discovered regardless of the differences each media specialist did their
best to make their library an essential part of the school. They found ways to collaborate
and help students and staff while ensuring their library space was well used and full of
learning. I think Carol Brown (2004) said it best, the library must be the heart of the
school and the teacher-librarian must be a proactive team player (p.4).
When I envision my future media center I see one where staff is continually
aware of our programming and capabilities through public scheduling, talking at faculty
meetings, and displaying current student work from classroom collaborations. I was able
to see during my internship how staff will continue collaborations with the media
specialist once they have had a positive experience. A school media center also has to
have clear communications between all who work there. Regardless of whether the staff
is full time, part time, or a volunteer each member should be aware of their role and
monthly/yearly meetings can be scheduled to communicate how the media center is
doing and what improvements could be made.
Additionally, when I envision my future media center I now realize the importance
of the layout. I had the chance to see a library space full of couches, booths, cafe
tables, sculptures and plants. This high school library was the place every student
wanted to be. It was current and inviting to students and staff. I believe the creation of
this type of environment is a vital part of the media center. We need to be a place that is
alive with student learning and a place everyone desires to go to.
During the internships I found that lesson planning and working with teachers to
be a strength for me. As a current classroom teacher, I loved getting to communicate
with the teachers in the building and find ways where I could make their job easier. I
could identify with many of their current problems and enjoyed getting to work with a
variety of subjects. Lesson planning was something that was familiar to me from my
time in the classroom. It was second nature for me to backwards plan and ensure our
objective matched the standards and goals for the unit and assignment
Not everything came easy for me. Upon reflection I have identified several
weaknesses I would like to work on to improve my practice. One of these areas is
managing adults. I found that within each of the media centers various volunteers, part
time workers and full time staff worked with the media specialist to ensure the media
center was meeting the needs of students and staff. I have not had much experience
managing other adults. It was interesting for me to learn about my mentors strategies
for managing and working with the other adults in the media center.
Personally, I want to do some reading on management and resolving issues with
adults because I saw firsthand how difficult it can be when issues remain unresolved. At
one of my placements the media specialist and one of the technology specialists had
unresolved issues and had trouble working together. On multiple occasions they would
approach me about the other. It reduced their productivity and added unnecessary
stress to the work environment. As a result, it encouraged me to reflect on my own
interpersonal skills and strategies I have for working with other adults.
A second area of growth I discovered during my internship was the lack of
content knowledge and course structuring for high schools. While I have had a plethora
of experiences with elementary schools and the common core standards I have not had
much exposure to 9-12 grade course work. My internship encouraged me to do
research regarding high school course work and begin reading some of the novels and
literature that are used in the classes. I plan to continue this as I prepare for a future
placement that may be in a high school.
I found my work during the internships to be challenging but rewarding. I was
able to learn from amazing media specialist who are adapting to the needs of their
school in order to best support students and staff. I was able to take away many
practical implications and tips for my future media center. It made me hopeful and
determined to create a space that fits the needs of the school community and ensures
students and staff are effective users of ideas and information (AASL, 2009, p. 8).













References
Brown, Carol. (2004). Americas most wanted: Teachers who collaborate. Teacher
Librarian, 32 (1) 13-18.
Empowering Learners. (2009). Chicago:AASL.