1. Classroom Teaching Experience is Necessary for the SLMS
Cole Sproat
MEDT 6461
Classroom Teaching Experience is Necessary for the SLMS

2. I. Georgia Requirements vs. Nation
According to certification agencies by state authorities in education:
- 45 out of 50 states have determined that a teaching license must be held before becoming a school librarian
- This is 90% of our state certification agencies !
- Texas does not require a teaching license but demands 2 years of successful teaching experience prior to becoming a school librarian

3. II. State Recommendations
The Georgia Department of Education & the GLMA sponsor a guide for evaluating the SLMS. This suggests review of:
- Integration of literature, resources, and literacy skills into the curriculum (requiring familiarity & practice)
- Familiarity with instructional strategies
- Assisting students and staff
- Effective scheduling
(Nearly half of the roles to be assessed are titled “Teaching and Learning”)

4. II. State Recommendations (cont.)
A job description for the SLMS (as endorsed by the Georgia Department of Education) emphasizes skills honed in teaching such as:
- The ability to build relationships with staff and students
- Familiarity with reading abilities and instruction
- Knowledge of lesson planning
- Instruction
- Management of others
- Service on school committees and teams

5. III. Mentor Comments
A current serving CCSD SLMS states that teaching experience should first be required as it helped her prepare through practice of:
- Behavior management
- Lesson planning
- Collaboration
- Building activities
- Holding student attention
- Being “in-tune” to kids
- Student interactions (dealing with a variety of personalities)
- Improvisational skills

6. A teacher gets 180 days each year to practice this!
IV. Information Power
According to The School Library Media Manager text, Information Power confirmed that the SLMS must:
- Provide instruction to foster competence and stimulate interest
- Work with other educators to design learning strategies to meet the needs of individual students
A teacher gets 180 days each year to practice this!

7. V. A Real-Life Issue
Difficulties can occur in the media center that can be solved by drawing from teaching experience.
- According to a post on Teachers.Net, a librarian expressed frustration dealing with behavior management when attending to other duties
- Teachers multi-task each day and balance behaviors of all types
- Teachers practice a variety of effective behavior management strategies and techniques each day in the classroom
- The same strategies and techniques are applicable in the media center

8. References References
David, I. (2008, July 16). Library behavior management. Message posted to
Georgia Department of Education. (2002). Media Specialist Evaluation Instrument. Retrieved July 14, 2009, from 6CC6799F8C1371F6F7CA36F7C9374E8347C05A35F237CBF32CEF0483CBBEFBC0 &Type=D
Jesseman, J. D., Page, S. M., & Underwood, L. (2009). School Library Media Certification by State. School Library Media Activities Monthly. Retrieved July 14, 2009, from
Teacher-Librarian. (2009). Retrieved July 14, 2009, from librarian
Wall, Patricia. (2008). The Media Specialist as a Leader. Retrieved July 14, 2009, from 9F8C1371F60C046E80BC3E6AA0B2FA9EB7988E9B62B786B9B09F2C4687&Type= D
Woolls, B. (2008). The school library media manager (4th ed.). London: Libraries Unlimited.