1. Strategies to Promote Collaboration

2. Informative Fact Handout
Create a handout that informs classroom teachers of the specific skills and roles a media specialist can offer during collaboration
Includes a collaboration request form
Place the handout in all of the teacher mailboxes
Send as an attachment to school e-newsletter at the beginning of the year and once again in January
Once teachers fill out initial form, send follow up form to retrieve more specifics

3. Display Board
Create a display board in the teacher’s lounge or area where teachers convene often
Define the role of a media specialist in teacher-librarian collaboration
Post pictures that highlight previous collaborations
Include lesson evidence such as student samples and assessment tools used
Have a pocket that holds the media collaboration form with directions on how to complete it and where to turn it in

4. Morning/Afternoon Announcements
Highlight recent media center collaboration with classrooms
Have students come on announcements and discuss the activities completed during the collaboration

5. Pre-planning Presentation
Create a captivating technological presentation for pre-planning to give to all classroom teachers
Include statistics that highlight the benefits of media collaboration on student learning
List examples of previous lessons and units completed through media center collaboration
Outline the process that needs to be taken by teachers

6. Bi-Weekly
Every two weeks send out an asking teachers what unit of instruction is coming up in their curriculum and if any resources are needed
No formal document needed, just a running dialogue with teachers on what they may need in regards to instruction

7. Library Blog
Create a blog that highlights what is going on in the library exclusively
Have a section titled collaboration
Add descriptions and pictures of recent collaboration experiences explaining the instructional activities that are taking place during these times
Link the collaboration form for teachers here too

8. Grade-Level Meetings
Media Specialist attends the planning meetings of each grade-level in order to ask teachers what topics of instruction are coming up
Offer to gather resources as well as pitch collaboration lesson/unit ideas
Start with attending once a month, then gradually attend each weekly meeting
Gradually collaborating with each team on instruction will become a normal routine

9. Collaboration Celebrations
Gathering held once a month in the library after school for teachers
An informal forum where teachers can share their successes with media center collaboration
Have collaboration teacher forms available
Allow teachers to fill out feedback forms to help make this experience more effective

10. Principal Meetings
Meet with the principal every quarter to inform him/her about the collaboration that is taking place between the media center and classroom teachers
Tell him/her the different strategies that you are implementing to promote collaboration and why it is an effective tool
Present the overall goal of what you want collaboration to look like
During the presentation attempt to gain their support in the attempt to make collaboration routine in the school