School Visit
It was my privilege to make a visit to Qatar Academy with our school librarian and our Study Skills teacher. Our mission was to visit and observe the libraries at the different levels to determine what the librarian taught students, the schedule which students followed and the equipment and materials which were available for students and teachers. We achieved our mission and more.
Our greatest discovery was the atmosphere and climate of the school…
When we entered the school, we were greeted by the guards and assisted in finding our hostess. We felt that we were welcome. Once we arrived at the vice-principal’s office, the room was filled with student projects. These were requirements of the seniors which could be shared with the community. The vice-principal’s team was responsible for critiquing each project with a team. They conveyed a real pride for the accomplishments of the students and of those who had the vision and guided the students through the final product.
As we walked through the school, it looked like a school and felt like a school. Much planning had gone into a celebration of reading. Doors were decorated for a favorite book, bulletin boards were full of student writing and promotions of children’s literature, and children were playing and working in many different settings. We passed kindergarten children having recess in an open area. In the libraries, students moved about selecting books, reading or listening to adults read to them, or working at computers. Adults worked at arranging different areas of the library, interacted quietly with students and attended to administrative tasks at the central desk.
In the secondary library, we spoke with the librarian who shared the areas of the library which included books, computers for locating books, periodicals, etc, multi-media rooms for class instruction and presentations, and a computer lab for teaching and using a variety of technology skills and strategies. During the time we were there, a teacher brought his class into the library to teach a research strategy and have students work on a project.
It reminded me so much of the reading and discussion on atmosphere and school culture. As the morning unfolded, it was obvious that over time, the staff had made conscious decisions on what they wanted the school culture to contain. Since we were in the school to observe the library curriculum and activities, I listened carefully to each librarian as they shared their program, how they assisted students and how they arrived at the level we were observing. It was definitely a process.
The librarians made efforts to learn when grade levels were meeting for planning curriculum / lessons. They attended as many planning meetings as they could. In the beginning, the teachers were not sure how to utilize the services of the librarian beyond taking students to the library each week. This began to change as the librarians set up areas of the library for the different grade levels. These areas contained materials which would support what teachers were covering in the classroom. Slowly, the meetings included more suggestions on how the librarians could support the classroom instruction. The librarians understood more the content of the curriculum at each grade level and materials needed to support the curriculum. The librarian selected materials which they knew would promote the teachers’ efforts.
Creating an atmosphere which supports learning does not happen magically. It takes time, effort and much communication between all members of the school staff. I really hope that the staff members who attended with me can assist their school in bringing about an atmosphere for collaborative teaching which supports learning for all students.
Our greatest discovery was the atmosphere and climate of the school…
When we entered the school, we were greeted by the guards and assisted in finding our hostess. We felt that we were welcome. Once we arrived at the vice-principal’s office, the room was filled with student projects. These were requirements of the seniors which could be shared with the community. The vice-principal’s team was responsible for critiquing each project with a team. They conveyed a real pride for the accomplishments of the students and of those who had the vision and guided the students through the final product.
As we walked through the school, it looked like a school and felt like a school. Much planning had gone into a celebration of reading. Doors were decorated for a favorite book, bulletin boards were full of student writing and promotions of children’s literature, and children were playing and working in many different settings. We passed kindergarten children having recess in an open area. In the libraries, students moved about selecting books, reading or listening to adults read to them, or working at computers. Adults worked at arranging different areas of the library, interacted quietly with students and attended to administrative tasks at the central desk.
In the secondary library, we spoke with the librarian who shared the areas of the library which included books, computers for locating books, periodicals, etc, multi-media rooms for class instruction and presentations, and a computer lab for teaching and using a variety of technology skills and strategies. During the time we were there, a teacher brought his class into the library to teach a research strategy and have students work on a project.
It reminded me so much of the reading and discussion on atmosphere and school culture. As the morning unfolded, it was obvious that over time, the staff had made conscious decisions on what they wanted the school culture to contain. Since we were in the school to observe the library curriculum and activities, I listened carefully to each librarian as they shared their program, how they assisted students and how they arrived at the level we were observing. It was definitely a process.
The librarians made efforts to learn when grade levels were meeting for planning curriculum / lessons. They attended as many planning meetings as they could. In the beginning, the teachers were not sure how to utilize the services of the librarian beyond taking students to the library each week. This began to change as the librarians set up areas of the library for the different grade levels. These areas contained materials which would support what teachers were covering in the classroom. Slowly, the meetings included more suggestions on how the librarians could support the classroom instruction. The librarians understood more the content of the curriculum at each grade level and materials needed to support the curriculum. The librarian selected materials which they knew would promote the teachers’ efforts.
Creating an atmosphere which supports learning does not happen magically. It takes time, effort and much communication between all members of the school staff. I really hope that the staff members who attended with me can assist their school in bringing about an atmosphere for collaborative teaching which supports learning for all students.
posted by Gari at
10:55 AM
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