This School Librarian Thinks Her Job Is the ‘Best-Kept Secret in Education’

Jami Rhue thought her first stint as a faculty librarian can be a fast detour in her profession as a classroom trainer.

However by the point she was heading up her personal elementary faculty classroom in Chicago, she discovered herself lacking the library and longing to show media literacy once more.

So it was again to the bookshelves for her. Since 2010, Rhue has been a faculty librarian at Windfall Englewood Constitution Faculty, a preK-8 faculty on the South Facet of Chicago serving primarily Black and brown college students who dwell in a group colloquially often called “Chiraq.”

Although she didn’t initially see herself ever changing into a faculty librarian, Rhue has come to like the dynamism and number of her job. She teaches ideas as wide-ranging as American Signal Language, important pondering, typing, conducting analysis and writing in cursive. And she or he will get to work with kids from pre-Okay all over eighth grade in any given week — a difficult however rewarding cost.

“It’s the best-kept secret in schooling, to be a faculty librarian,” Rhue says with pleasure. “You get to work together with all people. It’s a deal with.”

Past her work with college students, Rhue can also be dedicated to collaborating with their lecturers, serving to, for instance, to impart her personal data of media and knowledge literacy to allow them to move it alongside to learners of their care.

As a part of our Position Name sequence, EdSurge has been spotlighting the work of unsung faculty workers who assist form the day for teenagers, from faculty nurses to paraprofessionals and past. For this installment, we characteristic faculty librarian and media specialist Jami Rhue.

The next interview has been frivolously edited and condensed for readability.

EdSurge: How did you get right here? What introduced you to your present function?

Jami Rhue: I by no means considered librarianship till I went to a job honest for Chicago Public Faculties, they usually have been searching for faculty librarians. I had earned my grasp’s within the artwork of educating elementary schooling. I used to be extra of a periodical lady, with the magazines and the newspapers and an occasional novel or self-help e-book.

I used to be employed and have become a faculty librarian … however I assumed I wished to make a much bigger influence by changing into a classroom trainer. So then I advised the principal I wished to come back out of the library.

She stated, ‘Please do not.’ I stated, ‘No, I need to attempt to do extra.’ I went and have become a fourth grade trainer, looped with these fourth graders to fifth grade, after which I stated, ‘ what? … I actually need to get again into the library in order that I can do media research and media literacy.’ However my principal had already employed a brand new faculty librarian.

So I resigned, and I prayed, and I stumbled on a job posting for an impartial faculty, pre-Okay via twelfth grade, on the west aspect of Chicago.

I used to be the assistant librarian to my librarian guru. I really like her — I’m nonetheless in contact together with her at present, regardless that she’s retired. I realized a lot from that one yr of being underneath her supervision and steering, so far as librarianship is worried — the mindset, the techniques, the curriculum, the relationships with my colleagues. So then she retired. The principal at that faculty stated, ‘Effectively, now we have a faculty librarian place at our preK-8 constitution faculty,’ which is the place I’m now, Windfall Englewood Constitution Faculty. Since 2010, I have been right here as the varsity librarian and media specialist.

When folks outdoors of college ask you what you do — say, at a social occasion — how do you describe your work?

My mantra now’s: I am a profitable educator and businesswoman. Boop. I am a second-year doctoral scholar in academic management. Boop. My focus is on constitution faculties, multiliteracies and college librarianship. Boop. That is what I do.

So you do not essentially say, ‘I am a faculty librarian’?

No. I am an educator. I’ve coursework at school librarianship, in order that’s positively part of my progress, having precise faculty librarianship theories and pedagogies and techniques underneath my belt. I’m not a fourth grade trainer, however I train varied ranges of maturity and age ranges, together with colleagues. And I imply, I am lesson planning, I am unit planning. So yeah, I am an educator and businesswoman.

What does a tough day appear like in your function?

It’s having kindergarten, then sixth grade, then second grade, then eighth grade, then fifth grade, then fourth grade, then pre-Okay, then third grade — again to again to again to again. That is difficult. However it’s what I take pleasure in.

Though I do have a set schedule, someday isn’t the identical, and that matches my persona.

Enthusiastic about serving these completely different ages throughout a given day, are you able to articulate what’s difficult about it?

It’s differentiating. When you’ve 45 minutes as soon as every week with college students which have so many alternative ranges of studying, so many alternative lodging and modifications, and you continue to have to stick with it and plan and be capable to change or modify in a second, classroom administration is essential. And that is actually, I believe, what most lecturers wrestle with, as a result of if you cannot handle, you’ll be able to’t train. As soon as the administration has been solidified or clarified, educating is joyful and enjoyable and fluid, and also you be taught from the youngsters they usually’re studying from you.

What does a very good day appear like in your function?

A extremely good day is when I can full my lesson plan from starting to finish, when kids are catching what I am bringing in 5 seconds. When college students are with me and never towards me, that is an awesome day. They’re little folks, in order that they have their feelings. They are going via issues. It’s why {our relationships} with them are key.

One factor that I actually admire at my faculty is the expectation that we all know our kids’s names. It is not only a ‘hey.’ It is not only a ‘sweetie.’ It’s Michael. It’s Jelani. It’s Torrance. It’s Mr. Williams. It’s the final title, the primary title. So when kids are shopping for into the relationships, that’s good. And even when a trainer involves me and says, ‘I’ve a undertaking. How are you going to assist me? Are you able to sit and meet with me?’ Collaborating with my colleagues — that makes for a superb day as effectively for me as a faculty librarian, as a result of we’re their co-teachers.

I believe that is one thing that is lacking from the dialog about schooling, the place faculty librarians are available. I do not know why we’re not thought of as educators and as co-collaborators and as co-teachers, however that is part of what we do. We’re info specialists. So yeah, when kids are cooperating and lecturers are asking to collaborate, that makes for a superb day for me.

If you’re working with kids, are they within the library more often than not with you? What is likely to be a lesson that you just’re introducing to them?

So for at present, I had sixth grade, first grade and fifth grade courses are available. In Okay-2, I am integrating finger spelling with American Signal Language to assist them with letter recognition throughout the books, as a result of the books have letters that make phrases that make sentences. So you’ve got received to have the ability to acknowledge these letters, and as an educator, I do know that Okay-2, or pre-Okay-2, that is when these foundational abilities are developed. That is why I incorporate American Signal Language. So their arrival exercise is decoding a message utilizing completely different letters of the alphabet in signal language.

We do a read-aloud. If I am studying a narrative to them, I additionally train about elements of a e-book by means of creating citations, as a result of after they go to highschool and faculty, they will need to create a analysis paper that requires citations. So analysis abilities, these foundational abilities, are part of it, and that includes elements of a e-book. They be taught in regards to the title, the creator, the writer, and the copyright date.

I additionally train typing. We’re studying about the place the letters and punctuation marks are and learn how to use these. In order that’s pulling again into language arts, with regards to third via fifth grade — the place the keys are on the keyboard, what these completely different perform keys, these command keys, signify.

I additionally train cursive writing, which is a misplaced artwork. I inform my center faculty college students, you are going to need to signal functions for highschool, for school, for monetary help, for scholarships. If you turn out to be a boss, you are going to need to signal checks. And signing shouldn’t be printing. You have to know learn how to signal your title in cursive writing if you are going to conform to issues as soon as you’re not a child. This can be a talent that has been taken out of the curriculum, at the least in Illinois, and I need to convey it again.

I additionally train media literacy. I [recently] approached two of the eighth grade and the sixth grade social research lecturers with doing a little skilled growth with me utilizing media literacy and significant pondering throughout the curriculum, educating college students to decode the world.

So yeah, so these are a few of the issues that I train: info literacy, analysis abilities, know-how, learn how to use the general public library, ASL, cursive, the Dewey Decimal System.

What’s an surprising manner that your function shapes the day for teenagers?

I used to be wrapping up a seventh grade class on Monday, they usually lined up as they have been ready for his or her trainer to come back choose them up. One of many women says, ‘Ms. Rhue, I simply suppose you’re simply so dope.’ I stated, ‘What? Me? Why would you say that? Thanks. However why?’ She’s like, ‘You train us issues that we weren’t enthusiastic about, and also you simply make issues enjoyable and attention-grabbing.’

That basically warmed my coronary heart — that you just’re taking note of every thing that I am bringing. I am bringing 360 levels and one hundred pc of who I’m to what I am saying and doing with you, and also you’re choosing up on that. And that proper there was a shock. You by no means know who’s paying consideration. I imply, the youngsters are paying consideration, however are they actually paying consideration?

What do you want you could possibly change about your faculty or the schooling system at present?

I want that I may ensure that there was a faculty librarian in each single elementary faculty and highschool. I want each faculty was resourced with a full-time, licensed faculty librarian. Whether or not it is a constitution faculty, a standard public faculty, a personal faculty, an impartial faculty, all of them want a faculty library with a faculty librarian in it to assist info literacy and changing into the thought companions of classroom lecturers.

I additionally would need, for my faculty, that we maintain on tighter to what works rather well for us and never let it go when there is a new development in schooling that comes yearly or each different yr. Do not forget the good things simply because there’s new stuff.

Your function provides you distinctive entry and perception to at present’s youth. What’s one factor you’ve got realized about younger folks via your work?

Younger folks need to belief you, however they will take a look at you first to see when you’re reliable.