Elementary Library Mama

How do you Encourage Collaboration with Classroom Teachers? (Hint: Chocolate is involved!)

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School librarians/media specialists often lament about how to collaborate with classroom teachers.  I’ve seen many suggestions online about doing this.  To be honest, it’s quite difficult, especially if you have a fixed schedule, or provide contractual “release time” for the classroom teachers. Some of us are so scheduled with classes that there is barely enough time to go to the bathroom or gulp down a sandwich because we have to prepare for the next class coming in!  I’ve even read posts about librarians not getting prep time for their own during the school day and it makes my blood boil… but that’s a post for another day.

Giving teachers collaboration forms or putting them in their mailboxes for them to fill out and return has never really worked for me.  Let’s face it, we all have so much paperwork to do anyway, so why would teachers want MORE paperwork to fill out?  This is especially true at the beginning of the school year.

Here are three proactive collaboration tips that have worked for me with my fixed-class schedule:

Tip #1:  TALK to your staff!  The perfect time to do this is when they come to pick up their class.  Heck, ask the students what they’re studying during their ELA block, science, social studies, etc. when they’re in the library.  A quick one-minute discussion with the teacher can give you some ideas about how you can help them.  I usually have my iPad nearby and I can quickly go into OneNote and jot down some ideas that I can go back to them with later on.  It’s also a good idea to eat lunch in the lounge.  Yes, I know what you’re thinking!  “Ain’t nobody got time for that!”  But it does provide another way to be face-to-face with your teachers in a more relaxed setting.

Tip #2:  Ask your staff to give you copies of their parent newsletters.  This is super easy if they email copies of the newsletter home to parents.  I just sent out a staff email asking everyone to add my email address to their newsletter email group.  Voila!  I now get copies of class newsletters that I can quickly scan to see what projects are coming up!

Tip #3:  Feed them!  Who doesn’t like to find a treat in their staff mailbox?  It’s a fun way to remind teachers that you are here to help them.  I’ve created two labels that you can place on either full-size or fun-size CRUNCH bars and put in your teachers’ mailboxes.

 

You can download them for free here:

Crunch Bar Labels 
I hope these are useful to you!  What ideas do you have for encouraging teachers to collaborate with you?
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      This is such a relatable post! I completely understand the challenges of collaborating with teachers, especially with a packed schedule. Your tips, especially “TALK to your staff,” are spot-on. Those brief, informal chats can spark the best ideas without adding extra paperwork. It’s great to hear practical strategies for real-world school environments. Maybe those chocolate hints will be the secret ingredient, too! This reminds me of how even small, efficient interactions can make a big difference, much like optimizing space can benefit from a square feet calculator.

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      This is such a relatable and insightful post! As school librarians, fostering collaboration can indeed feel like an uphill battle, especially with packed schedules. Your emphasis on quick, proactive conversations with teachers is brilliant – sometimes the simplest approaches are the most effective. I completely agree that more paperwork is usually counterproductive. Thanks for sharing these practical tips! Finding ways to streamline processes, much like using a square feet calculator to quickly get measurements, can really make a difference in busy school environments.

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    84. BA II Plus Financial Calculator says

      This is such a relatable post! The struggle to collaborate with classroom teachers, especially with tight schedules, is so real for school librarians. I love your proactive tips, particularly the idea of quick chats when teachers pick up their classes. It’s brilliant how you find those small windows for connection. And yes, ditching the extra paperwork is key! Finding practical, low-barrier ways to engage is always more effective than adding to teachers’ already heavy loads. This makes me think of how even small, efficient tools, like a BA II Plus Financial Calculator for quick computations, can streamline tasks and free up time for more meaningful interactions. Thank you for sharing such practical and encouraging advice!

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    85. BA II Plus Financial Calculator says

      This is such a timely and important topic for school librarians! I completely resonate with the struggle of fixed schedules and the endless paperwork. Your proactive tips, especially “TALK to your staff,” are brilliant and so practical. Sometimes the simplest approaches are the most effective. I’m excited to see the next tips – maybe they’ll help me carve out more time, or perhaps even suggest ways to efficiently manage things, almost like using a BA II Plus Financial Calculator for quick problem-solving, but for collaboration!

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    86. Block Poster says

      This is such a relatable post! I’ve definitely struggled with teacher collaboration, and your point about avoiding more paperwork really resonates. Tip #1, “TALK to your staff,” is so practical and often overlooked. It’s amazing how much a quick chat can spark ideas. I’m looking forward to hearing more of your tips on fostering collaboration, especially if chocolate is involved! What a great way to engage teachers! Thanks for sharing your insights on Block Poster.

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    87. Block Poster says

      This is such a relatable post! The struggle to collaborate effectively with classroom teachers is real, especially with tight schedules. Your point about avoiding more paperwork resonates deeply—it’s a common pitfall. I particularly love Tip #1; simple, direct communication really is key. It’s inspiring to see practical solutions for a fixed schedule. Thanks for sharing these insights on fostering collaboration, and I’m curious to hear more tips from Block Poster!

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      The point about fixed schedules leaving barely enough time for lunch really captures why collaboration has to be practical and low-pressure. I’ve found that visual planning can help teachers see possibilities quickly, and ChatGPT Image Prompts (ChatGPT Image Prompts) could be a useful resource for creating engaging ideas together.

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