Explore Domains and Competencies Interview with Katelyn Smith

    I decided to interview Katelyn Smith (personal communication, April 15, 2024), the Librarian at Jackson Elementary School. She has resided there for three years and has taken on many roles as the librarian and a leadership role in the building. I decided to interview Smith based on the explore section in the shared foundations/domains and competencies. Since I completed my internship with her at Jackson Elementary School, I felt she best fits into this category as she does a lot with the shared foundation: “Explore.” 

    From the “Think” domain, she “[encourages] learners to read widely and deeply in multiple formats and write and create for a variety of purposes, [she] [challenges] learners to reflect and question assumptions and possible misconceptions. She also “[enables] learners by helping them develop inquiry-based processes for personal growth” (National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries, 2018). 

    From the “Create” domain, she tries her very best to “[stimulate] learners by teaching problem-solving through cycles of design, implementation, and reflection. She [provides] opportunities for tinkering and making and [models] persistence through self-directed tinkering and making” (National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries, 2018). 

    From the “Share” domain, she “[provides] strategies for acting on curiosity about a topic of personal interest or curricular relevance, [assists] learners to co-construct innovative means of investigation” and “[structures] activities for learners to collaboratively identify innovative solutions to a challenge or problem” (National school library standards for learners, school librarians, and school libraries, 2018).  

    From the “Grow” domain she “[scaffolds] iterative challenge-response processes, [helps] learners to recognize capabilities and skills that can be developed, improved, and expanded, and [fosters] an atmosphere in which constructive feedback is openly accepted for positive growth” (National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries, 2018). 

    An example of how she implements these competencies in the library program is through her library club. The one that Smith (personal communication, April 15, 2024) partakes in weekly is “Book and Blocks,” which is where students read a book and are given a challenge to build something related to the story. Smith (personal communication, April 15, 2024) mentioned that some students struggle with problem-solving and structured thinking. Therefore, this is a great opportunity to help those struggling students. The resources that Smith (personal communication, April 15, 2024) currently utilizes to implement these competencies are purchasing available interactive physical building sets from Scholastic. Some digital resources Smith (personal communication, April 15, 2024) uses are Hoopla, Sora, and Epic, as these are eBook formats that students enjoy daily. Challenges that arise that affect the implementation of these competencies include time constraints due to being on a flexible schedule.

    Collaboration is an area that needs improvement; however, it is done through a school-wide curriculum. Examples of school-wide curricula among teachers throughout the building are Heritage tea projects and leadership day activities. Some teachers will ask the librarian to create activities to further students' interests based on classroom themes and what students are learning. Smith (personal communication, April 15, 2024) tries her best to read books that relate to what students are learning in class, along with library lessons and activities. Smith (personal communication, April 15, 2024) also tries to expand students' learning beyond the classroom to avoid replicating books and activities. Smith (personal communication, April 15, 2024) shared that if she had additional time, she would be able to oversee students who need additional help with research. For example, teaching about databases and how to find information. When classes come in for library time, it can be short because check-out is encouraged at the end of a lesson. 

    My reflection from interviewing Katelyn Smith (personal communication, April 15, 2024) is that she has done very well in her first three years as a librarian. I have learned from her that there will always be challenges and things that come up, and it can make librarians feel as if they are not a priority. I feel that she still has a long way to go to become more organized and spend more time planning her library lessons far in advance to avoid rushing to get things done. I have witnessed her students be involved and love coming to the library to participate in the continuous activities provided to them. Jackson Elementary is a “Leader in Me” school that sets boundaries for the students. Students are encouraged to take on great leadership roles to reflect the school community. 

Reference

National school library standards for learners, school librarians, and school libraries. (2018). ALA Editions, an imprint of the American Library Association.