Teaching is hard - more reflections

I recently posted on Facebook. Here is what I said:

Teaching is hard. I always knew that, I just did not quite appreciate how hard until (a couple of years ago) I started teaching some classes in our courses for the Library Support Staff Certification Program (LSSC). It requires not just knowledge of the subject, but also creating a way of presenting the information which will make sense to someone else. [Creating well designed "learning objectives" is one key.]

I wish that those who are trying to regulate the education process would teach some courses to begin to understand just how much work it really is.

I guess this is a little bit of "now I get it" for my friends and family members who are teachers and have been doing it for a while.

That post received 60+ likes, 1 share, and 9 significant comments. 


I keep thinking about this. First some background: As a librarian, I am always teaching. Sometimes it is small, short teachable moments (as a parent, also). Other times it is more formal and structured. I have taught as part of Boy Scout adult leader training (Wood Badge, Powder Horn, various other leader training). I have taught one-time presentations. In my current position, the last category has been the most common. A fair amount of the former has been material which was developed by others, and all I had to do was make the presentation, and answer the (inevitable) questions.

Back in 2009, the State Library of Louisiana became one of the pilot agencies for the Library Support Staff Certification Program. (The certification is offered through the American Library Association-Allied Professional Association.) The first course we offered was Supervision and Management.

This is the fourth time we have created a course. Why does it seem so much harder this time? Perhaps because the other courses were specifically skill oriented, and this one is much more philosophical in nature. I guess that is reflected in why my friend Gina said:

The learning objective is the foundation for any learning event (any stage of learning) in my opinion. It becomes a constant beacon by which you determine what content to share. I'm a fan of the "performance objective" personally. Not so much answering what the learner will learn, but what the learner will be able to DO or achieve as a result of the learning.

This course, unlike Reference Services, or even Supervision and Management, does not really have a "DO" aspect to it. It feels mostly like a KNOW class. And that may be why I have been struggling.

Tom (W.), who recently retired noted: 

I feel your pain (and sometimes joy!). I'm happy to be no longer involved in teaching, but I miss the joy of having someone "get it" all of a sudden, especially when it's someone you thought would never get it! Trying to segment learning experiences meaningfully, especially online, so that all the dots are connected by the end of the semester is a challenge, but as a practitioner, you get to weave together the theoretical stuff with the practical stuff, and that is what most students see as the most valuable learning they get.

There is both the joy of seeing someone "get it" as well as the pleasure of building a relationship. Unlike the students Tom was teaching, these courses are specifically aimed at people who are working in libraries, and (for the most part) are not going to go and get the Masters. These are the folks who really make a library run.

One last comment shared (from a Canadian colleague, and I did not change her spelling): 

I taught in both the technicians programme and the masters programme. Students are demanding, prep is critical. I adored teaching -- HATED marking . I send props out to anyone who teaches full time.

That is the part that I dislike the most, the grading, the marking, the judging. I know I am told it is assessing and a way to judge how well I/we communicated the content. That does not mean that I have to enjoy it.

I wrote all of that before starting. It was still a bit of a struggle, but I have now made it through the first two classes, and passed the baton (for a bit, and please pardon the pun) to the other instructor for a couple weeks. However, that does mean that the part I like the least - grading - is up for the one set of homework completed, and the next about to flood me.

I am grateful for the positive feedback from those taking the course, many of whom have taken other courses I have taught. It has been an enlightening growth experience. 

Links -- End of February

OK...first some fun. In New Orleans, food is always a good topic of conversation. Last summer Food TV did The Great Food Truck Race. Around the same time, I started noticing food trucks around Baton Rouge, particularly on North Street, and on Tuesdays, along Spanishtown Road. (I can see the latter from my office window.) I have eaten from a couple, and today, I found a great web site which lists all the BR food trucks along with their most recent tweet, twitter name, and web site (where applicable). Loads of fun, and the food is good, too!

Now on to the more serious stuff!

Iris Jastram is always thoughtful. Her job is so very different than mine that she gives me a valuable insight into the world of an academic reference librarian. (She works at Carleton College in Northfield MN. It is a highly regarded, small liberal arts college.)

Part of her official job includes instruction. Admittedly much of that is to what seems to a public librarian a fairly homogeneous audience. They are usually between 18 - 21 years old, and bound by the topic of the class which they are taking. More recently she blogged about learning goals.

It is an interesting post...there is a lot of content there. However, I'll note that what she talks about is what Boy Scout Leadership Training (both for youth and adults -- note: I have participated as an adult in both courses linked here) as well as my current work place call "learning objectives." When I do a presentation currently, one of the first slides is always. "By the end of this session you will know..."

The ALA Washington Office has a long (for them) post about what is going on in Congress over net neutrality. It is a good place to catch up on the latest.

Casey Bisson's blog often has topics which are so techy that they are way over my head. However, he recently posted about saving space and time while backing up his computer. (Note to self: YOU need to be better about this!)

Maybe this belongs in the post about e-books, but Jessamyn West posted before the current kerfuffle about e-books and libraries. She starts with "This is shaping up to be the year that people really start seeing ebooks and libraries as things that can go together." I hope she is correct.

Finally (for this post), the ever thoughtful Karen Schneider has a nice piece on advice for new librarians and mentoring. It is worth reading, and if you haven't read her other posts on the topic recently, follow her links.

Links - January

Walt Crawford asks about data on libraries (as institutions) using social networking.

The inimitable Jessamyn West calls one of her posts Blogging Alone – Social Isolation and New Technology from Pew. It is thoughtful and related to the question above (at least a little). She has also posted about a term new to me (but which makes sense): search neutrality.

Aaron Tay wonders about the effect on libraries of Delicious closing down (or not). [Note to self: Get work-related issue back on the discussion table.]

There is a thoughtful piece in American Libraries Online about outsourcing, from a consultant who helps libraries get through the process of becoming efficient without outsourcing.

I don't usually get to teach in a formal setting, but there are occasions in my new job where I will. I pay attention to what Iris Jastram says about what she figures out about teaching and learning. As an academic setting, her teaching takes place in a very different setting. She is teaching part of a structured, formal, semester-long course. When I teach it is a 90-minute web course, or maybe a half or full day, skills-based focused course. I found a great deal to glean from her post on specialization.

Iris also wrote a paen to the "reference interview" which took the conceptual issue further and applies its principles to broader issues in her work community.

I have not read much about the "generational divide" recently, however, Librarian Kate gave her reaction to an article on KPBS which came out of the recent ALA Midwinter meeting in San Diego. (Original post here.) As a boomer living with a NextGen librarian, I am not sure I agree about any of the generalizations, but the view is important.

And on a totally unrelated topic Fonts. Salon recently had an article on fonts. Wired also had an article on fonts. Both are drawn from the original Princeton study (which....attention Dorothea Salo seems to be OA article!.)