AASL Standards - INCLUDE with Regina Stephens (Springfield Elementary)

 INCLUDE

When looking at the AASL Framework, the competency include focuses on diversity, showing awareness and empathy in order to promote inclusiveness.  To address the AASL standard number two: INCLUDE, I decided to interview Regina Stephens at Springfield Elementary.  As my district mentor, I wanted to better understand how she works to include students, as well as how she promotes students' activities to include others within the learning community.  Ms. Stephen's stated that this all starts with modeling inclusiveness within her space and reaching students at THEIR individual levels.  To promote inclusiveness in her lessons, she considers how to adjust activities based on the individual student's needs and pairing students with peer buddies to ensure all are included.  When planning, she often incorporates the use of songs and movement.  This engages all students, but allows all students to actively participate in the experience and contribute to the lesson.

One way that student diversity is highlighted from the library is during the morning news show.  Students are encouraged to create and produce segments that include different groups within the school community.  This allows students to "articulate an awareness of the contributions of a range of learners", as well as demonstrating empathy and building their knowledge of others.  How Ms. Stephens options and different ways to include all students makes me reflect back on assignments I have completed throughout this program.  My principal would like to start a morning news show, I could also include segments highlighting students talents, differences, outside interests, etc.  I also have started building my own Library League, which can include a variety of different students on different levels completing tasks within the library.  Tasks can be differentiated for different levels of student ability.  These can be group collaborative tasks that allow for students to work in small groups, large groups, or at times, independently.  Whatever the make-up, students are all practicing inclusiveness and learning to respect diversity. 

Another way that Ms. Stephens includes students interests within the library is by using student input QR codes.  These codes take students to Google Forms, which ask for students to request book titles, areas of interest, areas of diversity they would like to see, and ideas for stations and tinkering.  With this information, she is able to apply this to orders and grants.  Most recently, she applied and earned the Laura Bush Foundation grate with a focus on adding diverse books, including books for students from Hispanic and Russian cultures within the Springfield school community.  This is definitely an area that needs attention within my own library with my school's diverse population.  Students need to be able to see themselves in literature, which includes their cultures and languages.  

To ensure that students are included within the library community, Ms. Stephens stated that collaboration with her teachers is key.  She attempts to attend grade level Professional Learning Community (PLC) meetings, but struggles to attend on a regular basis due to her schedule.  Because of this, she relies on sending out emails to teachers, as well as her own knowledge of the EL modules.  One of her most often used resources is the EL website and curriculum maps.  This allows her to have insight in what is being taught before approaching teachers.  Other resources she relies on are the district teacher librarian website, as well as websites like ReadWriteThink.  Not being able to collaborate regularly with teachers face to face does present a challenge, but she continues to work towards finding solutions and advocating for a more flexible schedule.  

Ensuring that all students are included and feel included in a top priority for Ms. Stephens.  She stated that being involved within the school community is very important to guarantee that the library is considered.  She is currently a member of the Leadership Team, an advisor for the Student Council, leader of the Safety Patrol, and runs the morning news.  This allows her to engage in conversations with other adults within her building, as well as assist with including students from diverse cultures and with diverse abilities within her library community, but also within the school community.  As the teacher librarian in my school, I have the awesome chance to promote and support the inclusiveness and level of acceptance within our school to help inspire students to grow into inclusive citizens.