TIPS FOR COLLABORATION 

Collaboration is an evolving process that does not happen overnight. Here are some of our tips for developing successful collaborative relationships.

• Develop a "collaborative mentality." This means your collaboration "antennae" are always seeking out collaboration opportunities wherever and whenever they arise.
• Get "up close and personal" with the curricula for each grade level in your school and determine the most likely "payoff points," where you can immediately provide services and resources to meet the needs of both teachers and students.
• Hang out with teachers; have lunch in the teachers' room, go to team planning meetings, join curriculum and technology committees---whatever it takes to be able to interact and learn what's important to them and their students.
• Be enthusiastic, approachable, and a good listener.
• Food is a great motivator. If you want teachers to come to a meeting or presentation in the LMC about collaboration (or any other topic), tell them refreshments will be served.
• Know your stuff. Be an expert in what library media specialists know and can do that classroom teachers can't/don't; that's what will make you invaluable to teachers.
• Share stories of successful collaborations with teachers with whom you have not collaborated (e.g., publish them in the school newsletter). Human nature says many teachers will want what others have (and it will raise awareness in your principal, as well).
• If you are new to collaboration, don't try to collaborate with everyone at the beginning. Instead, start with one classroom teacher (or special area teacher) who has expressed interest in integrating information literacy into the curriculum or in finding more/new ways to work with you.
• Don't assume knowledge by using library or information literacy jargon when you first collaborate. Try to start with terms that classroom teachers use and understand and then begin to bring in more technical terms, clearly explaining what they mean. For example, if you want to develop a curriculum map, simply ask the teacher what they teach and when. When you have all the information collected, you can refer to it as a curriculum map.
• Make sure your collaborator(s) clearly see there is value in collaboration for both of you and that you both have the knowledge and skills necessary to be successful collaborative partners.

You might also find the brief ERIC Digest "Teachers and Librarians: Collaborative Relationships" to be helpful as a background on collaborative relationships. We will be adding more curriculum related topics in the near future. Let us know if there are any that you would like to see offered in the S.O.S.Training site! Just send your ideas to the Center for Digital Literacy at cdl@syr.edu; make sure to include "S.O.S." in your subject header.

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