ISCI 754: Discussion Post 3 - Tweens and Teens

 



Through this week’s readings and videos, I know without a show of a doubt my library career belongs in one of two places: middle school or special education. As a special education teacher at heart (I have a master’s degree in special education), my dream job is to work as a librarian at a special needs school or in a middle school with special education students (beyond learning disabilities). The article by Copeland and Gavigan inspired me and reminded my of my days in special education. Before becoming a certified teacher, I worked at the McCarthy-Teszler School, a self-contained for moderate to severely differently-abled students. Our library time was filled with joy and excitement. Fostering a love of reading in my students was incredible. So many of those students could not read or hold a book, but story time was a favorite part of their day. Programming for these students is not only fun, but also challenging, hopeful, and creative.

            All the readings about tweens were spot-on. I just completed my 17th year as a middle school teacher. Many people comment, “You have to be crazy to do that.” But truth it, tweens are interesting, intelligent, curious people who are trying to find their true selves, find their place in the world, and make the world a better place. They do get caught up in social media and gaming, and a reluctance to read a print can accompany that need for excitement and visual stimulation. But once challenged, directed, and encouraged, they can shine. Kyle Marshall’s finding in the article “What ‘Tweens” Want, ” are exactly what we see in middle schools every day. They want independence, safety, social connection, and of course, they will do anything for food. The library is the perfect place to offer those needs, especially in the summer when many tweens lose their connections while parents work outside the home. I have used escape rooms in my science class to review content, which gives the tweens the excitement and social connection they crave in a safe space that also happens to require them to read/review/learn something.

I saved many of the resources from this module on my Wakelet for future reference once I get a librarian job. I think the biggest takeaway for me is if you want to plan programming that works for tweens and teens, ask them what they want. And involve them in the planning. Ownership in the program promotes excitement, sharing, and participation. I’m a long way from being a teen or tween, but as a school librarian I will have a plethora of experts in my students.  

 

References

Copeland, C., & Gavigan, K. (2015). Examining Inclusive Programming in a Middle School Library: A Case Study of Adolescents Who Are Differentlyly- and Typically-Abled. The Journal of Research on Libraries and Young Adults, 6, 1–19. https://doi.org/http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/

Marshall, K. (2016). What Tweens Want. Edmonton, CA: Edmonton Public Library.

Comments

  1. Ms. HarrisJune 9, 2023 at 8:01 AM

    Continued great work! You demonstrated that you actively engaged in the readings and made numerous connections! Continue to dig deeper for your final reflection. Full credit-3.75 points

    ReplyDelete

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