BFTP: A little ray of sunshine

A weekend Blue Skunk "feature" will be a revision of an old post. I'm calling this BFTP: Blast from the Past. Original post May 3, 2007. The survey tool in this post updated.

The following note came in my email yesterday. (It's been slightly edited and anonymized.) This was just a little ray of sunshine!

Two years ago I sent [your] survey to my teachers and received very high marks. I, of course, made copies (especially of the section that asked, "what is the best part of the your school's library media program" where three teachers simply wrote in my name) and sent them to the principal. ...the message was clear. Teachers were happy!

Well as an un-tenured teacher with no affirmations from my boss, it was the balm from Gilead--you know the one that heals the "sin sick soul." I still believe publishing those survey results helped me keep my job. How could a principal NOT re-hire a Library Media Specialist who was serving the staff?

This spring, as a tenured teacher, I will repeat the survey and ... I will again publish the results.

Believe me, Doug, I am in a much better frame of mind this year sending out the survey.

Thank you for giving me the tools to ask the questions. Without the template, I might never have done the survey. Who knows what might--or might not, have happened. Just wanted to let you know we DO use the tools and resources you have created.

Notes like these are why many of us make our work public. I am always grateful and humbled when I get such comments, 'cause some days you really wonder if anything you have ever done has made a difference.

Here is the simple tool this email writer used with her teachers: (Other surveys for parents, students and principals are available here.)

Teacher Survey Questions

Questions 1-12 all use this Likert scale:

Strongly Disagree (1) Disagree (2)  Agree  (3)  Strongly agree (4)

1. I can help determine what activities, policies and materials are a part of the library program.
2. The librarian regularly communicates with the staff about programming and resources using a variety of methods.
3. The library budget for books, audio-visual materials, computer software, online sources, and equipment is adequate to meet my students’ needs.
4. Resources for the library are carefully chosen to reflect curriculum and student needs, and the resources are of high quality.
5. The resources in the library are easy to locate, readily accessible, well maintained, and up-to-date.
6. The library curriculum plays an important part in the total educational program at the school.
7. The library is adequately available for my use, whole class use, and individual or small group student use.
8. The librarian provides help to me on an individual basis.
9. The library is staffed so that its resources can be fully utilized.
10. The library staff create a welcoming and comfortable climate in the library.
11. The learning climate in the library is orderly and purposeful.
12. Technology skills are being taught and used in the library to improve student access to, analysis of, and communication of information.
13. Please list the best characteristic(s) of your school’s library program:
14. Please list the way(s) the library program could be improved to better serve you and your students.
15. Other comments or observations.

Use this tool if you can. Modify it to suit your own needs.

Put your fate in your own hands.

Comments

[shelly]

Your link to the other surveys didn't work for me; here is the link I found useful:
http://www.doug-johnson.com/storage/handouts/tools.pdf

Thank you for repeating this post. Extremely helpful and perfectly timed as we all get ready for the end of the year reports and stats to prove our worth!

[Doug Johnson]

HI Shelly,

I fixed the link in the post too. Appreciate the heads-up.

Doug