Compassion and Structure

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Compassion and Structure

GI

Tascha Folsoi

GIORDANO, E. E., & SCHMIDT, R. p. (2014). Structured Comprehensiveness and Compassion in Guided Inquiry. School Library Monthly, 30(7), 30-32. ISSN  2166160X

Summary

This article discusses the important roles both compassion and structure play in the teacher librarian's work with students.  The authors of this piece discuss their work in guiding a group of ninth grade students through a year long Scientific Literature Review (SLR) Project using a highly structured curriculum, unstructured time, and compassionate relationship between librarian and student.  Their highly structured curriculum, comprised of 22 workshops, was designed using the Information Search Process model set forth by Carol Kuhlthau. The compassionate nature of the relationship was built by a consistent "trusting response to the student researcher’s needs." A priority of this process was teaching students to identify how they learned best, so they could move from a utilizing dependent relationship with the librarian to becoming a confident, independent researcher who will ultimately present their expertise to others.

The authors noted that working together with a student on a research project has an equalizing effect between educator and student because they are often working together to discover information about a topic that they both need to learn more about.  Unlike the traditional classroom where a teacher has a set of standards or information over which they (believe they) have mastery, the student is not trying to catch up to the teacher or librarian.  The student is encouraged to develop his or her own expertise and to perceive the librarian as a compassionate guide in this process.

Evaluation

I am very drawn to this writer's work.  I work really hard to make kids understand the spirit of compassion I feel towards them.  Sometimes other teachers will suggest that I am perhaps enabling students, that they have to learn to do these things for themselves.  I do think that it is hard to know how to balance being a source of compassionate help and having clear expectations that students develop the skills they need to execute the work independently.  Consequently, I purchased a book by this author as I am curious what these workshops entail.  I am hoping that they will provide ideas as to how to negotiate that balance, so I can provide the type of support that is valued but less needed by the students as time goes on.  I want to build relationships with these students while helping them to achieve independence so they can go to college and handle the work.  Students mentioned in this article stated that they had gone to college and in fact found themselves better prepared to handle the research demands than many of their peers.  They attributed their savior faire to the experience with this ninth grade SLR.  I hope to collaborate with teachers at my school to help our students achieve the same.