My student teaching experiences in both elementary and middle school settings provided opportunities to grow as a library professional and demonstrate the core objectives of my preparation program. Together, these placements allowed me to develop and apply a wide range of professional competencies while embodying the values and responsibilities essential to the role of an information professional.

As a certified teacher with over ten years of experience in PreK–Grade 5 classrooms, I intentionally challenged myself by splitting my time between an elementary and middle school placement. While I expected to feel more comfortable in the elementary setting, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed teaching at the middle school level. 

At the elementary level, I was tasked with designing and delivering a hydroponic garden-themed lesson for Kindergarten and Grade 1 students at Oakwood Primary Center. The librarian requested that the lesson include a class vote on which seeds to plant, time to plant them in the hydroponic garden, and time for book checkout. I ultimately taught the lesson thirteen times, adapting it for a wide range of learners, including English Language Learners and students in a self-contained classroom. Finding age-appropriate texts on hydroponics proved difficult, so I thought critically and pivoted to using a short, engaging video along with nonfiction research using Britannica School - Elementary. This allowed me to model early research skills and introduce students to databases as reliable sources of information—an essential element of information literacy.

I differentiated each interation of the lesson to meet the specific needs of the students. For English Language Learners, I incorporated visual supports, simplified language, and Spanish labels. In the self-contained kindergarten class, I adjusted both the objectives and materials, offering sensory tools, a simplified matching activity, and Play-Doh to support hands-on engagement. Teaching the lesson repeatedly helped me refine my delivery, improve pacing and transitions, and become more responsive to different learning profiles. Through this experience, I embraced student-centered practices and deepened my commitment to equity, inclusion, and reflective teaching.

During my middle school placement, I worked with students on advanced research tasks, focusing on digital literacy and evaluating sources. One of the key activities I facilitated was a headline analysis using the SIFT method to help students critically assess online information. This exercise strengthened my ability to guide students through critical thinking and analytical processes, especially in navigating the complexities of digital media. By using the SIFT method, I scaffolded students’ learning to help them develop skills in discerning credible sources, preparing them to address misinformation in both academic and personal contexts.

While the elementary placement emphasized early literacy, engagement, and accessibility, the middle school experience allowed me to deepen my focus on research, critical thinking, and media literacy. Together, these experiences strengthened my understanding of how to build a developmentally appropriate library program that fosters inquiry and supports learners at every stage.

Both placements also challenged me to reflect on the daily responsibilities of school librarians. From planning lessons, maintaining a collection, and handling clerical tasks such as ordering and circulation, to managing behavior, navigating support staff roles in a self-contained class, and guiding students in digital spaces, I consistently drew on reflective practice to improve my approach. I came to recognize that being an effective librarian is as much about emotional intelligence, communication, flexibility, and adaptability as it is about content knowledge and pedagogy.
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Overall, the dual experience of teaching at the elementary and middle school levels allowed me to demonstrate not only the required professional competencies of leadership, research, communication, and reflection, but also the values and behaviors expected of ethical, student-centered information professionals. I leave these placements confident in my ability to build inclusive, engaging, and developmentally responsive library programs for learners of all ages.

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Information Literacy Lesson | Hydroponic Gardening

Kindergarten & Grade 1

Lesson Plan 
Presentation
Handout
Self Contained Kindergarten LessonPlan
​Self Contained Presentation
Self Contained Class Handout

Media Literacy Lesson | SIFT Method to Analyse Headlines

​Grade 8 English Language Learners Class

Lesson Plan
Presentation
Handouts
Exit Ticket