OLA 2004:
Astute Observers
Librarian Teaching Mentors
Pam Kessinger
Reference Librarian
Portland Community College
pkessing@pcc.edu
“To improve their effectiveness,
teachers need first to make their
goals and objectives explicit and
then to get specific, comprehensible
feedback on the extent to which
they are achieving their goals and
objectives.”
--Thomas Angelo
Peer coaches
Focus on what you want to improve
 Report clearly and objectively
 Support development of your
“instructional awareness” (Mestre)

Learning
“is growing new structures in the
brain….We learn only what we grow
the new dendrites, synapses and
neural networks for.”
--Rita Smilkstein
Learning happens when:
New information is connected to
something we already know
 The experience is authentic
 We practice
 Negative emotions are limited
 Our learning styles are addressed

Learning begins
When students trust you to meet their
needs and expectations
Three vantage points
1. Is the environment conducive to
learning?
Learning environment
Physical: configuration of room,
lighting, temperature
 Emotional: relationships between
students, students and their teacher,
teacher and librarian; rapport
between librarian and class; mood of
the class

Three vantage points
1. Is the environment conducive to
learning?
2. What is the learning activity?
3. Is the teaching performance
effective?
Performance
Attitudes: energy, humor,
spontaneity
 Skills: timing and pausing, voice
tone and projection, body language
and movement, use of space,
gestures

With new eyes,
Look first inwardly. What do you
want to do with your teaching?
 Watch other teachers
 Invite “specific , comprehensible
feedback” of a librarian or teacher
you trust. Tell them what to look
for.

One minute assessment
Did you get an ah-ha!?
 What was unclear or not covered?
 Your name and e-mail if you want an
answer to your question(s)

Bibliography
Angelo, Thomas. K. Patricia Cross. Classroom Assessment Techniques: a
handbook for college teachers. San Francisco: Jossey Bass, 1993
Kessinger, Pam. Make It More Than “Just” 50 Minutes: Improving
Instruction Through Peer Mentoring. LOEX 2003.
http://spot.pcc.edu/lrc/pam/LOEX03/
Mestre, Lori. The peer mentoring/coaching process.
http://www.library.umass.edu/instruction/librarians/peer/
Smilkstein, Rita. “Acquiring Knowledge & keeping it,” Gamut: a Forum for
Teachers and Learners [Seattle Community College]. 1992-1993
Smilkstein, Rita. “The natural human learning process,” Journal of
Developmental Education. 17: 2 p.2-10.
Syracuse University Library. Peer coaching at SUL: Information and
Guidelines for participation.
http://libwww.syr.edu/instruction/staff/peer_coaching/peercoach.htm
Vidmar, Dale. Improving teaching through peer coaching and mentoring.
http://home.sou.edu/~vidmar/teachtable2003
OLA 2004:
Astute Observers
Pam Kessinger
Portland Community College
pkessing@pcc.edu