Tamara Ballard

Task 5: Interview
Rolling Hills Elementary

Elementary School Library Media Specialist Interview #1 (Site Supervisor)

Connie Fowler is the media specialist at Rolling Hills Elementary School, which is in

Lancaster Independent School District. She has been working as a media specialist for over 29

years. When I started, I only had to complete one year​. ​Ms. Fowler was in the classroom for

only one year before she became a media specialist. Her past job experiences prepared her

directly or indirectly for her position. She realized that if people don’t have experience on

different grade levels they might struggle. She believes that working on all levels in the school

library has prepared her to be able to oversee all the elementary schools as the Elementary

Library Coordinator. It has been a good balancing act to have worked on every level. ​ ​I chose to

interview Ms. Fowler because she is over all elementary schools, she is certified, she has a lot of

knowledge, and is resourceful. She was also my media specialist when I was in high school.

She was and still is my school media specialist mentor.

She chose to pursue a degree to become a school library media specialist because she has

worked in the library all of her life since she was six years old. Her mother was her high school

librarian, so she wanted to just like her. They went to conventions in high school. Ms. Fowler

loves children and loves giving back. She knows that it’s not like the classroom where she is

with one class. She wanted me to know that I need to be open to every child and child

experience. Connie really became a media specialist because she gets to do more counseling

with students and have a great relationship with them.

 Her educational preparation helped her become the school librarian that she is today. She

has multiple degrees with experiences, but also wished she could have learned more.​ ​She has a

bachelor’s degree in English and History. Then she went to Texas Woman’s University and got

her masters in Library Science. A leadership master’s in Education Administration was the next

degree she received. Library school was my hardest for her, because in the summer she took a

course called Young Adult Literature and read 116 books in 6 weeks. She had to write little

blurbs. Ms. Fowler learned the theory of libraries, but the problem was they didn’t teach her PO

(purchase order) nor learn about classroom management. Classroom management was not

necessary since she had one year of experience as a teacher prior to becoming a school librarian.

She didn’t learn the general day to day on how to run a library, so she asked her mother what a

purchase order was. That was her very first year in the library.

Cooperative program planning does not really occur that much at Rolling Hills

Elementary, but they do a lot of special’s rotation where the librarian takes a class into the

library. When she taught high school, she did a lot of co-teaching. She could recall a time where

teaching about research or data base. In elementary school, she has a lot of technology devices,

and educates them about digital citizenship. It’s kind of like an addendum to the classroom more

than coteaching. With cooperative program planning, Connie had to promote the Hispanic

Heritage Month with online videos. Therefore, in cooperative teaching, she is apart but not

taking over the classroom.

In order to develop a strong team approach with other teachers, Connie had to do a lot of

work alongside the school principal. There are library aides that work in the library as well.

When she worked at high school, she was a part of the academic leadership team. She joined the

team because she wanted to know what was going on in the classrooms. She couldn't buy books
if she didn’t know what was going on in the classroom. Many times, she had to look at the

curriculum to see where they were teaching in the unit and what they were doing different times

of the year. It’s important to be a part of the team from the very beginning. She mentioned that

she had to get to know the teachers by eating with them and talking with them. In order to build

a relationship with the teachers on her campus, she would eat lunch with them. She felt like she

couldn’t be a part of them if she didn’t socialize with them. Teachers that were reluctant to come

check out books, collaborate, or request services or resources from the library required Ms.

Fowler to look at their schedule to be on their time. She would look for books about antonyms

for ELA or English teachers. Since teachers are working online, she has to know what’s out

there. But since she showed them that she can do certain things then they are less reluctant.

Connie acknowledged that the role of the library in the overall reading program at

Rolling Hills ES has changed regarding more online reading that printed books. Ms. Fowler

encourages students to read Tumblebooks, because kids don't have to be in the library to read.

The role of the library requires her to make myself and the library an available tool. She can help

with research, create or make a makerspace. Connie says that she has to be careful not to limit

herself to just reading, but find where a kid's interest lies. If a kid is interested in football, then

go to the 3D printer and print a goal post. She shares how to get students interested, and they will

read if they are interested not because you tell them to read.

Promoting appreciation and interest in the resource center materials by having book fairs

along with AR to win prizes or have a dance to celebrate at Rolling Hills ES. Unfortunately, AR

was very expensive, so they no longer have them. The principal requested for local authors from

Lancaster to come to the school and speak to the students where they will read their books or

have book talk. They would stay all day and show them how to write stories. Mrs. Pipkins, the
principal, also tries to fill the libraries with printed books that are culturally relatable to students.

Ms. Fowler would go about promoting stories by starting with something students like and move

into other types of books.

Connie mentioned that she focuses more on hosting a professional development for her

library aides than teachers at Rolling Hills ES. She has to teach library aides how to run a

library, how to use the Dewey decimal system, and how to put books away on the shelves.

When it comes to leading technology-related professional development, Lancaster ISD has Tex

Quest which is an electronic database. Ms. Fowler teaches this to some teachers so they can

teach their students how to use it. Professional development is huge where I have to teach the

library aides because they are new this year. I teach a lot of technology to the teachers such as

Tumblebooks, Bitmoji, Windows, creating websites for teachers. You have to be the jack of all

trades in the library. Lancaster school libraries are responsible for distributing school devices to

students. I have to teach them who gets a device and who doesn’t get a device.

Continuing professional development is very important, and Connie mentions that she

attends the Texas Library Convention every year except for this year due to the pandemic.

Connie has been to ALA, but couldn’t attend the last few years because the district won’t pay for

it anymore. She shared that she attends TSTA which is a teacher organization which keeps me up

with the political things and the legislative world. Ms. Fowler attends different webinars and

reads a lot. She wanted it to be known that when you get to her age, she starts letting the

opportunities come her way instead of looking for them. She shared that when she was my age,

she looked for things to do.

 Connie believes in finding where people mesh, and match them with their interest. That

is how she would create an inclusive space when it comes to diversity and equity. Knowing the

learners in the school community will help her know what works with certain teachers and their

students, versus with another class.

Ms. Fowler recognizes that the internet is not as problematic as it used to be. She tries to

take care of those readers and get the literature to them based on what they like. Connie helps

students with resources in regards to databases or research, and tries to reach all students. She

shares that you should not give them any resources about what they don’t know about. The

EBSCO, Tex Quest, Tumblebooks are the digital formats of materials used, but students at

Rolling Hills Elementary want paper copy books at school and Tumblebooks at home.

There was so much information I learned from the interview. When I become a media

specialist, I will support all teachers that volunteer my time to the teachers that are reluctant. I

will have “how to” videos using Screencast and do voice overs. I would write book grants,

update the books, or replace the books on the shelves in the library. Eating lunch and starting or

joining the conversation with other staff members was important. This is a way to build trust and

a relationship with them. I learned that if I want to do more than just work in the media center, I

will have to continue my education beyond a master’s degree. My perception of the school

library media specialist profession is being working beyond the four walls of the media center,

but to reach out to other teachers from Pre-K to 5th grade. I should use my knowledge of being a

homeroom teacher to learn the curriculum of each grade level. In conclusion, Ms. Fowler has

shared a lot of information that I will take into my future of becoming a media specialist.