Interview-C.

Thompson
August 29, 2023, 3:45PM
26m 48s

Cherie Thompson 0:08

OK.

Speaker 1 0:09
OK, so this is Shericka Jefferson.
Umm, interviewing Miss Cherie Thompson?
Sherry.
Sherry, the media specialist here at Edwards Middle School.
So, Miss Thompson, prior to becoming a school library media specialist, what did you
do?

Cherie Thompson 0:28

Umm, I was a classroom teacher.
A high school level for 21 years, I taught ELA primarily 10th grade.
A little bit of 9th, a little bit of 11th and then one year they actually had me teaching
speech and drama, so I was in the classroom for 21 years before.

Speaker 1 0:44
OK.
And what inspired you to pursue a degree in school library media?

Cherie Thompson 0:52

Um, I was going to get another degree and a friend of mine, one of my close friends
had become the media specialist at the school where I was working and he talk to
me about it recommended it and kept and was encouraging me to do that because I
went in…my class went into the library a lot when I was in the classroom. So he said,
you know, you use it a lot. You love being in here.
It's a good combination of research and reading, so that was kind of what prompted
me to do it.
Speaker 1 1:21
Awesome. Where did you receive your training or your degree?

Cherie Thompson 1:24

Um, I went to Georgia State and and got my masters there.

Speaker 1 1:29
OK. Is there anything that you did not receive either in your educational program or
field experience that you wish had been included?

Cherie Thompson 1:38

Well, some of the everyday things you do like we were talking the other day about
how to mend a book. Some of the things that you have to do that nobody…there's
not a class on mending books, and also sometimes even though you talk about
working with others and collaborating, there are things you just have to figure out on
your own about that too.

Speaker 1 2:01
What professional organizations are you a member of?

Cherie Thompson 2:03

Right now I'm not. I’m working part time since I retired, but I was a member of GLMA
for several years.

Speaker 1 2:12
And I'm a member of that currently. Ok.
How do you determine the collection needs of your library?

Cherie Thompson 2:20

I'm sorry, could you repeat that?

Speaker 1 2:22
How do you determine the collection needs of your library?
Cherie Thompson 2:25
Well, last year we went through a pretty extensive weeding process cause this school
was opened in 1986 or 1976 and so there were, we found there were a lot of old
books. And so when we went through and weeded it, we saw that some areas were
empty. So trying to fill those in and also kind of pay attention to what the kids like to
read and what they request. They like to read, for example, graphic novels. They love
those. They like a lot of fiction. There are mystery books. They come in a lot asking
for horror or mystery. So when I'm looking for fiction, I try to look for things like that.
And also, when you look at the community of your school, because this school has a
much higher number of Hispanic students than the school where I previously
worked. And so I've tried to look for more books that have Hispanic characters or
books by Hispanic authors.

Speaker 1 3:17
OK, great. Alright, so talk to me about your background in technology prior to
becoming a media specialist, I'm sorry.

Cherie Thompson 3:28

I'm sorry.
Say one more time.

Speaker 1 3:32
Talk to me about your background in technology prior to becoming a media
specialist.

Cherie Thompson 3:37

When I was in the classroom, we had this is before we had lots of computers in the
classroom, individual classrooms. We had a computer lab and I was over that. I kind
of monitored it, kept it going, I could do…I was taught to do some basic
troubleshooting things, not a lot, nothing like the umm DLSs is are taught now, but
that was sort of my entrance into technology, and I…as soon as computers came out,
I got one as soon as I could so that I could learn about it and I, you know, kept
continue to update and but like I said, big change from today to the one that I had. I
had an old Apple 2E clone I think was my first computer, so that was a really big
change.

Speaker 1 4:31
So what role do you play within the school now as far as a technology specialist?

Cherie Thompson 4:37

We kind of work together, keep each other informed, but I don't have to do a lot
with technology since we have our Intels and we have our DLS, the role has
diminished over the years. I know that in some school systems where they don't have
a DLS, the media specialist has to do a lot more of the technology, but we don't.
There's a whole technology department for the county, so I just do some minor
things.

Speaker 1 4:57
Ok. As far as reading for pleasure, what genre do you enjoy?

Cherie Thompson 5:02

I like fiction. I like historical fiction, and as I've mentioned to you, I have gotten into a
lot of my Victorian romances, just for fun because I love world history. And so it's
kind of fun. I enjoy reading things that took place in the 1800s a lot, but I like, I love
biographies too, and autobiographies because my mother said I was a very nosy girl.
And so I love reading those. And those are probably 2 of my favorites, but just about
anything I can pick up I I can find an interest in. Like I'm not big into sports, but
sometimes I'll pick up a new book. And you're like ohh, I didn't know this. This is kind
of cool. And it's fun to just kind of dabble in different things. And in here you sort of
have to because you're recommending things to kids all the time.

Speaker 1 5:55
Right.

Cherie Thompson 5:59

But probably history, historical fiction? Those are my first loves.

Speaker 1 6:04
Ok. Is there a book that you're reading now that or recently read for pleasure?
Cherie Thompson 6:06
Well, what I'm reading, well you know my little office home, but at school, I read the
books for the Reading Bowl, and actually this year they're much more pleasurable.
And I'm I'm I'm enjoying them a lot more.
Last year, they were kind of dismal, down, and they were so depressing and the kids
complained all year. But this year, they're a lot more upbeat. I mean, I like books with
happy endings, and all the books seem to have happy endings that I've read. I've
read about four of those books so far and I've enjoyed them so much more than
previously the previous year.

Speaker 1 6:43
OK, good. What role do you see the school librarian and the school library playing in
the overall reading program of the school?

Cherie Thompson 6:50

Well, umm, you know, when kids, a lot of kids come in and they don't like to read.
And the teachers bring them in to check a book out.
And it's…one thing I do enjoy is trying to find something that a student does like to
read.
You know, I've got the big saying in the back if you have…If you say you don't like to
read, then you just haven't found the right book, and I've for most kids, I think that's
still true, that they and I thoroughly enjoyed encouraging work with the ELA teachers.
When letting I like to know what the students’ assignment is going to be before they
come in so that I can encourage that and also just the little things like book displays
that get their attention, they walk by and they'll stop and they'll look and that kind of
pulls them in.
Then also I have a part in ordering books for the vending machine we have.
So that's something that encourages the kids to read and, and those I try to use a lot
of…order, a lot of high interest books, the most popular fiction books, a lot of the
graphic novels the kids like, so and then, you know, a lot of things I have to catalog a
lot of things.
So I find out about a lot of things that are in the reading program sometimes so that
I can, you know, I just talk to the teachers, maybe about books that, that have come
in.
It's we can we have a literacy teacher and that pushing that as hers.
But I think just with individuals coming in, a lot of kids don't get excited when you
talk about reading programs.
But when you talk, look at them one on one, they are much more likely to try some
things out.
And when you tell them things like get two books, if you don't like one, bring it back
tomorrow.
You're not gonna like every book. If you don't like it, read the last chapter, and
sometimes they kind of get a kick out of that because they, they think you're
cheating.
When you read the ending first, but I tell them I do that all the time, so I just tell
them some things that I do when I'm reading and.
And I think sometimes they're, they think it's funny…some of my reading habits. I
don't read every book I pick up. I pick it up, I read a little. Sometimes I never finish it.
I just…it didn't appeal to me and it's OK for you not to like a book.
So I try to work with a lot of kids, one on one like that.

Speaker 1 9:13
Alright, that's great. And so how do you encourage struggling readers?

Cherie Thompson 9:16

Umm, we have a section that I've labeled as quick reads and those are books that are
about 95 to maybe 120 pages, and they tend to be high-interest, lower-level
readings. So a lot of kids, I I try to show them that and those books are, umm, often
thematic in that there maybe a series on sports or a series that's kind of mystery or a
series that’s kind of romantic. And a lot of times if a kid will read one of those books,
if they like it, they'll come back and get another one.
And so that's one thing that I think helps readers a lot. Those kids, they're not
intimidated. They go to this small section and it's about, you know, 8 feet wide they
don't have to wander the entire library.
And that's a little safer for them because they are intimidated by wandering around
the entire library.
They look, you can…kind of get a glazed over look and they look like this is, or when
they just walk up to a shelf and don't look and just grab a book off the shelf and walk
up to you.
You're like, you don't even know what this is about.
So that and encouraging them all the time to read what the books about before you
take the book with you.
And if it doesn't sound good, put it back. Umm.
And also there's some books that even in that are lower level throughout because
fiction is meant to be pleasurable reading so it's not gonna be high level reading all
the time. Try and find something they’re interested in like just sports or whatever.
So I think you know again working with the kids one on one or in small groups helps.

Speaker 1 10:56
OK, great.
So what are some of the ways that the school library media specialist can promote
and encourage professional reading among the faculty?

Cherie Thompson 11:05

That's a tough one.
Umm.
Well, we have some professional stuff, but we don't have, it's not used very often.
I know that the other day I ordered a couple of books for myself and I ended up
giving them to another teacher and she was like, this is exactly what I need. I was
reading…I'm reading a book called Learning about How…Learning about How to
Learn I think it's called and the other book I got was Learning about How to Learn
Math and Science, and she's teaching primarily math. So she was kind of excited.
This is her first year in the classroom and I think sometimes you get the, the newer
teachers and they kind of get hooked on some profession..and I tell them, you don't
have to read the whole book, you know. Look through and see what parts you need.
Umm, that's one thing.
Sometimes I…when I'm reading, I mean I don't read a whole book, but if I hear
teachers talking about something, I may shy to share an idea.
Things like on behavior in the classroom share the ideas, and then if they like the
ideas and go, hey, we've got this book or I've got this book, if you'd like to read it.
So little things like that.
Or reading a book that has a lot of different teaching methods or ideas for…that can
be used in the classroom.
Umm.
And if I share something with them, I say, well, I got it out of this book.
Would you like to read it? Would you like to borrow it? There's some more ideas in
here. Sometimes that's another way to do it, but if…just shoving a random book at
them doesn't seem to work, I have to look through it and be enthusiastic about it a
lot of times before they get interested.

Speaker 1 12:39
OK, great. Do you normally lead professional development in your school or district
and do you find that professional development that you…well, first do you normally
leave professional development?

Cherie Thompson 12:52

There was…I used to, but with all the people we've got specializing, like our literacy
specialists, our math coaches, they tend to have that job now, and our DLSs. So I
don't do nearly as much as I have done in the past, so not really.

Speaker 1 13:09
How do you ensure your own continued professional growth?

Cherie Thompson 13:13

Umm.
By reading…more reading. Reading…I keep up with LM_Net.
I like that…I've always liked that a lot and they…I find a lot of good ideas on there.
I can't even think of the name of another one I read, but I read it and this lady has
ideas and she has book reviews and so I look at that frequently.
Looking…I, I just kind of read about books a lot.
And like I said, right now I'm, I'm reading a book, Learning About How to Learn, and
in…that is helping me even with little things in the library about encouraging kids
because kids come in sometimes, even if they're, I mean, they're working on
something else. So because in the Media Center, one thing that's kind of nice about
it is you're working with all content areas. And so that helps me with working with
teachers and kids sometimes. And like I said, just…I do a lot of reading of books or
reading articles when something comes out. If I if I'm interested in it, I I try to do a
little bit more reading and I'm searching more for it and just trying to share it in
conversations with people who would, who drop by and come through.
Speaker 1 14:28
OK, what steps can the school librarian take to encourage reluctant teachers to utilize
the library?

Cherie Thompson 14:30

Offer to teach a lesson for him.
Hey, if you want to come in and do an introductory unit and that's, that's one thing
that worked a lot last year I know. Umm. I had coached social studies here before, so
I was really familiar with their curriculum and so some of the teachers I said would
you like to do something in, have some groups, have some stations in here and we
can use that as an introduction that teachers would give me that and I would plan
the whole thing and they’d come in and when they're coming in, we're not just using
the information they gave me, we're using some books in the library, so they saw
some books that could be used in the classes. We're using some websites. I'm using
maps with them.
I'm using a lot of different things so they can kind of see what's available in here.
Another thing is just opening up and say, hey, when sometimes you just need a lot
more room for something you're doing in class and you're worried about getting
loud.
I said there's no problem with getting loud in here if you need to. And so teachers
come in to do activities in here and when you do little things like that, you just start
developing relationships with teachers and when one teacher does it, then they pass
it on to somebody else or somebody else hears and says can you do this?
Just this weekend I got a lock box with combination on it and so I'm going to start
working on some activities.
Talk to some teachers say, hey, let's see if we can come up with something right now.
And the kids have to solve problems, and each time they do an activity they get a
code, a number for the lock and the first group that can get it unlocked, there'll be
treats inside the box for them. So I'm, I'm trying to make it kind of rewards for the
kids and something fun for the kids they’ll like to do. And I, I know that when I when I
do these activities where there's movement and there's noises, OK, the kids tend to
like it and they say, hey, can we do it again? So they're asking…they're requesting it.
So that helps a lot.
Speaker 1 16:32
Yeah, that sounds like an escape room.
And I know I get into escape rooms and kids do too.
So how has Covid impacted the day-to-day operation of your Media Center? Has it
altered your circulation statistics at all?

Cherie Thompson 16:45

Well, during its high point, we'll say, yes, it did it. We lost lots of books. There was no
circulation. You know, we were closed. Very few, even though the media specialist
offered it once we came back to school, though, it was still really low and it's, it's
been built back. I think it's…things have built back…been built back up. We've had a
lot more circulation than before.
I know last year our circulation was more than three times the year before.
So I thought that was good and like I said, it takes a while after when school starts…
you’re Pretesting, pretesting, doing a lot of these things. And as the year gets going,
I think the circulation starts picking up. So I think I'll see it start picking up a little bit
more soon, but I'm hoping. If not, we’ll be dragging bodies in here to check out
books.
Not really.
But uh, yes.
Yeah, and do some little incentive things. I, I was thinking I…little prizes I've done
previously and the teachers who bring their classes in for activities or reading books,
they get entered into drawings. So it can be a Chick Fil-A gift card, it can be
something you can use in your classroom, just some little thing like that, because
teachers like prizes. And I also want to do a little holiday thing in here. I'm not sure
which holiday. I love Halloween, so maybe it'll be Halloween. A little thing in here to
invite people in and kind of remind them of what's in here for them.

Speaker 1 18:12
Alright. All that sounds good.
Umm, what are some ways that you're able to generate funding when school or
district budget run out or are non-existent?

Cherie Thompson 18:16

Umm. Well, the only thing I have is book fair and to be honest, the book fairs umm
have not been really good. I look at the history. Like I said, I haven't been here that
many years. I know in a previous middle school, I was able to make and maybe $3000
a year up to that, and that was my profit I could take away, but I haven't seen that
here. I'm hoping this year's book fair we can build them up a little bit more and more
and more every year and that we can get to the point where we actually are making
a little money.
My, my budgets is good. I'm not complaining about my budget at all, so I'm lucky in
that respect. I know some small counties and small districts, they have very little
budget. But I have to admit, I am happy with my budget in this…that I've had in this
county at all the schools I've been in.

Speaker 1 19:13
OK, that's wonderful. So are you seeing as a teacher, administrator, instructional
technology specialist or a combination of all three at your school?

Cherie Thompson 19:23

Umm, the people who work with me had, I think, see me as a teacher and…a media
specialist, a teacher and a coach and I try…I, I think it's really helpful if you've been a
teacher. And I…when people come in here…like even when I design the activities for
them, there's a little bit of reading instruction like talking to kids about skimming
about, what are the keywords and little things like that.
And a lot of times I like to do that, especially with new teachers, so that I can kind of
model some things for them. I think that's crossed over from my days in the
classroom and my days as a coach because a lot of people don't think about what
they can do with an activity, how they can extend an activity.
So a lot of times I…not only if we have something in here, I may even give an activity
to take back to the classroom to extend what they've done in here.
So I, I think most people see me as a media specialist and a teacher. Not so much
technology. Although they ask me questions and I help if I can, the technology
specialist is in here and so they assume that I know everything he knows, but I don't
umm.
But so I think those are the two main roles that I see and like again in years past, it's
been different. But as other roles have come about in the schools, I think I…media
specialist have had to…have been able to take off some of the hats they wore before.
Speaker 1 20:53
Yes, I agree. Umm, So what are the expectations of your school administration
regarding the library program?

Cherie Thompson 20:56

When I talked to Doctor Williams the first year I was here, it’s been kind of weird…off
and on five years…is she wanted to make sure things were organized and up to date
and, and to create an atmosphere that people enjoyed coming into. That students
wanted to come into to make them feel welcome. That was something important to
her and, and just increasing the circulation and having more reading and more
teachers coming in to check books out. And like I said, I know last year I was real
pleased with the results. We'd increase so much the circulation because what's the
use in having…if you're not having circulation…people aren’t checking books out?
So that's mainly…she wants to be involved in pushing the reading program and
encouraging teachers, encouraging students to read. So that's primarily what she
wants, and keeping it organized.

Speaker 1 21:59
OK.
And do you have a para…an aid or a paraprofessional? And if so, what are your
expectations of that person?

Cherie Thompson 22:04

Only because I am part time. So Miss Williams is the parapro with me this year, and
when I'm gone, she checks in, checks out, shelves. She can do a lot of things that I
can. And you know, she can relay any messages to me.
Last year I had Miss Peterson with me and umm, you know, they’ve both been really
good and you know they…I wanted…I guess my request was with from Doctor
Williams that whoever was in here, I wanted to make sure it was somebody who is
warm and inviting. And when I wasn't here, I wanted people to keep the flow coming
so that when people came in, they felt welcomed and they felt like they could ask for
help and get help. So that is primarily, of course, sometimes as the year progresses, I
have the parapro less and less on the days that I'm actually here.
Umm. And so she ends up sometimes working in the front office, sometimes
substituting because we are so short of Subs. You know the…we had a lot of teachers
sick early in the year last year and Miss Peterson was rarely in here so she did that.
So you know she's here to do, to do whatever she can in here…help make
recommendations to kids. Then again, that's one of the things that takes a little time
getting used to the collection, and so I'm working on a list now to give her. So if a kid
says “Ohh, I'd like a mystery book” or I like this, some things that she can go directly
to or some authors she can direct them to.

Speaker 1 23:41
OK. And a final question, what advice would you give to someone just entering the
field of school library media?

Cherie Thompson 23:46

Umm, it kind of depends on where you're coming from.
If you've been a classroom teacher and you're going into the level where you were
used to working, I think you've got a huge advantage because you are more familiar
with the curriculum of what everybody's doing.
And if you're not, if you're someone brand new to education, I would say get to
know the curriculum, all the different areas because you're here to support
everybody and you want to make sure you're aware of what their needs are, for
example, and do they need lower readers? Do they need books to help introduce
topics? Do they need things them to support? Ah, how did the how the teachers use
the library? How did, if you were a teacher, how did you use library?
I think a lot of people who are not in education come in and may be a little too
idealistic, thinking that everybody's gonna automatically come and use the library
because you did when you were in school. And that's not necessarily true.
So I would tell them start building relationships with people, with the teachers
individually, to go to some meetings, get to know people, even little things like
eating lunch with people where you’re going to get to know of them, let them know
about your background. Let them know what you can do. You may even send a list of
things out. This is the stuff we can do in here. Which of these can I do for you?
That would be very helpful to them.
And I would also let them know that if they're going to the library, probably take a
small library like elementary, it might take a year or so to learn your collection. But in
the middle or high school, it's probably going to take you two or three years to get
to really know your collection well, so spend a lot of your spare time in the collection
so you know what you've got and start learning about what you might need.

Speaker 1 25:43
Alright, thank you, Miss Thompson. So that was all the questions that I had. Is there
anything else that you would like to share that we maybe didn't cover?

Cherie Thompson 25:50

Um, I can't think of anything else offhand, but like I said, I think probably the biggest
thing is getting to know the faculty and those relationships, because if you're coming
in, you're replacing somebody. You might get an idea of what they did before you
come in also and maybe try to talk to them, if possible. What people liked and what
people didn't like, because if you come in cold and you don't know anything about
the school, it's gonna make it a little bit harder, you know? And get them to leave
you information. It's always nice to have some information to start with, so that's all.

Speaker 1 26:30
Alright.
Well, thank you so much Ms. Thompson.
I appreciate your time.

Cherie Thompson 26:36

Thanks.
My pleasure.

Speaker 1 26:37
Bye bye.

Cherie Thompson left the meeting

Shericka Jefferson stopped transcription