Cross Case Features: Teachers

Baker Middle School: Media

Claire Alvior, Media Specialist

Claire Alvior, the media specialist, attended the NCTA seminar while serving as the media specialist of another school in the region. She interested Lori Decker, a sixth-grade language arts teacher, in taking the seminar. Both are highly appreciative of the amount of resources and rich content that was provided. Besides the “wonderful” materials, Claire Alvior says that the seminar yielded intangible benefits: “I think what a teacher takes back for herself also enriches her teaching…a real joy of learning… that love and enthusiasm can’t be divorced from her teaching.”

In the first six months in her new position at Baker Middle School, Claire stocked the media center with books and other resources about Asia. She also created displays featuring artifacts from Asian countries and helped organize special events related to Asia. Seeing an opportunity to share first-hand Asian experiences and content, Claire established a space in the resource area for the Chinese exchange teacher to hold “office hours” at the middle school. Teachers throughout the school remarked on the positive changes that had taken place in the media center and many shared a new enthusiasm about opportunities to build Asian studies into their curriculum.

Claire Alvior has opened new doors for Asian studies within the school. She has established a resource base, made connections with teachers’ to enhance their curricula, and has inspired other teachers to participate in NCTA. She has also helped coordinate the Chinese exchange teacher’s schedule so that other teachers can make the most of her time. Claire’s efforts have added depth to the resources available to teachers who have Asia-related curricula. Now, those teachers can speak knowledgeably about Asia and easily access related resources. Claire says, “I think if you start with the premise that this [the media center] is the core of the school, then everything flows out [from there].”

With a delicate touch, Claire has been able to tap into individual teachers’ particular interests, draw them out, and make meaningful connections to Asia. For example, Claire helped facilitate a speaking engagement by the Chinese exchange teacher in an eighth-grade language arts class. She also recruited a Japanese guest who came to the class to teach the students about haiku, incorporating his knowledge from his native country. Commenting on the Japanese guest speaker, a language arts teacher said, “With the [haiku] lesson, he made sure that it showed emotion and some of the conventionalities of the form. They [the students] did a beautiful, beautiful job of this for the most part. It was a great experience for them.”

The principal recognizes Claire’s role in helping teachers make connections to Asia and wants to see it expanded. “Teachers will take opportunities if they know about them like having the Chinese teacher come here. Claire put out a call for [Asian studies] and a lot of teachers responded. I think what we need to do is create the opportunities.”