A noisy, disruptive class waiting outside the library for their teacher to speak to a colleague is not an unusual circumstance. Sometimes teachers need to bend the ear of their colleagues and with time pressures the way they are, sometimes it is necessary to grab the opportunity while it exists. Yet, the noise and jostling can be unsettling for both the waiting class and the class that is in the library at the time. The way I would deal with this circumstance depends largely on the nature of the teacher’s discussion. It is often possible to discern from a distance whether the interaction is of a social nature or concerning an important issue.
My first step would be to quickly get the students already in the library engaged in an activity such as browsing or recreational reading. I would then determine the nature of the need outside. If it is a social interaction that could wait, I simply walk over to the doorway, wave a friendly greeting to the teachers involved and close the door. This will often be enough of a hint to move it on. If, however, the interaction is of a more serious nature, I would gather the students’ attention using whatever recall strategy I use for that group in the library and remind them briefly of the etiquette involved in their situation. There should be enough settling, if only briefly, for me to ask the teachers if it would be helpful for the classes to come in and join the recreational reading happening in the library while the teachers use my office for their discussion. I can enlist another member of library staff to assist in supervision if required. This lets them know that I am aware they may need assistance and am prepared help. If the interaction can wait, this will prompt them to take the discussion elsewhere, feeling supported at the same time, and if it can’t wait, they have an opportunity to deal with whatever the situation is while I support them by supervising their students for a few minutes. Either way, the staff members feel that the library staff are there to help them and the students are supervised or moved on as needed. Providing an opportunity for the teachers and I to work collaboratively to solve an immediate problem while respecting and hopefully enhancing the interpersonal relationship between them and me accomplishes the objective needed (the class is no longer disruptive) and builds a collegial spirit simultaneously.
