Advanced Placement Research and Teacher Librarian, Mrs. Jaclyn DeLoma, has been teaching at Foran for six years.
DeLoma collaborates extensively with teachers, tailoring their approach to the specific topics they need to address, and provides skills for research-based foundations.
DeLoma works with the English and history department, but will help any department create lessons and inform them about different research programs. Additionally, she participates in department meetings to review new skills or software programs with different teachers. This gives them a rundown of implemented tech-related resources within instruction or other run-of-the-mill library topics she has to talk about with them.
DeLoma also helps in readers’ advisory, like posting and doing displays for kids to get intrigued with reading. From time to time, this tends to get inundated with other jobs, so she thankfully has student helpers.
She tries to get student help by creating Community Educational Resources Training Opportunities (CERTO) for the library and tech positions.
DeLoma says, “If I didn’t have them, I would literally not be able to do half the stuff.”
The student helpers put new books into the system, display them, and cover them, getting them shelf-ready for the Teaching and Learning Commons (TLC). Student helpers also help to do book checkouts and check-ins. Those are more of DeLoma’s menial tasks, but it helps to have assistance with them.
DeLoma also spends time putting things together in the TLC and accommodating space to make it more engaging for students. Another way DeLoma and her helpers try to improve the TLC is by creating fun trivia and scavenger hunts to make it more inviting and comfortable for students.
One of her helpers, senior Liz Adkins, has been helping for three years. DeLoma states, “I will have a hard time letting that one go.”
Senior Bella Lau, Sophomore Brianna Mackay, and Junior Caelan Banick are also CERTOs here at Foran. There are also helpers on the tech bench, like Boston White and Zayne Malady, who are both sophomores.
English teacher Ms. Chelsea Green, like other teachers, is very involved with DeLoma.
Green states, “She’ll also make really cool presentations on research, so that way students know the different resources that they have and actually look up information appropriately.”
DeLoma provides helpful resources and guidance that strengthen both student learning and student collaboration across the departments.
Her goal is to make the TLC a welcoming and engaging environment where students can explore, create, and grow. With the help of her student assistants, she continues to build a space that supports academic curiosity and builds up the community.
