Faculty Focus is a student life series featuring a faculty member at Coppell High School, rotating by department each week.
Coppell High School librarian Trisha Goins hosts a plethora of events, hoping to inspire students to approach the library for any reason. Approaching her role as CHS librarian with her background as a teacher and digital learning coach, Goins creates a safe space in the library.
What inspired you to become an educator?
My aunt, Patricia Madden, who I am named after, was a first grade teacher her entire life and I really looked up to her. I was in a special student teaching program at Baylor University where I student-taught for a full year at a professional development school in Waco ISD from 1996-1997. I worked with teachers who prioritized hands-on learning from the beginning. That experience influenced how I interact with students. Following college, I taught for three years in the classroom and then spent 20 years as a digital learning coach. I was ready to try something different while remaining in education. As a librarian, I’m able to use my digital learning skills in the background as well. I also feel that many teens are in a reading rut, turning them away from the library. In the end, the library is all about gaining knowledge, even if it’s interpersonal skills from hanging out with friends here.
How would you describe your approach to working with students?
In the library, I want everyone to feel welcome. I have different activities set up for different events and celebrations. We have several different stations to educate students, which is also entertaining. In October, students could create Guatemalan Worry dolls. I found something to connect Hispanic Heritage Month to our campus, and I thought our students would benefit from having a Worry doll.
What’s a memorable moment from your time at CHS?
One time, there was a book that was pulled off the shelf by a student. Inside the book, there was a two-page, front and back, handwritten note of a boy professing his love to a girl, and it got lost in the book. While sad at the time, that event has still stuck with me. Overall though, it’s the relationships I’ve built with students. When they enjoy coming to the library regularly, it’s amazing to catch up with them and make connections. I enjoy celebrating with them, like when we had Frankenstein Day. Others on campus, such as staff and students, learn this through the library. That was just a way for us to give a little glimmer of information.
What are your goals for this school year?
In the library this year, we are focusing on the design and layout of the books that are on the shelves. That way, students are being exposed to more titles and authors, while finding resources they want easily. We’ve reorganized the graphic novels to put all of the Manga books together. We’ve also put buckets on the tops of the shelves to put book series together. Over at our fiction section, we moved a lot of the books to be more forward-facing. It’s meant to be reminiscent of a bookstore, where the cover is what appeals to readers, even though we’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover. I also want to promote e-books and audiobooks because they have the same effect on the brain as reading books on a page. Books are very versatile, and regardless of the medium, you can still learn something new.
What advice would you give to new staff members at CHS?
From teaching many age groups, I have found that teachers can approach all students the same way. I started as a kindergarten teacher and I’ve worked my way up through elementary school, middle school and high school. The relationships and conversations to stay in the know of what my students like, in terms of music, reading and movies, are all the same no matter if they are in high school or elementary school. More than anything, students make this job enjoyable.
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