Reflection

by

ETL401 Blog Task #1 – trying to understand the TL role

Like all roles in schools, that of the Teacher Librarian (TL) exists within the confines of industrial legislation, leadership planning, and student learning and supervision. While that may seem like a bland set of parameters for any role in a school, it is very important to understand the constraints within which this role in schools is confined. Advocacy for teacher rights and defence of working conditions has always been the boundaries within which teaching role descriptions haveIamaTL been established.

It is revealing to read about the traditions and stereotypes specifically attached to the Teacher Librarian role – visions of twin-sets and pearls with screwed up faces declaring “Shhhh!” (Korodaj, 2011) – and compare it to advocacy declarations of untapped expertise (Gillespie, 2006), potential for professional coaching (Harvey, 2011), and teacher leadership in new skills for a new century (ASLA, 2013). Somehow, the Teacher Librarian has to navigate a path amongst all this expectation, and find a way to value-add to student learning in a new paradigm, and resource the curriculum for other teaching staff. It is, afterall, an expensive undertaking to resource a modern library and provide qualified staff to empower users of this facility to benefit from this significant investment. The modern Teacher Librarian is much more than a keeper of books, and will be compelled to make their presence known – define their own value and inject it into the needs of their learning community. This is the ultimate advocacy – making the role ubiquitous and indispensable while managing it with grace and professionalism.

My participation thus far in the Teacher Librarian role in NSW DEC schools has come about through the mentoring of Principals. At the end of 2012, my then Principal approached me to fill the role of Teacher Librarian for a LSL Temporary Contract for 2013. Ostensibly presented as a fit for my skill set, with experience in corporate database management (from another career), capabilities in inquiry and knowledgable in technology support, proven expertise in innovative practice and a love of literature and literacy improvement reaching back to my own school memories of Brecht, Hesse, Orwell and Sartre. The Teacher Librarian role seemed an appropriate fit. Since then it has become an opportunity to branch out into other schools and now be offered a permanent position based on completion of the MEd(TL).

However, these last two calendar years have also been a revelation regarding the complexities of the role of Teacher Librarian, and the advocacy challenges facing this role in schools. To be succinct, in my view, the TL role is a Project Manager’s nightmare. Constantly responding to demands from all quarters, analysing systems and providing solutions to multiple complex problems each day, while resourcing a curriculum, managing a budget, teaching, supervising and supporting students throughout the day, liaising with staff members, supervising secretarial support, maintaining a collection – nurturing, supporting, teaching, resolving! Quite often the Teacher Librarian role is the stuff of Chaos Theory – a butterfly takes flight, resulting in the arrival of a storm, and the TL steps into the vortex to provide solutions, support learning and make the story have a happy ending – or lend the perfect book that provides one. My hope is that ETL401 will help to provide some clarity within the role description in order that I might develop a Strategic Plan for my new role.

Deb Hogg

Reference list:

Australian School Library Association (ASLA) 2013, Future learning and school libraries. ASLA, Canberra, ACT.

Gillespie, Ann M. (2006) Teacher-librarian contributions to student literacy standards.  pp. 1-85. (Unpublished) http://eprints.qut.edu.au/20410/1/c20410.pdf

Harvey, Carl A. (2011) The Coach in the Library. Educational Leadership, Vol. 69, No. 2, Oct 2011

Korodaj, L. (2011). Chameleons embracing change: considering the image of the teacher librarian. Access (10300155), 25(4), 16-19.

Please note: image inserted in this post was created by Deb Hogg in the Noteography app on an iPad

by

PLN meetup with Publishers

2015harpercollinseducationreviewLast evening, the 2015 Education Review was held at HarperCollins offices in Elizabeth Street in Sydney.

What a wonderful opportunity to meetup with our Teacher Librarian Professional Learning Network (TL PLN) and enjoy presentations by some of the authors who publish with HarperCollins.

Presentators included the wonderful illustrator, Bruce Whatley, and author, Libby Hathorn. Both of these incredibly talented Australians shared their work process for producing titles they have contributed to the commemoration of the Gallipoli Campaign of 1915.

An audience of current and future Teacher Librarians were hanging on every word and our gratitude goes to the hard-working staff of HarperCollins who were supportive and welcoming for this event.

The picture here shows the extraordinary view from the HarperCollins offices, down across Hyde Park with St Mary’s Cathedral and a cruise liner in the distance. It was a beautiful venue for a very treasured opportunity to enjoy good company and listen to fabulous Australian authors and illustrators.

Thanks HarperCollins – it was worth every moment of the effort to get there at the end of a school day.

Deb Hogg

by

So far away and yet close enough to learn with…

keep-calm-and-ask-a-librarian-1Tonight’s Adobe Connect session was a great opportunity to find out more about my fellow students – where they are, what their time challenges are, what their fears are… as we all face the challenge of returning to study, in an online format over vast distances.

Carole from the CSU Library is a model of what we all aspire to be, and her quick wit and gracious responses reminded me that the role of a University Librarian requires a cool and calm approach… must practice those attributes because they surely don’t come naturally! 🙂

Barbara also modelled lots of other skills too that represent how expertise in Information Services has morphed in this new century. Being able to manage a presentation delivered through a browser, managing chat streams and questions, sponsoring audience participation and clarity of response… all done with good cheer and encouragement to the audience in far flung places.

It’s interesting to consider the level of expertise and confidence required to manage participation in a course completed through a distance education model. It’s all very well to suggest that the answers to all questions are provided on an information dense website, but frustration levels can reach new highs when design features don’t meet user expectations… especially those users who are pressed for time and can’t dedicate the amount needed in order to become familiar with the navigation on a complicated set of websites. This mode of delivery certainly does come with a range of mountains to climb.

Having an opportunity to connect with fellow students and find out what level of access they currently have to a library space, led immediately to offers of connections in real life that will hopefully build a real sense of community amongst this current group of Masters students. Meeting over coffee always ends up resolving fears and building bridges that will provide the support we all need for the challenges that lie ahead in completing a post-graduate degree.

All in all… a great session 🙂

Deb Hogg