Developing new skills as a school community: How can Teacher Librarians read + lead?

When considering how a teacher librarian might best share with and respond to the needs of their staff, I looked at skills development through three lenses:

1. Goalsetting as a community

2. Community involvement and leadership

3. Student participation in the SLLC community

I'm noticing a repetitive vocab trend here..."community" much? Clearly that's an important aspect in my views of TL leadership!

1. Goalsetting and “laying the groundwork”: 

What are some goals or priorities at your school? By initially outlining some main objectives of your school community, you can gain a starting place for new strategies or resources staff may find useful in their teaching practices. It might be beneficial to meet with an administrator, a department head/teacher-leader, the students of the leadership team (student council), and possibly attend a PAC meeting. The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) also suggests the importance of working “with members of cultural, linguistic, indigenous, and other unique populations to contribute to the achievement of the academic, cultural, and social goals of the school.” (IFLA School Library Guidelines, p 11) These meetings could help you to see where you and the learning commons are most needed – especially when it come to embracing diversity and ensuring inclusion. As discussed in Extending the Classroom: The Library Learning Commons; “As part of a school team, the teacher librarian plays an integral role in laying the groundwork for a successful learning environment.” (p 17) Be sure to include others from the school community in your decisions and you’ll be on the right path to an inclusive and welcoming SLLC.

Cool resource idea: https://www.digitalhumanlibrary.com/

I think this is such an innovative and interesting resource to share with teaching staff, and as a way to help them build their own personal learning networks within their specific subject areas. It could help teachers respond to their curricular needs in an authentic and meaningful way. 

"Digital Human Library brings people together to make a difference for kids. We create opportunities for K-12 students to learn with Canada’s largest network of industry professionals by connecting classes with subject matter Experts for thousands of interactive 1:1 video conferences supported by over 1500 educational virtual tours, and live Indigenous Learning Programs guided by authentic Indigenous content. Our community of Experts and virtual content are sourced by Canadian teachers for Canadian teachers to support youth and learning across Canada." [excerpt and image from www.digitalhumanlibrary.com]

 

2. Community involvement and leadership: 

As a newly-appointed TL, I would also like to ensure I am taking on some leadership roles within my school community. I like this graphic by the Future Ready Librarians Framework, which “helps define ways librarians can lead, teach, and support in their schools and systems.” 

Image source: https://all4ed.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/libs-wheel.png

 

This has always been important to me as a teacher; I enjoy having a voice at the table and being involved in decision-making or supporting the schools’ plans and goals (or just organizing goofy dress-up days with the student council kids!) In his section about “The Roles and Mission of the Librarian”, Johnson discusses the concept of the “crowsnester” and how they “look at and adapt to events on the horizon” (The Indispensable Librarian: Surviving and Thriving in School Libraries in the Information Age, p 2-3) I love this description, and I’m fortunate to work at a school that fosters collaboration - we have collab meeting times built into our timetable, so we’re able to develop crosscurricular/interdisciplinary lessons and units, and we’re expected to continue to forge ahead into new curricular directions. My previous roles as department head and IB coordinator have made me comfortable with spearheading staff initiatives; participation and leadership in committee work is my wheelhouse. I find enjoyment and fulfillment in being part of a school community and I think this is a big part of what lead me to become a teacher in the first place. 

 

A major part of teacher-librarianship in our district involves leadership in aspects of educational technology. I really like how, in this TedTalk, "Empowering the Teacher Technophobe" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puiNcIFJTCU ) speaker Kristen Daniels discusses the difficulty we have as educators in moving from the exposure phase (attending a workshop on a new resource) to the implementation phase (actually freakin’ using the resource in our classroom!) I think many of us can relate to this – we leave a staff meeting or pro-d all jazzed up about something new, but then we can never find the time to practice using it… and without practicing it on our own, we don’t want to deploy it as a major part of a lesson – what if it doesn’t work? What if I eff it up with all my students watching?!? Daniels points out how the transfer of information isn’t enough to ensure people utilise it – educators need actual support in the implementation process instead of an information-based presentation, and workshops should be altered to reflect this.

You can watch her TedTalk here: 

 

3. Student participation (AKA “Think of the children”): 

Another aspect of SLLC teamwork that I think is mutually beneficial is ‘employing’ library volunteers. I would like to start a student SLLC volunteer program, as well as a parent one (Fun fact: my daughter is currently in grade one, so thanks to the pandemic I’ve barely been inside her school, let alone had the opportunity to volunteer, which is too bad, because obviously I would be very bossy helpful.)

This is a great opportunity to have students earn service hours (an excellent initiative in our school district, and most other districts too, I imagine) while helping out with tasks such as shelving, tidying the makerspace, simple inventory, rearranging seating at end of day or setting up furniture for any meetings or events that are taking place in the SLLC space. In my opinion, having volunteers that come in at lunch not only helps out the TL; it can also give students a sense of ownership in their school and their SLLC. In some cases, it allows for a safe space and can be a relief from any social struggles, overwhelmingly noisy environments during lunch break, or even incidents of bullying for certain students. They can come to the library at lunch to volunteer their time, but also as a means of escaping from what might otherwise be a very discomforting or unhappy time in their school day (I think we all know those kids who would much prefer to spend their recess discussing the merits of the movie Dune versus the book Dune with an adult, rather than playing red rover or soccer.)

Student volunteers may not only donate their time, but also their expertise. Ramsey’s article, The School Tech Squad: A Learning Commons Technology Boost, talks about their school’s ‘tech squad’ and demonstrates how symbiotic a relationship between teacher and student can be when the roles are reversed and the student becomes the expert. Ramsey concluded, “that every school and teacher-librarian engage students in a technology squad. And, it is not necessary to be an expert in technology to have such a group. Just adopt the idea, I teach you...you teach me... and we all learn together.’ It is all about collaborative expertise.” (The School Tech Squad: A Learning Commons Technology Boost, p 31). Helping with tech or volunteering in the makerspace could be a great occasion for students who might not normally get to shine in academic areas, but perhaps are excellent with tools, computers, and fostering creativity in younger students.

Image source: https://unsplash.com

In my experience, I have always truly enjoyed working with students in a volunteer capacity and I feel like it not only fosters a strong rapport; it also allows them to learn the value of philanthropy and engagement in a leadership role; a lesson that lasts a lifetime. 

Many of my former students have returned to visit and mentioned how much they gained from being part of the student council, the Free the Children/WE Schools group or the GSA and how thankful they were that I was their teacher sponsor. 

(I have yet to experience a student pop by and say how joyfully they recall my lesson on MLA formatting, hmmm.)

WORKS CITED:

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. (2015). IFLA School Library Guidelines. 2nd revised edition.

Johnson, Doug. (2013). The Indispensable Librarian: Surviving and Thriving in School Libraries in the Information Age. 2nd edition. Santa Barbara, CA: Linworth.

Newfoundland Labrador Education and Early Childhood Development. (2018). Extending the Classroom: The Library Learning Commons.

Ramsey, K. (2010). The School Tech Squad: A Learning Commons Technology Boost. Teacher Librarian, 38(1), 28–31.

TedTalks (2013, November 06). Empowering the teacher technophobe: Kristin Daniels @ TEDxBurnsvilleED. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puiNcIFJTCU

OTHER REFERENCES

Canadian School Libraries. (2020). Leading the Way with the Library Learning Commons. https://www.canadianschoollibraries.ca/leading-the-way/

Husid, W. (2013). Collaboration: Make It Happen in Your School. Library Media Connection, 31 (4), 42–44.

Miller, S., & Bass, W. (2019). Leading from the Library: Help your School Community Thrive in the Digital Age. International Society for Technology in Education.