Well, submitted assignment 1 earlier today and can I say that referencing was doing my head in! I'm used to Harvard Style and had to keep checking the reference notes. Anyway, now I need to start concentrating on my next assignment for the other subject. I wish I had heeded Roy's advice and only took on 1 subject as finishing the school year, having Christmas and all the other catching up with family and friends, being a wife and mum to two young kids and doing uni is hard work. I'm glad I'll only be doing 1 subject next semester as I will also be returning to work full time!
When researching for the assignment and doing weekly work, it struck me how many different hats I wear as a teacher librarian. One hat that I don't wear so well is that of advocate for the profession - though I am a member of SLASA and attend some T&D. When I thought about it, I acknowledged that time was what was stopping me from being more involved as well as not wanting to make a fuss. Though when I thought about it some more, I realised that I do promote what happens in the library through whole-school participation in events like Book Week, Simultaneous Storytime, reading to local kindies, involvement in PRC - but also through the other roles.
Another area that I thought was important but I couldn't quite work into my assignment was the importance of people skills. Herring and Purcell didn't really discuss this aspect but I did read about it in an article by Cooper and Bray which talked about collaboration. I think that for a teacher librarian to work effectively with all students and teachers across the school, you actually have to be confident in your own teaching abilities and have a clear understanding of what is good teaching practice so that you can let go of some of the control. You also have to be very patient, an excellent listener, and sometimes sneaky so that the teacher thinks it your suggestions were their idea! I'm not sure if I am explaining this very well. I know from experience that the teachers I work with are all very different - some of which I am on the same line, some the same page, some the same book, and others I'm not really sure which book they are in! Despite this, I have to work out a way of us working together to get the best possible learning and outcomes for the students. (I currently work with each teacher and class at least twice a year.) Cooper and Bray also refer to relationships - this is critical. Teachers need to respect and have confidence in me and the teacher librarian role. I also be able to read how far I can push the teacher in terms of challenging them to try something different or new. It is important to note that this can take time and that little steps are still ok if they are in the right direction. The following example I think demonstrates how important people skills are and the importance of taking time.
The first time I worked with one teacher he wanted to do a "Country Project" which was basically here's a country, read this and write the answer. (He was and still can be very traditional in his teaching style.) He then handed me what he had done the last I don't know how many years and said we didn't need planning time. He was reluctant to change it as it had worked before. It was only by taking time to sit and plan with him, that I was able to throw in a few suggestions and get an inquiry unit that required higher levels of thinking. The following year I wasn't able to move him from another country study but was able to add a few more different and challenging dimensions. Finally this year, while he suggested another country study, was happy to go with a student initiated inquiry unit on myths and legends that was very process based and with less focus on the end product. It was interesting that he said near the end of this unit how pleased he was with how it had gone but owned up to the fact that he hadn't known if it would work but that he was confident in me, and so was willing to give it a go. This trust in me was very gratifying. I guess it was also lucky that the unit worked really well!
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