Teacher Librarian as Leader: initial thoughts

A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves. —Lao Tzu

I’ve just read through the readings for Module 2, and watched the video clips in regards to organisational and leadership theories. Some of these are new to me, some theories I recognise. At only a superficial level, it seems that there is some overlap between some of the theories of leadership, with shared elements. This becomes a little confusing then – for example, what really sets servant leadership and distributed leadership apart? 

Before I get too far into ETL504, I wanted to establish my ideas of a ‘good leader’ (in a school context) based on my own experiences.  

Some of the attributes and practices of a good leader:

: has an open door policy

: listens, listens, listens and then asks clarifying questions

: gives credit where credit is due and seeks to encourage at every opportunity

: is not afraid of (and has skill with) having ‘difficult conversations’ and is willing to make the tough decisions

: is conflict resilient, recognizing that not everything may be solved at once and seeks to see the perspectives of individuals

: is not afraid to say they have made a mistake

: is transparent in dealings with staff

: is a good, timely, communicator (no last minute decisions/changes if they can be avoided)

: is open to constructive criticism and is knowledgeable about their own strengths and weaknesses

: has a deep knowledge of, and passion for, the sector they are working in

: ensures quality professional development for their colleagues, as well as themselves so they are up to date with 21st century teaching and learning practices

: mentors mid level leaders

: not only manages the present but has a vision (and can effectively strategize towards this vision) of the future

: has student learning and growth at the heart of every decision

: if working at an IB school, models the Learner Profile attributes

I have not worked in a school library (yet), but I understand that Teacher Librarians (TLs) need to model leadership. They are the knowledge experts of the information world, and as such transcend classrooms and subjects – a dynamic library is what links us all together. My initial thoughts of areas of leadership that a TL could (should?) be involved in are:

: Supporting people with diverse needs coming from diverse age groups (leadership attributes here would require active listening, advocating for students/teachers/community, knowledgeable in how to access/source information needed)

: A leader in curriculum development (as outlined by the Australian School Library Association, 2014)

: A leader in 21st century learning in regards to information literacy and research 

: A TL needs to be a leader of his/her team if they have people working with them in the library. 

: A leader in highlighting current/new technological developments and being able to support others in learning how to use them

: A leader in modelling and providing evidence based practice

I’m sure there are many more areas that TLs can provide leadership in, and I hope I’ll be able to add to this list as I move forward in ETL504 and my own knowledge grows. 

References

Australian School Libraries Association. (2014). What is a teacher librarian? ASLA. Retrieved March 2, 2021, from https://asla.org.au/what-is-a-teacher-librarian

Goodreads. (2021). Lao Tzu. Goodreads. Retrieved March 2, 2021, from https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/46410-a-leader-is-best-when-people-barely-know-he-exists

International Baccalaureate. (2013). IB Learner Profile. The International Baccalaureate. Retrieved March 2, 2021, from https://www.ibo.org/benefits/learner-profile/