Reflecting on your experiences of school libraries thus far, write a 500 word piece about how you think the role of the TL is perceived by parents/community in schools.
When considering my response to this question, I immediately thought of this popular meme:
I felt a meme was appropriate in helping to articulate my thoughts on this topic as they are often used today to reflect popular thoughts on ideas relating to culture and stereotypes.
The Oxford Dictionary defines it as:
Meme (noun):
- An image, video, piece of text, etc., typically humorous in nature, that is copied and spread rapidly by Internet users, often with slight variations.
There were various versions of this meme but I selected this one mostly because I felt a couple of the pictures summarised, for me, common misconceptions about librarians.
Namely, the picture of the woman with a stern expression, glasses and the caption, “What my friends think I do.” It captures what I believe is a common idea: that librarians are old, grumpy and spend most of their working day telling people to be quiet and/or joyfully giving out library fines (see picture one).
The other images I connected with included the last two: the image of the children, riding a rainbow into a book, with the caption “What I think I do” and the last image, “What I really do” which sees the librarian almost tearing her hair out at the incompetent patron.
Having now read the Standards of Professional Excellence for Teacher Librarians (Asla.org.au, 2018) it is evident that the Teacher Librarian’s role is more than the sum of an internet meme. In some ways, I feel a Teacher Librarian is a super human teacher. They have the qualification of a teacher first and foremost. This means they must comply with the Australian Teaching Standards (Aitsl.edu.au, 2018) and ensure they maintain their proficiency in these areas. They utilise those skills in teaching literacy, inquiry learning and information literacy in a classroom setting and have the same requirements of any competent teacher: know your students and how to teach them.
In addition, they must comply with the ASLA standards and have evidence to support that they comply with these standards. This aspect of the role has a whole school focus: understanding the curriculum and collaborating with various areas of the whole school to do this as well as managing the library resources and the space as a learning environment. Purcell (2010) explores in her journal article that Teacher Librarians are working in a micro and macro environment within a school.
This, to me, is an idealist approach to the role and correlates with the second last image, “What I think I do.” It is one TLs should strive for however, TLs must work against these persistent, simplified community perceptions. I also believe if the role isn’t viewed positively from within the school environment: as being multi-faceted, dynamic and necessary in its assistance of the whole school’s achievement of outcomes, then unfortunately, I think these commonplace stereotypes will continue to persist.
References:
Aitsl.edu.au. (2018). Teacher Standards. [online] Available at: https://www.aitsl.edu.au/teach/standards [Accessed 4 Mar. 2018].
Asla.org.au. (2018). Standards of professional excellence for teacher librarians :: ASLA. [online] Available at: http://www.asla.org.au/policy/standards.aspx [Accessed 4 Mar. 2018].
Purcell, M. (2010) All librarians do is check out books right? A look at the roles of the school library media specialist. Library Media Connection 29(3), 30-33.
Hello Karla,
First of all I’d like to congratulate you on your blog site. The colours are appealing and the name is very catchy. I love the quote from Gwendolyn Brooks as it sets the scene for the journey you’re undertaking and others can take with you.
I really appreciated your use of the meme by way of introduction. It was not only humourous, but very relevant in today’s society with meme’s prevalent in social media on just about every topic. Thank you for highlighting the pictures with which you could readily identify. It’s a shame that the very first picture in the meme isn’t true!
It was very relevant that you stressed the fact that teacher librarians are first and foremost teachers. A common misperception is that they run their own race and can do as little as they want, but they do have minimum standards to meet, as do all teachers, and must have documented proof of this. This is a fact that most teachers would be unaware of but should be known in order to acknowledge the qualifications and accountabilities of teacher librarians.
The importance of focusing on the whole school as well as managing library resources and the learning environment was a point well taken. I would have loved you to expand on what Purcell found when she explored that “teachers are working in a micro and macro environment within a school”.
I agree wholeheartedly with you when you conclude with the difficult job which faces every teacher librarian; changing “persistent, simplified community perceptions”. You also rightly highlighted the fact that the teacher librarian has to change views from within the school community, in order to achieve recognition of his/her importance, and also to provide the assistance which is possible, and necessary to the school community.
Thank you Karla for providing me with an enjoyable read, and some new information on teacher librarian compliance with the Australian Teaching Standards.
Karla,
thank you for your blog post. The post has not quite addressed the task for this assignment. The meme is somewhat humourous though it does contain some questionable images such as the one of the lady sprawled across a chair and the library patron clearly accessing inappropriate material. I cannot see, from my own long experience, teachers/parents/community perceiving my role as a TL in any of those images. The post would have been enhanced through a more detailed description of the perceptions held by staff and the wider community rather than those expressed in a meme; the thoughts of just one person.
Comment on the AITSL and ASLA standards is useful in the broader sense and can be useful when discussing incorrect perceptions held by others.
Continue your posts, ensuring you answering the task as it was set. You will find blogging a valuable tool in developing your own clear perceptions of the TL role.
Roy Crotty