In my experiences as a teacher, I have taught  Food Technology and Korean, so I do not have any knowledge on being a teacher librarian. I just assumed that the roles of teacher librarians were to organise to purchase books, textbooks, and teaching materials, to arrange them on school library selves, to read books to students in library class and to let students and teachers borrow books and return them. That was my limited knowledge about the role of teacher librarians before I started studying teacher librarianship.

While I was reading module 1 (ETL-401), I learned that teacher librarians would be information specialists. Teacher librarians are to provide access to information resources, give training and assistance to students and staff, interpret information systems and technologies for students and teachers and provide specialist assistance to students using technology and information resources and school information service. (summary from ETL 401 module 1)

The role of the teacher librarian in schools seems that teacher librarians need to be experts in collecting and accessing  information resources as well teaching and learning curriculums. This is due to changes and impacts from the fact that students study with e-books and on the internet in class. This gives me the challege of being a teacher librarian as an information specialist. I think I am not an expert in technology at the moment, but I hope I can be an information specialist when I complete this Master of Education (Teacher Librarianship) course in two years.

According to the website of New Teachers Federation, ” The Teacher-Librarian is responsible to the Principal for initiating and participating in the teaching of information literacy in the context of the total curriculum, and managing the school’s information resources and services to facilitate learning/teaching.”  (Hennessy, n.d., para 2)

This statement reminds me of another responsibility of teacher librarians in schools.  I learnt that they would be involved in the teaching of information literacy in schools.

I really would like to finish this journey of being a teacher librarian well.

Reference

Hennessy,J.(n.d.). New Teachers Federation. The role of the Teacher-Librarian in the school community. Retrieved from https://www.nswtf.org.au/pages/role-teacher-librarian-school-community.html

O’Connell, J. (2019). The information environment [S-ETL401_201930 module1] Retrieved March 9, 2019. From Charles Sturt University website : https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_42380_1&content_id=_2633951_1&mode=view