Welcome to Jennifer’s Journal Reflections!
I hope you like the rainbow photo. It was taken on our property just outside the ACT border. We have the most spectacular sunsets overlooking the Brindabella Ranges. On this particular evening we had just had a rain shower come over. Beautiful!
A bit about me and my driving passions and interests. I live with my husband of 10 years, our three dogs and my two horses. I was on a horse before I could walk, so really I had no control over my love for them! I enjoy riding through our amazing landscapes and show jumping. Our dogs are our babies. They are going to be in for a rude shock when our first human bubba comes along in August!
I have been teaching for 15 years this year. Wow! Time really does fly! 10 years of that teaching experience has been as a Primary Teacher and 5 years has been as a Teacher Librarian (TL) for Preschool to Year 6 students.
But alas, I am a fraud! Hence, CSU and the Master of Education in Teacher Librarianship. In a few years I will feel like I truly belong within the esteemed cohort of Teacher Librarians.
Why Library? Initially, the Principal of the Primary School that I was teaching Year 5/6 at approached me with an interesting and brand new proposal: Why don’t I take up the TL role at the school in the new year? They wished to reinvigorate the library as the heart of the school for the students; to get them involved and wanting to use and enjoy the resource centre. I jumped at the chance for a fresh, new role. Wow! What a two year learning experience it was! Luckily for me, I had the most fabulous and supportive Library Technician to show me the ropes (and be my saviour). I adored getting to know the whole school, as I took classes from Kinder to Year 5/6 each week. I revamped the physical space with new bay ends, tables, chairs and senior and junior learning spaces. Additionally, technology, book chats, lunchtime clubs and activities, events and promotions were incorporated to engage students back into the library. And what results we had! You would be hard pressed to find free space during breaks!
Next, I moved to a new school and relished another four years of classroom teaching. Then the call came again from my new Principal, would I take on the library specialist position? Umm… yes! This has been my position over the past three years, with the role still changing each year.
Things that make my heart glow in the TL role: the enjoyment of seeing and knowing 380 faces around the school; the excitement from the students when you find them the right fit book; and especially when students tell me that the library is the best part of their week.
Now I embark on learning. Learning for me. Learning for our students. I can’t wait to embrace the journey, to enrich my practice for not only a strong reading culture in my school, but to develop my knowledge of inquiry learning and the ever changing digital and information landscape in education. The new horizon awaits!