Tag Archives: Future

Reimagining the library for 21st century learning

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I often thought of leadership as a weighty title to hold in any context. My first understanding of school leadership was a hierarchical model from the top position of the principal, to executive team, to class teachers then students and the wider school community. Observing key personnel within my school structure has helped me to understand the distributive nature of leadership amongst school staff (Wieczorek & Lear, 2018). In my observations, principals and the school executive team plan, negotiate and drive support for the implementation of program initiatives for the benefit of the school (Bustari, 2020). However, it is the contribution of other key roles such as the teacher librarian (TL), that combine to create a successful and innovative learning environment.

Having already acted in a teacher librarian role for a short time, I have had a glimpse of the valuable role TLs play within schools (Piper, 2021a). In collaboration with key members of my school community I partnered with class teachers to plan units of work, with the executive team to review and evaluate student learning and programs, and with the principal when initiating changes to the library. Although I recognised my experiences as one of collaboration, I was not aware of the leadership qualities that I already display and those I need to further develop. I was not fully aware of the leadership capacity in which I found myself.

I pondered the question, what makes a leader? Reading about leadership styles has made me understand the attributes of different leaders and how these can have a positive impact on organisational areas within the school (Lynch, 2016). I now have a greater understanding of the importance of collaboration and negotiation when working with members of the executive team, and how my knowledge as an information specialist can upskill and motivate classroom teachers (Merga, 2020). When I reflect on the many inspirational figures in my career that display leadership qualities, I can now identify specific leadership styles that contribute to the successful achievement of their roles (Piper, 2021b).

Learning about leadership has taught me to understand and appreciate the purpose of strategic planning. Strategic planning identifies the processes that need to occur for changes to happen within the school (Crowley, 2011). As part of the course content, I completed an exercise observing a range of school library vision and mission statements (Piper, 2021c). This highlighted the importance of being clear and succinct when writing these statements and how their differences are important for creating memorable statements that set the tone for strategic plans. I now understand that strategic plans are essential for negotiating and actioning change and improvements within school libraries.

A deeper understanding of leadership from a TL’s perspective has prompted me to question: how might I take this knowledge and apply it to my library and my role? Schools need libraries that are facilitated by qualified TLs (Australian School Library Association, 2019; Kammer et al., 2021). By recognising and sharing my expertise as an information specialist and intrinsically valuing the contributions I offer to my school team, I know I can make changes that will benefit students and staff alike in my school. By embedding general capabilities within my library program, I can share my knowledge in team teaching practices that will benefit our students who are learning essential skills for the 21st century. My focus on implementing strategies and tools, such as makerspaces, will ensure my students build confidence in information and digital literacies necessary for 21st century learning, (South, 2017).

Having now learnt about leadership qualities that are present and necessary in TLs, I now have specific ideas for change and innovation within my school library. I now feel better prepared as a TL leader to successfully navigate challenges and any resistance to change in developing a future ready library.

 

References

Australian School Library Association. (2019). What is a teacher librarian? ASLA: Australian School Library Association. https://asla.org.au/what-is-a-teacher-librarian

Bustari, M. (2020). The principal roles in making an excellent school library. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, 511, 123–127. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.201221.027

Crowley, J. D. (2011). Developing a vision: Strategic planning for the school librarian in the 21st century (2nd ed.). Libraries Unlimited.

Kammer, J., King, M., Donahay, A., & Koeberl, H. (2021). Strategies for successful school librarian and teacher collaboration. Research Journal of the American Association of School Librarians, 24, 1–24. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1292862.pdf

Lynch, M. (2016, August 7). 4 major types of educational leadership. The Edvocate. https://www.theedadvocate.org/4-major-types-of-educational-leadership/

Merga, M. K. (2020). School librarians as literacy educators within a complex role. Journal of Library Administration, 60(8), 889–908. https://doi.org/10.1080/01930826.2020.1820278

Piper, J. (2021a, July 21). Observations of leadership in the TL role. Lines of Thought: Reflections of a Teacher Librarian. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/jennyp/2021/07/22/observations-of-leadership-in-the-tl-role/

Piper, J. (2021b, September 22). Leading by example. Lines of Thought: Reflections of a Teacher Librarian. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/jennyp/2021/09/22/leading-by-example/

Piper, J. (2021c, September 22). Planning strategically. Lines of Thought: Reflections of a Teacher Librarian. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/jennyp/2021/09/22/planning-strategically/

South, S. (2017). School libraries as incubators – where good ideas hatch! Scan: The Journal for Educators, 36(1), 14–19. https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/professional-learning/scan/past-issues/vol-36–2017/school-libraries-as-incubators-where-good-ideas-hatch-

Wieczorek, D., & Lear, J. (2018). Building the “bridge”: Teacher leadership for learning and distributed organizational capacity for instructional improvement. International Journal of Teacher Leadership, 9(2). https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1202334.pdf

Leading by example

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When I think of those in my career who have been inspirational in my role as teacher and now as TL, I am forced to analyse the attributes of leadership they display. In particular the following attributes were evident in these mentors and colleagues: organised, flexible, knowledgeable, supportive, end-goal oriented and inclusive. It was interesting to note, not all of these people were leaders in the formal sense. Some were certainly part of executive teams, but others were classroom teachers, TLs and other support and administrative staff within schools. Clearly, leadership attributes are present in a diverse range of people who offer expertise and wisdom as educational leaders.

If I am to ‘lead’ from the middle as a TL, it is thus necessary that I also display these attributes with a conscientious motivation to be present, objective, proactive and resourceful. This ensures that the TL is an ever present and important member of the school community who can provide support in a myriad of ways. A well resourced and engaging school library, actively supports the vision of the school, highlights gaps in service provisions and assists in navigating the pathways for school staff to achieve educational agendas. This is becoming even more important as schools move towards creating learning environments for critically informed citizens of the future.

Planning strategically

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Strategic planning requires clear and transparent goals that engage key stakeholders in schools. These include leadership teams, teachers, students and the broader school community. Fundamental to illustrating these goals is the existence of vision and mission statements. Understanding the difference between the two, and their importance in strategic planning, is imperative to quickly establishing a profile of the school and the objectives they wish to achieve.

Bruce Johnson’s video highlights the difference between a mission and a vision statement. A mission statement describes the current principles and focus of an organisation, and a vision statement illustrates the aspirational goals of an organisation.

A series of videos presented by Erica Olsen, clearly explained the difference between the two statements and how a mission and vision statement can be written. I really liked how she provided clear checklists that keep the writer accountable for their statements. This led to an interesting exercise where I delved into my school’s vision statement and critically analysed it using the checklists. Interestingly, I found that although it was labeled a vision, it clearly displayed attributes of a mission statement. This was equally true for the school’s library vision statement. Moreover, the latter’s statement was not even titled as mission or vision, but rather purpose. It led me to think about how people may incorrectly percieve a school’s objectives and vision if such statements were incorrectly written and labelled.

Although there are many aspects of a school to consider when planning strategically, a key thought process was keeping accountable to the strategic objectives outlined by the SMART acronym. Keeping objectives Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-bound, ensures targets and goals set by the school leadership team can be realised within a reasonable time frame.

With this in mind, I begin to think about the role of the TL and their position within the school. Understanding curriculum needs, available resources, scope for improvement and projecture into a 21st century educational agenda and the needs of the students within the school, it is clear the TL has a valuable collaborative role to play within the school leadership team. Planning strategically for the future requires a key player who is central to the school and offers expertise in a range of educational agendas such as literacies, resources and curriculum.

Driving the change for children’s literature

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I have always been fond of reading. I distinctly remember a time I approached my librarian in primary school seeking something more challenging to read. I had read some of the so called classics, Anne of Green Gables, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Broken Fang to name a few. It was at this point my librarian introduced me to Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. It was amazing. It was the right challenge I needed at the time.

As a TL in a small school where reading had often been met with reluctance, in part due to the low learning abilities, I was always, and continue to do so, thinking and reflecting: what can I do in my library space to promote reading that is engaging, appropriately challenging and inspiring?

Reflecting back on my personal experience described earlier, I can see how the driver’s of change for the future of literacy engagement is not limited to the TL or children themselves. In my own school I am seeing a steady increase and positive attitude to reading and the opportunities literature provides. Students are seeking my expertise and knowledge in book recommendations, borrowing has significantly increased within the last few years. Of particular note, the restrictions presented by COVID-19 only made students more eager to literally get their hands on books. Borrowing has surged! I have since begun, what can only be described as book talks with less familiar texts, supporting discussions about genres, content and characters to name a few. I have set myself the challenge of reading a number of books myself to demonstrate to students that initiatives such as the Premier’s Reading Challenge can be achieved. These small changes are noted by students and fellow staff. Staff, similarly, are observing a shift in attitude to reading. By supporting the staff in recommending texts for inclusion in their teaching program, students are able to observe quality literature in all areas of their learning.

Children’s literature is changing. This is evident in the number of new books available in the market. The challenge is to maintain this momentum. Children will seek new books, new content or at the very least ‘something to read’. Teachers, parents and caregivers can support this yearn for language in providing literature for students. Author’s can continue to create quality literature by capturing content in new and creative ways. A key challenge for author’s then is to ensure their content is engaging. By recognising trends observed by children and so called gaps in information about particular content, author’s are best placed to shift the stagnant mentality and approach to reading. This is not to say author’s need to follow a particular ‘fad’. Quality children’s literature will last the through the ages, texts that have children coming back again and again and clamouring for more.

What is my vision for the future of children’s literature? I’d like to think that all children with a book in hand is a common and mainstream occurance. Imagine a place where children are excited by language in all facets of life. Literature that is filled with insight, that is clever, that explores imagery in creative ways posing questions of wonder, thoughts of awe and intrigue.