Over the last decade my experience as a teacher has varied from a casual teacher, to becoming a temporary EALD teacher, to temporary RFF teacher and then to becoming a mother and taking a step back from teaching for 6 years. I have been fortunate to be in a teacher librarian role for nearly two years (it’s only a temporary but I may be made permanent at the end of the term, if all goes to plan). I entered this chapter of my life with new eyes and life experiences and as I reflect on this exciting journey of becoming a qualified teacher librarian I feel my view of the role of teacher librarian has altered dramatically since the day I started teaching.

My motivation for becoming a teacher was my passion to shape young minds and leave a positive impact on students as teachers from my own school years have had on me. I felt I would have the greatest impact in achieving this passion by becoming a classroom teacher. My views all began to change during my first casual teaching day as a teacher librarian. I began to realise the integral role of a teacher librarian and the massive impact they have on not only shaping students but on the school as a whole. As I delve deeper into the life of a teacher librarian I feel I am constantly peeling back the many layers that make up the role of teacher librarian.

The day I finally had my own library to manage I soon realised it was far more involved than simply managing resources, supporting staff and encouraging students to read. My initial challenge was working out my role and responsibilities because unlike a classroom teacher, who has a whole team to work with and bounce ideas off, I was the only person working in the library. To overcome this hurdle I began to research. I discovered that the teacher librarian’s role included being involved in collaborative teaching and learning, school curriculum planning and program development with information literacy embedded throughout (NSW Department of Education, 2016). A teacher librarian manages the systems and procedures included in budgeting, the library catalogue, processing materials, circulation and stock control (NSW Department of Education, 2016). It is essential the whole school community values the school library and as a teacher librarian it is our responsibility to ensure our skill set is promoted and benefits all library uses (Kemp, 2018).

The role of a teacher librarian is vast to say the least and I know I have a long way to go in this journey. As a lifelong learner I am excited to continue to peel away at the many layers that make up the role of a teacher librarian to best support my school community.

Reference

NSW Department of Education (2016). Library Policy- Schools. Retrieved from https://education.nsw.gov.au/policy-library/policies/library-policy-schools

Kemp, J. (2018). Ten ways to advocate for your role as a teacher librarian. SCIS Connections. 103. Retrieved from https://www.scisdata.com/connections/issue-103/ten-ways-to-advocate-for-your-role-as-a-teacher-librarian/