A reflection in response to Karen Bonanno’s speech:
When I first mentioned to someone that I was thinking about doing my Masters in Teacher Librarianship, I was met with: “Do they still have those?” I’ll admit it made me take a long pause, so long in fact that I decided not to apply for the course. I had a permanent position as a high school English teacher in a public school – did I really want to risk that job security by studying for something that maybe wouldn’t exist in a few years time? I have since been lucky enough to have been awarded the position of TL in my new school, which clearly values the role and what I have to offer, yet I am still finding myself constantly explaining what it is I do, or why my role is necessary, and even why I have to study a Master degree to train as a TL!
My take home message from Bonanno’s speech is that we need to look at the changing role of the TL as a “glass half full” opportunity to re-evaluate our worth and necessity in the school setting, rather than a “glass half empty” approach. Don’t defend your job and why it is important – decide how you can make your position so invaluable that you don’t have to. The five finger plan was excellent (despite the fact it came from Donald Trump, but I digress) and something that I will take away to think how this applies to how I use my position throughout my degree and within my school.
