PART A: What makes an effective Teacher Librarian?
An effective teacher librarian is one who demonstrates leadership, collaboration, innovation, and supports the school community through the provision of services which enhance learning and wellbeing. It is someone who can position the Library as the heart of 21st century learning within the school and support whole school priorities relating to literacy, information fluency, inquiry learning and future-focused competencies. It is a deeply multi-faceted role which may appear different in varied school settings, and dependent on school needs and priorities, and thus it is vital for an effective TL to be flexible and able to adapt to change. An effective TL is someone who contributes deeply to the school community and can not only support but also lead positive and transformative change.
PART B: Reflection on learning
Out of the wealth of knowledge I have gained during the Masters of Education (Teacher Librarianship) course, three main learning themes have stood out as being vital and integral to my professional practice: Literature and literacy, 21st century learning, and leadership.
Literature and Literacy
I will admit that at the beginning of the course, I thought that literature and literacy sat at the heart of the teacher librarian role, and that my primary responsibility within a school would be to foster a love of recreational reading in my students. Looking back, I feel foolish: yes, the role includes this, but it certainly stretches far beyond this. In addition to supporting reading for pleasure and enjoyment, I came to realise how literature could support learning both within and beyond classrooms, and how fiction can enhance curriculum content and engage learners.
In this, I found ETL402 deeply inspirational, as it drew on my great passion for literature and my past career as an English teacher, and cemented and enhanced my appreciation for literary learning. Through the coursework, and my research into assessment tasks, I came to see fiction as a powerful tool for learning, due to its capacity to impact students on a more personal and emotive level as they read about experiences other than their own (Whitten, Labby & Sullivan, 2016). I learnt that fiction offered a gateway to learning which may not be possible in non-fiction, information texts such as subject textbooks, as they relate to fiction and the experiences of characters within literary texts (Monbiot, cited in Foran, 2018).
This inspired me to put this into practice in my teacher librarian role, and reach out to teachers about putting together a literary learning kit of literary texts for their subject area. I attended faculty meetings and advocated for ways I could help, drawing on my learning from ETL402 about the value of literary learning within HSIE classrooms and how fictional texts can support the acquisition of empathy and historical thinking (Papen & Peach, 2021; Cornett, 2014). As a result of this, I was soon asked to put together a resource kit for texts about the Holocaust for a Stage 5 History classroom of EALD learners:
Drawing directly on my learning from ETL402, and mimicking the final assessment task for this subject, I not only provided a set of texts but also included annotations for each text, offering ways texts could be utilised in the classroom. Within a History classroom, this included activities which fostered understanding and empathy and allowed students to consider the historical implications of the texts. The activities allowed students to situate the text within their historical knowledge, drawing on the Values and Attitudes K-10 from the NSW syllabus (NSW Education Standards Authority [NESA], 2012, p.12).
As a result of my M.Ed studies, I have realised how important it is to promote Library activities and to make them visible within the school, and as such, I have worked extensively to promote literature within the school, both within classrooms and across the wider school community. This has included writing regular newsletter articles, curating book displays, emailing parents, speaking at year assemblies to students, adding posts and photographs of Library resources in the daily notices and speaking at faculty meetings. This has helped to create a culture of reading, conversation about reading, and even a bit of healthy competition!
Throughout the degree, and especially during ETL503, I learnt about the importance of collection development and the need to develop and maintain an inclusive collection that represents diverse experiences. Hughes-Hassell (2013) describes the importance of ‘counter-storytelling’; that is, telling stories which might counter the dominant or privileged view of the world, and instead offer diverse experiences and perspectives. Collections should challenge students to see a broad range of perspectives and experiences, and should therefore reflect a broad range of multicultural perspectives, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives, LGBTQIA+ voices and people with disabilities. Furthermore, I discovered how important it is for students to be able to see themselves in the texts in the Library, and that I could not say my collection was inclusive or relevant to my school population unless this was true. As such, I drew on my skills in ETL503 to re-write my school’s collection development policy, particularly focusing on selection criteria. I also conducted a needs assessment in order to reveal gaps in the existing collection after an examination of the literary needs of my school context, which then resulted in further literary acquisitions (Kimmel, 2014). This resulted in a more diverse range of new books being bought for the library, including a range of text representing various cultures, Arabic language texts, LGBT+ texts, and texts representing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices.
Furthermore, I have learnt the importance of dynamic library spaces and have created regular book displays, which not only showcased our diverse collection of library books but actively encouraged discussion about books, in recognition that students often view reading as a ‘social activity’ and conversations about books could result in increased reading rates (Moeller & Becnel, 2019, p.203). I tried to pair book displays with interactive elements or passive programming, such as this display for Pride Month which displayed some of the Library’s LGBTQIA+ collection, but also included rainbow-coloured cardboard hearts which students could write messages of support and add to the ‘rainbow wall’.
21st century learning environments
In the 10 years I have been a teacher, there have been significant changes to learning environments, largely as a result of an increasingly complex and growing information landscape (O’Connell, 2014). Due to rapid technological advancements, this has necessitated an increasing focus on information literacy, and the need for students to be able to seek, locate, use and evaluate information effectively. An initial misconception of mine, which was exposed and challenged right back in ETL401, was that students, as frequent users of technology, were well-positioned to be able to navigate digital spaces and had the tools to process digital information. I quickly realised that students were not, after all, ‘digital natives’ and that specific information skills needed to be taught to ensure students were able to navigate the 21st century world (Coombes, 2009).
Rather than teaching information skills discretely, such as during one-off Library lessons, I discovered through the coursework in ETL401 that it was better embedded during inquiry units of work. I found the NSW Information Fluency Framework to be a useful guide as it offered a pathway for a TL to support learning and embed information literacy across the curriculum (NSW Department of Education, 2021). I was also particularly drawn to the Guided Inquiry process, due to its emphasis on engagement, focus on student emotions to guide where support and scaffolding need to take place, and the meaningful process of topic selection, exploration and creation that it embodies.
This guided inquiry process allows the skills to be more effectively embedded into curriculum content and ensures it is meaningful for students (Lance & Maniotes, 2020). Learning this inspired me to reach out to teachers to co-create an inquiry unit of work, wherein students were placed into the role of museum exhibit curators, and allowed me to explicitly teach effective search skills, including boolean operators and use of keywords, database searching, such as the State Library and National Library, as well as provide them with tools to evaluate information for currency, reliability and authenticity, and teach academic referencing.
I also used the Guided Inquiry Process to co-plan an inquiry unit for the Year 11 Extension English related research project, working collaboratively with the classroom teacher to use each step of the inquiry process to guide lesson planning:
The beauty of inquiry learning is that students are guided to think deeply and critically, form connections between information and existing knowledge, and apply it into new contexts. Rather than being something additional to ‘regular’ coursework, guided inquiry learning can deeply enhance course content and may actually assist to speed up the learning process, as students are not only engaged meaningfully but also develop critical independent thinking and learning skills, as well as the skills to locate, evaluate and use information (Kuhlthau, Maniotes & Caspari, 2012). Guided inquiry learning also allows students to develop vital future-focused competencies such as critical and creative thinking, collaboration, communication and ethical ways of thinking.
In addition to 21st century pedagogy, and the power of guided inquiry to create meaningful learning experiences for students, I have also learnt through the M.Ed (TL) course how a modern library can use digital spaces and resources to engage learning. Thinking back to early in the course, during ETL401, I reflected that my Library did not have many digital resources, and I will admit I struggled to even think of what sort of digital resources I would be able to add to my collection. As a school, we had a Clickview subscription, but what else was there? I felt we were unlikely to purchase a subscription to an online encyclopedia.
However, through my study of ETL501 I was enlightened and inspired, as I came to realise a digital collection did not just involve acquisition of paid resources, but involved the careful collation and curation of online resources (Oddone, 2018). I discovered that I was well-positioned to create digital research guides and learning objects as this would be an essential part of my future career, one which would enable me to support learning across the curriculum (Oberg, 2007). Whilst I had some initial hesitation about this – what could I, a teacher librarian, offer classroom teachers who had extensive subject-specific knowledge? – throughout this subject, I not only gained skills but I also gained confidence. Ultimately, I was immensely proud of the digital resource guide I created for the assessment task, and this led to me sharing this with teachers at my school as an example of my work, which then resulted in teachers asking me to create resource guides for specific topics.
Leadership
Prior to the M.Ed course, I hadn’t really considered that a Teacher Librarian could be a leader within the school, as I’d never had an appropriate model for it. Sadly, the TL’s I had worked with during my classroom teaching career seemed to be almost the antithesis of leadership. In ETL504, I initially struggled with placing the TL into a concept map of school leadership, because leadership was something that only the senior executive staff did, right?
Wrong.
ETL504 deeply resonated with me, as I began to rethink the nature of leadership, and learn how the changing 21st century school environment offered the chance to move on from the traditional ‘top down’ approach to leadership, and recognise expertise and leadership skills throughout the entire school community. I began to not only recognise what makes an effective leader, but also to recognise the leadership qualities and potential within myself, and how the role of the TL was well-situated to demonstrate leadership. I was inspired by the idea of ‘leading from the middle’ (Gottlieb, 2012) and how I could actively enrich the school through promoting and having confidence in my own expertise.
I also became aware that many teachers already considered me to be a leader in pedagogical practice, programming, and inquiry . I’d had the opportunity to mentor colleagues throughout my career, especially early-career teachers and those teaching HSC courses for the first time, and this was amplified once I stepped into the TL role. I identified in myself many qualities of servant leadership, due to my ability to build rapport, foster positive, respectful and trusting relationships with colleagues and offer guidance in collaborative, rather than hierarchical, ways (Bier, 2021). Through this subject, I was inspired to even more deeply lean into this role. Instead of merely being open and willing to assist and lead colleagues, I went to greater lengths to initiate them, particularly in regards to inquiry learning, information literacy, the integration of digital technologies and literary learning. Through reflection on my own career as an English teacher, I was reminded just how time-poor classroom teachers are, and how this may impact on their willingness to initiate or try new pedagogical approaches (Sheerman & Fitzgerald, 2019). The subject made me realise that it wasn’t sufficient to be available as an instructional partner – I needed to be an instructional leader (Baker, 2016).
However, I also became aware that there is often a lack of knowledge about the TL role and many subjects, starting with ETL401, expressed concern about the ‘invisibility’ of the profession (Bonanno, 2015) and the need to strongly advocate and communicate my role. As a result of this, I reached out to colleagues, invited contact, advocated for my role, and demonstrated I could effectively provide assistance.
In addition to supporting colleagues in a servant leadership role, ETL504 inspired me to lead major programs within my school which related to whole-school priorities, including a cross-curricular Year 8 Group Challenge which allowed students to engage in an open-ended, real-world problem which drew on the Cross-Curricular Priorities and General Capabilities of the Australian Curriculum. Undertaking the M.Ed (TL) course gave me the confidence to recognise I was capable of undertaking this due to my knowledge of the General Capabilities and the ‘bird’s eye view’ of curriculum I was gaining through my role (Lupton, 2014, p.22).
By running this project, I was not only about to draw on my knowledge of the General Capabilities and the leadership skills I had developed, but was also able to position the library as the heart of 21st century learning within the school, and a place from which I could support whole-school priorities, enhance learning, and offer expertise.
PART C: Self-evaluation
Similar to the Professional Teaching Standards, the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) Standards for Professional Excellence provide teacher librarians with a framework for both reflecting on current competencies and planning for future goals and professional development. It is organised into the following strands: Professional Knowledge, Professional Practice and Professional Commitment (Australian Library and Information Association [ALIA] & Australian School Library Association [ASLA], 2004).
When reflecting on Standard 1: Professional Knowledge, I can recognise that I have gained a vast amount of knowledge over the previous two years of work and study. I have a comprehensive understanding of the principles of lifelong learning, and the need to equip students with the tools to not only navigate their schooling, but also to prepare them for their future lives and careers. As a TL, I endeavour to support the acquisition of literacy, information fluency, digital competencies and critical thinking through constructivist pedagogies, collaborative planning and teaching, and inquiry learning, working to support learning across the entire school community. I have gained a thorough understanding of managing a modern library and how to create inclusive and enriching physical and digital spaces which support learning and wellbeing.
Considering Standard 2: Professional Practice, I can reflect on my attainment of these goals through initiating ongoing enrichment programs such as the Year 8 Group Challenge and collaboratively planning and creating units of work and resources which respond to school needs. However, one area which has still needed further development is budgeting, policy and procedures. At the end of the last year, I was able to update my collection development policy, drawing on the resources from ETL503, but I found it a complex task which did not come easily to me. Similarly, I am still developing the confidence to submit greater budget requests, or work out where to start with updating aspects of my Library – at times it seems like an insurmountable and expensive task! This is a goal for me, moving forward into 2023.
Standard 3: Professional Commitment offers both pride in my professional accomplishments and a clear direction forward for my future career. Whilst I believe I have successfully met some of the criteria, such as ‘foster a reading culture’ through promoting literature, and by demonstrating ‘collegiality’ through mentoring colleagues, I recognise I need to work harder to engage in professional communities outside my school. I have started this by reaching out to TLs at other local schools to organise chances to meet throughout the year to share ideas, but a very important piece of advice I gained through the study visits of ETL512 was the need to create an online professional learning network. As the sole TL at my school, it is important that I am connecting with other TLs via social media, Yammer and Microsoft Teams. I think this will be a valuable way of gaining ideas, advice and sharing knowledge, as well as feeling supported and connected within the profession.
Ultimately, this course has changed me, inspired me and educated me in profound ways. I could never have anticipated at the start of the course how deeply complex and muti-faceted the TL role could be – or how absolutely enjoyable and fulfilling it would turn out to be.
References
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