Part B – Critical Reflection

This subject has significantly broadened my understanding of leadership and the teacher librarian’s (TL) role in leading and enacting change. When I first began as a TL, I focused on programming and managing library tasks. I saw my role in terms of a teacher and library manager. However, through this subject, I have come to understand that teacher librarians are not just support staff, but leaders who influence teaching, learning, and whole-school improvement.

Prior to this subject, I had never encountered the concept of middle leadership or the idea of “leading from the middle.” Learning about organisational structures helped me better understand how leadership functions in schools and how I, as a TL, can influence change by building strong relationships and collaborating with others. Without realising it, I had already started forming connections and building trust with colleagues — something Pentland (2023) identifies as central to the TL’s role (Pentland, 2023). Through communication and connection, colleagues started to advocate for me, sharing their positive experiences and encouraging others to engage with my work (Pentland 2023). I now recognise the importance of these relational and communication skills in building credibility and influence across the school.

Learning about leadership theory enabled me to reflect on past experiences with school leadership. Smith (2016) challenged my assumptions about leadership styles, helping me see that many leaders move between styles, rather than fitting one (Smith, 2016). At a previous school, although the principal asked for staff input, teachers felt excluded due to lacked trust and support, particularly when dealing with difficult student behaviours. As Smith (2016) explains, organisational school culture shapes the values, beliefs, and perceptions teachers hold about themselves and others (Smith, 2016). At this school, organisational school culture negatively impacted staff morale, ultimately reducing teachers’ self-efficacy and willingness to collaborate with senior executives. This understanding of school culture has deepened my awareness of the cultural dynamics that shape leadership in schools.

Strategic planning has been invaluable to my career as a TL. I now feel confident in designing change initiatives aligned with school priorities and communicating them clearly with my school community. Kotter’s 8 step change model resonated with me in providing a step-by-step guide to structure change and manage the change process (Madsen, 2016), I plan to use it in my future leadership efforts.

The final assessment, creating a strategic plan, brought my learning full circle. I returned to the heart of TL practice: supporting students. Choosing “reading” as a key focus allowed me to reconnect with the importance of reading for pleasure. The research from Australia Reads(n.d.) and Gagen-Spriggs (2024) affirmed the TL’s vital role in promoting reading, supporting increased browsing, and curating collections (Australia Reads, n.d.; Gagen-Spriggs, 2024). While the labels used in these studies varied, the shared message was clear: teacher librarians must lead efforts to foster joyful, meaningful reading experiences. This full circle moment rounds out the degree for me in having students and reading at the centre of TL life.

In the future, I will actively seek opportunities to lead collaborative planning with classroom teachers, using my understanding of middle leadership to align library programs with whole-school literacy goals. I also plan to use Kotter’s change model when proposing future changes to library processes and programs, to ensure staff buy-in and long-term success.

 

References

Australia Reads. (n.d.). Understanding Australian Readers Executive Summary. Australia Reads[pdf]. https://australiareads.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Understanding-Australian-Readers-Executive-Summary.pdf

Gagen-Spriggs, K. (2024). The influence of teacher librarians on reading for pleasure. Access (Caulfield East), 37(3), 7–14.

Madsen, S. (2016). Kotter’s 8 step change management model [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qlJ_Y8w5Yk

Pentland, C. (2023). School Librarians ARE Teachers and Instructional Leaders. Knowledge Quest, 52(1), 4-6. https://ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/school-librarians-are-teachers-instructional/docview/2890975876/se-2

Smith, B. (2016). The role of leadership style in creating a great school. SELU Research Review Journal, 1(1), 65-78.