I used to think of literacy as only one aspect of my work as a teacher librarian (TL). I held on to an outdated notion of literacy as only about reading and writing. My definition of literacy has evolved. I now see that literacy learning underpins all facets of my role. Literacy learning involves integrating […]
Role of teacher librarian
Children’s literature: A starting point
If I am being honest, my personal knowledge of children’s literature is limited. I have never really been a reader. This is kind of embarrassing to admit considering my choice to become a teacher librarian. When I told friends that my next career move was to become a librarian, they laughed at me. Over the […]
The art of curation
I have always known that collection development is an act of curation. I used to believe that curation was some sort of osmosis that I, as the teacher librarian, would have with the school community. I would just know what to purchase. The first challenge to my beliefs was being confronted by the complexity of […]
Selection Criteria: A perfect fit
Photo by Eliott Reyna on Unsplash I have found it a really interesting process to create selection criteria to support collection development related to my specific school context. I believe that Hughes-Hassell and Mancall’s (2005) criteria is excellent because it calls on the teacher librarian to address the individual and often complex needs of their […]
Collections & Community
I have posted about the value of collaboration before, and I believe that collaboration is a central aspect of the teacher librarian’s role. While collaboration is important for all teachers, a teacher librarian expertly liaises with all stakeholders, demonstrating leadership, negotiation and communication skills in the process. As I consider collection management, I reflect back […]
Call to action
As I hold a position of responsibility, I had some understanding of leadership but my beliefs have evolved. Looking back on my first blog post, Miller, 2023, February 19, I identified a connection between leadership and strategic planning, but I strangely thought innovative leadership involved subverting the strategic plan. I felt that school vision and […]
Planning for the unknown
“Schools can prepare them for jobs that have not yet been created, for technologies that have not yet been invented, to solve problems that have not yet been anticipated” (Schleicher, 2018, p. 2) These words resonated with me this week. I was struck by the enormity of the situation we find ourselves in, with the […]
Shifting the paradigm…
Schools have a defined structure, culture and social fabric that is unique to them. When educational change and the unique influences of a school are considered, what is a major shift in one school might be common practice at another. I can only speak from my current experience and the cultural environment of my school. […]
Participatory Digital Spaces
“If librarians are teaching students complex, higher-level concepts, shouldn’t course guides reflect this shift?” (Stone, Lowe and Maxson, 2018, p. 281) The construction of research guides are a key part of the teacher librarian’s (TL) role and more complex than I imagined. As a 21st century librarian, I have learnt that limitless technology options allow […]
Assignment 3
My understanding of Information Literacy (IL), inquiry learning and the role of the teacher librarian (TL) has grown exponentially. Looking back to The Role of Teacher Librarians in schools, I began ETL401 with a limited view of the role of the TL. Interestingly, while my understanding wasn’t nuanced, I intuitively knew that collaboration was vital, […]