When I commenced ETL504, my understanding of how the teacher librarian can be a leader within the school was limited. My learning goal was to understand the various leadership roles of the teacher librarian with a particular focus on curriculum development (Walmsley, 2020a). Throughout ETL504, I have come to understand the various leadership styles that can be used by the teacher librarian. Smith (2016) highlights how leadership style greatly affects the effectiveness of the school and this concept can be reflected in the teacher librarian and the success of their library. Another aspect to teacher librarian leadership that is just as important is the qualities that the teacher librarian demonstrates. Sutcliffe (2013) provides a succinct summary of the leadership qualities I aim to incorporate into my leadership practice including courage, passion, empathy and resilience. In addition to curriculum leadership, I have also become familiar with the teacher librarian leading from pedagogical and technology perspectives. Braxton (2013) describes how the teacher librarian possesses a unique skillset in pedagogy, curriculum and technology matters that places them in an ideal position to lead those initiatives in schools. As the educational landscape continuously adapts and shifts to incorporate new pedagogy and technology developments, the teacher librarian is at the helm of change. Oberg (2011) discusses how the teacher librarian is pivotal in school culture changes as they are heavily involved in curriculum implementation and developing teacher understanding in pedagogy and technology. A critical aspect to these leadership roles and qualities is to increase advocacy for the library. As ESBCO (2017) highlights, teacher librarians must compete with other education aspects however the teacher librarian contributing to leadership in schools can help advocate for the library.
My learning experiences throughout ETL504 have also contributed to my understanding of how the teacher librarian leads. In the discussion forum for mission and vision statements, I recognise the importance of having a clear understanding of current library practice as well as where the library will be in the future (Walmsley, 2020b). The case studies have aided in my understanding of how to identify issues in scenarios and develop strategies to overcome those issues. The case studies have also strengthened my ability to communicate, collaborate and manage my time effectively. My ThinkSpace blog post on Conflict Resolution has allowed me to develop this leadership skill, which I was initially lacking confidence in (Walmsley, 2020c).
All of these learning experiences have culminated in a deeper understanding of how the teacher librarian can lead in a school. The next step is to integrate this understanding into my future practice as a leader. The understanding of leadership styles has allowed me to envision the type of leader I would like to be in my school library. I would prefer to take a servant, instructional and transformational leadership approach as they focus on supporting colleagues and incorporate innovation (Beswick, 2018; Crippen & Willows, 2019) however I also understand the leadership style I use may adapt to the context in which the library exists. Miller (2018) has provided inspiration and confidence for me to emerge as a teacher librarian leader through providing strategies to follow in my practice. Miller (2018) recommends teacher librarians in leadership positions have a solid understanding of their role within the school. Once foundational understandings of the role are strong, the teacher librarian can then exude confidence in the role. Miller (2018) also suggests that teacher librarian leaders demonstrate effective listening skills with all users, provide various resources to meet needs of school community as well as demonstrate effective reciprocal communication.
References:
Beswick, C. (2018). Why innovation requires transformational leadership. https://thefutureshapers.com/innovation-requires-transformational-leadership/
Braxton, B. (2013, December 11). The leader’s hat. 500 Hats. https://500hats.edublogs.org/2013/12/11/the-leaders-hat/
Crippen, C., & Willows, J. (2019). Connecting teacher leadership and servant leadership: A synergistic partnership. Journal of Leadership Education, 18(2). https://journalofleadershiped.org/jole_articles/connecting-teacher-leadership-and-servant-leadership-a-synergistic-partnership/
EBSCO. (2017). Advocacy and the 21st century school librarian: Challenges and best practice. https://www.ebscohost.com/assets-whitepapers/Advocacy_and_the_21st_Century_School_Librarian-EBSCO-Whitepaper.pdf
Miller, A. (2018). Demystifying librarian leadership: Five ways to find your leadership voice. KnowledgeQuest. https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/demystifying-librarian-leadership-five-ways-find-leadership-voice/
Oberg, D. (2011). Teacher librarians as cultural change agents. SCIS Connections, 79, 1-4. https://www.scisdata.com/media/1353/connections-79.pdf
Smith, B. (2016). The role of leadership style in creating a great school. SELU Research Review Journal, 1(1), 65-78. https://selu.usask.ca/documents/research-and-publications/srrj/SRRJ-1-1-Smith.pdf
Sutcliffe, J. (2013). The eight qualities of successful school leaders. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2013/sep/24/eight-qualities-successful-school-leaders
Walmsley, N. (2020a, March 6). Teacher librarian as leader – Initial thoughts. ThinkSpace. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/nicolawalmsleyblog/2020/03/06/teacher-librarian-as-leader-initial-thoughts/
Walmsley, N. (2020b, May 7). RE: 1b. Sacred Heart [Comment on “1b. Sacred Heart]. https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/message?action=list_messages&course_id=_44236_1&nav=discussion_board_entry&conf_id=_88817_1&forum_id=_180721_1&message_id=_2646038_1
Walmsley, N. (2020c, March 27). Conflict resolution – Self assessment. ThinkSpace. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/nicolawalmsleyblog/2020/03/27/conflict-resolution-self-assessment/
