Throughout the duration of this degree, the Australian School Library Association & Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) standards of professional excellence (2004) have been a guiding document in developing my professional skills, attitudes and ongoing learning. My professional knowledge, practice and commitment has grown during each session and supported throughout each unit I’ve participated in.
Professional Knowledge
As established in my first blog post (Bernard, 2019a) I came to this degree with limited teaching experience and zero experience within a school library. Whilst embarking on this Masters with an abundance of enthusiasm within my first subject, my professional knowledge expanded including the professional practice expected of a TL and a richer understanding of the use of information services (Bernard, 2019b). A strong focus for development of my professional knowledge falls under Standard 1.4 (ALIA, 2004).Resource management was introduced to me during ETL503 and ETL505 and highlighted crucial nature of a excellently managed and resourced school library to support the needs of the community and develop an environment that supports 21st century learners. In furthering this, on my placement at a local public library I witnessed the support of the wider community through programs and quality resources. This knowledge is transferable to when I’m active in a teacher librarian position.
Professional Practice
One challenge I faced throughout this degree is not having active participation in a school library and to physically implement the theoretical knowledge into practice. Whilst the standards require practical experience to be considered excellent, I feel supported by the knowledge and assignments presented throughout this course to ensure when applied in practice I will have a quality understanding of what is required. An example of this would be INF533 Digital Storytelling Project (Bernard, 2019c). This assignment created opportunities to explore, create and nurture an information-rich learning environment, actively incorporating and understanding the nature of ICT for educational purposes. In conjunction with the reflection aspect of the assessment and comments from the marker, I was able to engage in a teaching practice and improve my learning and teaching skills before applying this within a practical setting. One area of standard 2.3 I wish to improve is strategically planning and budgeting for services and programs as I feel I have limited experience in the practicality of this standard.
Professional Commitment
Once again, I come back to Short (2018)’s article as discussed in my ETL402 blog post (Bernard, 2021). The resonance the article had highlights my drive for empowerment of others, the emphasis on needing to support and implement possible changes and actively engage in leadership styles that support all the needs of the community. Through the use of INF447 I am able to recognise evidence-based research and practices and use these to support debates on issues and promote the importance of teacher librarians to the wider community. Each unit undertaken in this degree has provided the structure to continue to develop my skills as a practitioner and utilise the skills of a leader learnt from ETL504 (Bernard, 2020) to further enhance the library structures within the school environment.
My initial understanding of the role of a teacher librarian (TL) was sheltered (Bernard, 2019a) focusing on the books and students. This conceptualization has grown into a rich and deep understanding of the value of TLs outside of creating a safe library and maintaining books. The contribution TLs can make to the students, staff and wider school community embrace many roles such as being an information specialist, literacy advocator and quality investigator, tech-support, leaders of a changing curriculum and more. I shall be focusing on my growth in my understanding of literature, in all its forms, ICT in schools and leadership capabilities.
Literature
Before diving into this course, I had just finished my undergraduate degree in primary teaching and I would have confidently described my theoretical knowledge of ‘literature’ as sound. I understood the importance of having quality literature to effectively teach students a variety of skills within the classroom. Throughout the duration of this course my understanding of literature has shifted to encompass the dynamic nature of literature and diverse media and modes available for consumption.
Literature has taken on a new identity with the development of my understanding and encompasses not just the formats available but also the ability to create and respond to texts, understanding and appreciating the enrichment brought to individuals and the larger society (Johnston, 2014). Literature practices have expanded to incorporate 21st century skills due to the ever-shifting nature of the digital world. INF533 continually shifted the way in which I looked at literature within the digital world – expanding further than just eBooks (Bernard, 2019c) and demonstrating the tools and practices available to ensure the selection of quality digital literature, to be discussed further in Information Communication Technology.
This course has left me with a passion to seek out various forms of literature and explore their application in a dynamic and unique way. Using all formats of literature as a teaching tool to explore concepts, relate ideas and support students, staff and the school as a whole has become a focus to shift my teaching practices into a 21st century style.
One implication that has resonated throughout my degree is looking at the future of children’s literature. ETL402 directly asked for our vision for the future of children’s literature (Bernard, 2021) and I continually think on this topic. Short (2018) had a deep impact on my understanding of the trends within children’s literature currently. Progressing through the course we’ve been taught one method for students to promote and foster reading is through engagement with texts where they are represented (Short, 2018). My understanding of the lack of diversity in children’s literature and the responsibility for TLs to foster an environment where learners are encouraged and empowered to read (ALIA, 2004) has continued to grow and as a response committed to actively participate and foster reading cultures within a school.
Furthermore, the development of advocacy as a TL provides opportunities to facilitate literacy learning through application of diverse high-quality literature. A practice I have developed is being actively engaged in a variety of sources to seek out unique, relatable literature, one example would be attending the virtual event 2021 Diversity in Children’s Literature Symposium. The discussions through using children’s literature to educate and acknowledge attitudes about racism, sexism and transphobia to daydream for a better future (Library of Congress, 2021) highlighted the importance of using literature as a learning tool and the capabilities available to TLs and classroom teachers.
Due to being new to the field, ETL503 introduced concepts such as collection management and acquisition. The use of strategic documents and policies are necessary to become an effective TL and this knowledge is crucial for the development of a quality library. Application of my growing understanding is not currently possible, however, on placement I was able to have in-depth discussion with the acquisitions manager and their policies and processes and I could see the theoretical knowledge in action, whilst aware of the difference in a public setting to a school library.
Without practical experiences within a school setting, my options are limited for reflection on the success of changes my theoretical knowledge has undergone whilst completing this course. INF447 has developed my understanding of evidence-based practices supported by research and introduced the Teacher Librarians as Australia Literature Advocates in Schools (TLALAS) project. Merga (2019) highlights the characteristics of support to foster a whole school reading culture. When applicable, I can apply these practices for the betterment of students, staff and the school community as a whole.
As I continue to develop my understanding and knowledge surrounding literature, there are further impacts on my development and practices in relation to information literacy and seeking out high-quality literature to demonstrate information literacy skills to students and staff. I will confidently advocate for the high-quality literature to be accessible to all and for diversity within literature to be included. To be an effective and responsive TL, my responsibility is to be a driver of change (Bernard, 2021) and provide valuable resources for every student, staff and community member to see themselves within.
Information and Communications Technology
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are prevalent in today’s digital society and to prepare students for the 21st century world, schools and TLs need to equip students with the skills to navigate this world. This course has emphasised the importance of developing systems, ideas and a deep understanding of how ICT can be effectively utilised within the classroom and school library. Each unit has offered unique ways in addressing ICT within schools and the opportunities for students available when implemented in programs and services effectively. A successful pedagogy towards technology utilises the high-quality literature available through discussion and analysis to engage students in long term value of literature, rather than approaching technology as a ‘hook’ to gain fleeting engagement and attention.
Learning and engaging with reading has stark differences throughout the changing of generations (Ng & Graham, 2017) and as a result the current generation of children and young people act differently towards digital devices. Teacher librarians are able to support this shift in engagement and use ICT to present multimodal texts on digital devices, exploring a range of literary devices and skills through the different mediums. Student engagement with high-quality digital literature was a strong focus throughout the course and provided a foundation in which my understanding of successful use of ICT has grown.
Le & Huynh (2015)
The implementation of ICTs to support literacy learning has been a strong focus throughout this degree. A learning moment of mine was the different capabilities of ICT to enhance learning, in particular, a stand-out was using The Boat (Le & Huynh, 2015) to develop visual literacy and provide authentic interactivity to students. My confidence to deep dive into the choices of ICT and digital literature available and learning to be selective was a supported learning curve throughout this course (Bernard, 2019c) and improved my understanding of how to implement ICT in unique ways.
One joyous moment throughout my studies was the creation of my own ‘digital text’ using ICT (Bernard, 2019d).
Whilst I acknowledge it is not high-quality literature, the experience opened my eyes to the opportunities for students to create their own literature and delve deeper into their learning about literature through this creation process. Similarly to learning to read and write, we get better with practice, and one implementation I’d love to make in a school library is the use of ICT to create digital narratives for students to have available to view and engage with outside of classroom and library lesson times.
One thing I wish to challenge is the term ‘digital native’ coined by Prensky in 2001, as it was thrown around throughout the course and this term is a myth (Kirschner & De Bruyckere, 2017). Regardless of age, students are not adept at using ICT because they are born of a younger generation, merely exposed to it younger and have more experiences. The importance for TLs to not apply this term is that students who are not raised with devices, due to numerous circumstances, may not be as efficient in utilising ICT. Furthermore, a focus for TLs is creating digitally literate students who are able to navigate the digital world safely and critically analyse the content they are consuming on these devices, similarly to critically analysing physical text-based forms.
In response to this, accessibility of ICTs is a concern that all TLs need to be conscious of. Students are impacted by a range of social and educational inequalities that impact on their access to technology (Wolf, 2014). A key responsibility of TLs is to ensure that we are not romanticising technology or using those ‘hooks’ rather exploring social, economic and political challenges and providing the skills for students to move into the digital areas, even when not always available outside of a school setting. An important note is that whilst ICTs are important to use in schools to raise 21st century learners, conscious thought needs to go into the activities that are going home and the experiences students may have with an online school environment, when there is no online at home.
It is the responsibility of a TL to ensure that students are able to successfully use appropriate and relevant ICTs (Standards, 2004) and one professional practice I would like to implement as a facilitator of this information is the continual improvement in my own skills to engage students in quality activities and do away with using ICTs as a ‘hook’. I believe to accomplish this through professional development training, as well as working independently on my hobbies that pertain to this area.
Leadership
Teacher librarians play an important role as advocates for literature, ICT and collaboration. TLs have a responsibility to demonstrate leadership within school and professional communities (Standards, 2004). Initially, due to my lack of practical experience within a school setting, the idea of being a leader was petrifying. My ideas of leadership were ones of the typical business model (Bernard, 2020a), however, through the support of this course, especially ETL504, and developing my professional skills and attitudes, I feel confident in introducing positive leadership styles to promote whole-school focuses on information literacy and collaboration between all active parties involved in the school environment.
Personally, leadership has always been a concept I’ve struggled with, however, looking back on the personal and professional growth I’ve had in the past 2 and a half years highlights the importance of good leadership and the necessity of being a good leader, even outside “leadership positions”. Without direction and support from the TL, there may be a crucial element missing from the promotion of information literacy and the collaboration between teams maximising skills, services and programs offered by the TL (Bernard, 2019b).
As discussed earlier, advocating for high-quality diverse literature in a range of formats is essential for students to have relatable experiences when interacting and learning from literature. As teacher librarians we are in the most optimal position to push for these changes and implement positive focuses at a school and community level. By adopting a transformational leadership style and encouraging collaboration with teachers, administrators, students and the community form partnerships and build effective teams who all have the same vision in establishing students as lifelong users and creators of information (Bishop, 2011).
The transformational leadership style adopted by TLs is encouraged in the ALIA Standards (2004) as this style focuses on strategies and goals to incite others to high levels of performance through team-building, motivation and collaboration. Changes such as advocating for quality literature, collaborating to have ICT teaching and learning experiences in all areas of the school community and strengthening the school’s vision (Colvin, 2002) with students at the forefront are possible through active use of transformational leadership. The importance for strong leadership and fostering positive changes within the school community allow for better teaching and learning experiences. TLs need to be flexible in their strategies to address the needs of every student and as INF447 as taught, use data-led insights to support decisions to better address the needs of individuals.
Servant, instructional, distributed and transformational leadership all place emphasis on collaboration as a key component to successful implementation within a school setting. A TL is often a lone figure and through collaboration quality learning experiences are provided for all stakeholders within the community. The benefits of collaboration have continued to be addressed throughout this course, outside of leadership opportunities. It is through collaboration that strong bonds and connections are made to support students in all areas and the implementation of quality literature and use of ICT are enacted in positive collaborative approaches. Deringer (2013) articulated the simplicity for inspiring collaboration with 4 main points. The 3rd point “Don’t be afraid to say something” was lacking in my professional ability when in an RFF position, however, my professional and personal growth in this area presented itself when on placement. Consistently in meetings and discussions with the team I would contribute ideas to lead the changes happening and supported my suggestions with the knowledge I had acquired on this course.
A reminder in these situations is also the importance of context and leadership styles present in each facility. The school itself did not have a strong library focus and the previous librarian had not taken any leadership positions within the school, so the perception of the library itself was undervalued by the leadership teams at this point (Bernard, 2020b). On placement, the passion for all library activities and funding were available to drive forth change and support for the local community, making it a different environment to experience and this would have an impact on the ability to take direction and lead.
Taking on a transformational leadership role provides the opportunities for teacher librarians to have a strong and decisive voice within the school community. The TL should be focused on the school goals and vision, enabling their passion to promote policies, activities and implementation of programs to best assist the school community in reaching these goals. Collaboration with staff, students and key stakeholders creates a unified school culture and allows opportunities for all voices to be heard and the best decision to support students made.
Each subject within this degree has formed a foundation on which to stand when I am working in the library and information services realm, whether in a school or out. I am beyond thankful for this course providing a wealth of experiences in which I can venture forth and become an excellent librarian.
Part B – References
Anderson, K. (2016). Librarians… [Image]. http://lunastationquarterly.com/more-to-librarians-than-a-stereotype/
Bishop, K. (2011). Connecting libraries with classrooms. Linworth.
Colvin, G. (2002). Managing in the info ear. Fortune, 141 (5)
Deringer, S. (2013). Inspire Collaboration: A Quick and Easy Guide for Super Busy School Librarians. INALJ. Retrieved 15 September 2021, from http://inalj.com/?p=40373.
Johnston, R. (2014). Literary Literacies: Digital, cultural, narrative, critical and deep literacies. In Winch, G., Ross Johnston, R., Ljungdahl, L., & Holliday, M. (Eds.), Literacy: Reading, writing and children’s literature (5th ed., pp. 537-545). Oxford University Press.
Kirschner, P., & De Bruyckere, P. (2017). The myths of the digital native and the multitasker. Teaching And Teacher Education, 67, 135-142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2017.06.001
Ng, C., & Graham, S. (2017). Engaging readers in the twenty-first century: what we know and need to know more. In C. Ng & B. Bartlett, Improving Reading and Reading Engagement in the 21st Century: International Research and Innovation. (pp. 17-46). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-4331-4_2.
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants Part 1. On The Horizon, 9(5), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1108/10748120110424816
Short, K. (2018). What’s trending in children’s literature and why it matters. Language
Arts, 95(5), 287-298.
Wolf, S. (2014). Children’s literature on the digital move. Reading Teacher, 67(6), 413- 417. https://doi-org.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/10.1002/trtr.1235
An effective teacher librarian (TL) is one who has the needs of the students, staff and school community at the heart of their actions. Effective TLs implement services and programs that encourage lifelong learning and ensure resources in all formats are accessible, rich, engaging and relevant to the current and future curriculum and pedagogies. Through inspirational and transformational leadership styles, TLs build a culture of innovation, learning and digital citizenship to support the development of thriving 21st century learners and staff. An effective TL excels at juggling the numerous hats, requirements and responsibilities present within the position.
My first major response, and unfortunately only public response, was answering Do you have a vision for the future of children’s literature? Who will be the drivers of change? (Bernard, 2021). Staying true to form, I rambled my thoughts of having a diverse, transmutable, active and communal vision. Immediately in module 1 my vision was highlighted through Wolf (2014), Ross Johnson’s discussion on what literature itself is (2014) and deeply resonated with Short’s inquiry into trending children’s literature from 2018. I have carried Short’s article throughout this module, focusing on the point that the continued lack of diversity is impacting heavily on readers and their passion for reading.
In both Assessment 1 and 2 I strove to highlight the importance of having diverse literature and due to the nature of the market, how limited it is. This unit has given me a purpose to promote as much diverse literature as I am able to and encourage others to push towards change. Upon reflection, I’ve noticed that my focus in Module 3 was on a public library, rather than a school. Currently not working in the field it was challenging, but helped me to grow professionally in what public libraries can offer the community, both as outreach programs, and connecting with schools consistently. Reading for pleasure and the magic of reading are crucial to being a passionate reader and my personal skills enable more opportunities within a public setting. Pennac’s (2006) The Rights of the Reader hit both a professional and personal chord as I want as many children to experience the rights of the reader and find solace, comfort and joy in reading. (Or as the first rule states, not reading).
As teachers, we constantly push the boundaries of what is capable to fit in a day. How much curriculum we can explore and fundamentally teach, however, teacher librarians are given the unique opportunity to embrace our love of literature and apply the curriculum in unexpected ways. Creating a resource kit and finding all different kinds of literature was fantastic and stretched my abilities to find those unique resources in a variety of different places.
This unit also helped to shape a better understanding of literary learning. The concept of using literature as learning, or as a conduit for learning is stated in Module 5 as not commonly found in literature and I believe that the conversations around literary learning needs to move into the academic sphere as they are valuable skills accessible to students, if quality teaching and learning opportunities are created. TLs apply the curriculum through literature and offer those special moments that help students to facilitate literacy skills alongside the passion for literature and learning from reading. With the definition of literacy being rather murky and multiple definitions applicable, I personally think the curriculum should have more of a focus on literary learning and both students and teachers would have a more enjoyable experience. The references used throughout demonstrate the strategies used in literary learning definitely confirm that statement.
Pennac, D. (2006). The rights of the reader. Walker Books.
Ross Johnston, R. (2014). Literature, the curriculum and 21st-century literacy . In G. Winch, R. Ross Johnston, P. March, L. Ljungdahl & M. Holliday (Eds.), Literacy: Reading, writing and children’s literature (5th ed., pp. 472-491). Oxford University Press.
Short, K. (2018). What’s trending in children’s literature and why it matters. Language Arts, 95(5), 287-298.
Wolf, S. (2014). Children’s literature on the digital move. Reading Teacher, 67(6), 413- 417. https://doi-org.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/10.1002/trtr.1235
Do you have a vision for the future of children’s literature? Who will be the drivers of change?
Traditionally, in Western children’s literature, the orientation of the narrative has been towards a particular market and used in the teaching of societal constructs, values and understanding of a narrow perspective. My vision for the future of children’s literature is as dynamic and adaptable as the literature itself has become, however, my vision has 4 underpinning truths that I wish for to remain constant. This is to ensure the development of empathy, to expose children and adults alike to a wider range of experiences and to provide opportunities for discussion on these experiences. Children’s literature is not written in a vacuum and the consumerist nature of society has led to market-driven literature, based off a particular populace and not based on being representative of the global. My vision is to compact the market-driven nature and instead form a vision that is championed by all.
Firstly, my vision is Diversity.
Watching the evolution of literature present after the murder of George Floyd and the re-vocalisation of the Black Lives Matter Movement through the online community, I was witnessing the marginalisation of a global community of people. Indigenous People in Australia are sorely under-represented in books; virtually non-existent in the market, the gap between Black Authors to White Authors is mind-boggling and looking at the history of the market focus on white male protagonists demonstrates the lack of role models available or the sense of belonging and self to be found in literature, alongside the lack of empathy being built due to the narrowed perspective of the white world. Bishop (2003), quoted from Short (2018) highlights the rejection of literacy as relevant to those children missing and underrepresented. Hart (2012), again from Short (2018), mentions the lack of representation on book covers due to influence sales to a wider market. That’s appalling, and sadly true. Based on my own experiences as being an active member of the online bookish community, predominantly on YouTube, there has been what feel like an insurgence of black representation on covers and my own curiosity is excited to see the impact this has on the market. The drivers of increasing diversity on the market have been the marginalised community demanding their right to be seen and be heard. Black educators find those rare gems and push them into the hands of younger readers to increase circulation and allow those readers to have more experiences than 10 years ago. These readers are then speaking up. Our world is becoming more interconnected and focusing on all voices, rather than the previous majority. Drivers can, and need to be, white allies that amplify the voices of the marginalised community to say that our vision needs to be more diverse.
Secondly, my vision is Transmutable.
My vision for transmutable texts came from Erica Hateley’s article Reading: From Turning The Page to Touching the Screen (2013). In her conclusion Erica states that “reading is as much a process or a journey as it is an end in itself.” and this is a powerful quote to think of rather than reading being ‘a book’, it can be a morphing and evolving text. The process of reading is one many readers feel connected to on a deep level and it is the journey, the narrative, rather than “reading” that gives the deeper sense of connection. By children’s literature being transmutable, they are able to access rich narratives that can be manipulated, interacted and connected with, in a way that reading a book might elude others. Personally, reading is the act of reading a book, or an e-reader, rather it is the journey of being absorbed into the story and feeling and emphasising with the text. For now, the technology and knowledge isn’t widely available to create books that have those deep-rooted interactive components that add value, rather they copy the book or make a spectacle but lose the message along the way. In time, my vision is that students will be able to engage in reading in a multitude of forms, it will ignite excitement to read and offer students more dynamic ways of interacting with the word and with the world. The idea of ‘multiliteracies’ has always been an interesting component to the ever-expanding narrative of “being literate” but the constant change in the world is allowing for children to branch in creative and unique ways of engaging with literature. There are doors opening for students to find a joy in reading, whether it be physical, digital or interactive, but there is still a way to go.
Thirdly, my vision is Active.
Hilariously, and somewhat ironically, I love reading because it is a task done in solitude. The time of being alone and having my book to curl up and enjoy is honestly one of my favourite feelings, however, that is not my vision for children’s literature. I want children to be able to have a safe place they can turn to and enjoy but I want their texts, their literature to be a force. Children’s literature is historically written in a way to provide moral direction, or a lesson of some form to the reader, whether it be child or adult. My vision for children’s literature is to expand and grow to tackle and take an active step to deconstructing negative stereotypes, address active global concerns and actively demonstrate the global community as a whole. My vision is that everyone is able to take an active step when reading and when engaging with texts, whatever form they may take and my vision is for any reader to actively grow in themselves. Activity also comes from parental figures engaging with texts on a more critical level than just reading allowed every day. Using our transmutable texts, adults would be able to provide a different form of literary analysis with their children.
There is also the sub-component of activeness being in the form of interactivity as well, but that was addressed in Transmutable.
Fourthly, my vision is Communal.
The final component to my vision is reading being communal. First and foremost, the importance of a parental figure reading consistently to their child cannot be understated. The love of reading and the importance of reading formed organically is best started in the home. Furthermore, the importance of reading and engaging with children’s literature needs to be more communal. From personal experience, many schools have decided to approach their libraries as a “digital hub”, which is great for providing computer-literacy skills, but not necessarily engaging with online reading or interactive digital reading. Schools, the community, the government, need to have more of my vision for children’s literature to press the importance and give libraries the space to be a conduit for both aspects. One person that I adore that is creating stronger threads in the global community is Gavin Hetherington from the YouTube channel How To Train Your Gavin. He conducts online interviews with middle grade authors and champions their stories to as many voices as he can. He supports both school libraries and public to increase the amount of middle grades on their shelves and it’s an inspiration to see a writer/book seller tackle this communal nature of reading and engaging with stories. Having a communal reading space, online or physically can be a great way to engage many children with all forms of literature, increase their social networking skills and make reading the wider community, rather than being a task of solitude.
What Makes A Good Leader? A question asked at the beginning of term that has ballooned throughout the course. Initially, my understanding was particular qualities possessed by leaders were crucial to being a good leader, however, my own experiences throughout this term, the module content and the case studies have shaped my increased understanding of leadership.
I discussed in my own personal experiences of missing our school principal because of his humour and that was a quality that made him a good leader (Bernard, 2020a), however, my understanding has grown to know that humour in itself is not the quality of great leadership. My principal is missed because he was an inspirational leader who had a strong strategic plan and sense of direction for the school. We were able to function as a family unit because he adopted a flexible transformational leadership style that worked for the voices within his school community. He ensured we were focused on our direction, and that was the improvement of our students. When he left, so did his direction and understanding of leadership.
This course through both content and case studies have developed my understanding of how teacher librarians can be leaders and the skills necessary to fulfil this important role. Module 6 taught me that teacher librarians are in the optimal position to enact change for students, teachers and the wider school community. Teacher librarians support the diverse needs of students and foster an environment that encourages and celebrates innovation, creative thinking and exploration (American Association of School Librarians, 2013). Since teacher librarians are often lone figures within the school community, this provides ample opportunity for collaboration between teachers and students, drawing attention to the goals of the school, providing quality education to all.
Working in Group 7 for the case studies highlighted the importance of communication skills in any leadership team. With dwindling numbers and outside forces playing havoc on the mind, it was hard to stay motivated, however, Nicola provided our group with direction and positive authority (Walmsley, 2020). Case Study 4 (Bernard, 2020b) provided us with an opportunity to apply change management processes through a SWOT analysis of the rapidly changing nature of schools due to COVID and the necessity for leaders to inspire innovative thinking within all members. The case studies encouraged us to think reflectively, a key trait for leaders, on the events unfolding and how to flexibly respond to them.
The case studies highlighted three crucial areas of leadership needed to be successful. Communication is necessary in any group, however, open and active channels of communication need to be utilised. Leaders are fundamental in fostering the environment in which these channels can grow.
Strategically planning is required to achieve any goal. Leaders are able to inspire, delegate and support all individuals to ensure the focus of the goal is at the forefront and the team are working efficiently to reach it.
Collaboration is a fundamental component to strategic planning. Leaders promote environments that encourage collaboration and celebration of team successes to motivate each member.
References
American Association of School Librarians. (2013). Empowering Learners: Guidelines for school library programs. American Association of School Librarians.
Libraries act a central hub to information services and the ability to incorporate Infotech within schools will provide students, teachers and wider communities’ opportunities to both gain more knowledge and to be better equipped to act as a team player in the Infotech Era.
Shared values
The library is central within the school and should focus on aligning the goals of all users, whether educational, personal or institutional. Sharing values allows the library to become a communal and collaborative area where the services are catered to the needs of the individuals and groups.
Knowledge workers
Librarians are able to actively support ‘knowledge workers’ rather than ‘physical workers’ due to the services provided by the library. TLs focus their attention on the motivation, needs and values of ‘knowledge workers’ and best services available to support them. TLs embody creative and adaptive capabilities, being ‘knowledge workers’ themselves and are able to develop a managerial/leadership role through this understanding.
Flexible thinking
Libraries are constantly updating and changing, the very nature of information in this digital era. TLs, consequentially, are the forefront to make the changes and develop the skills (creating, judging, imagining and building relationships) with their team. Given the slow-changing ideologies still present, TLs have an advantage to adopt the new ways of thinking (organisms vs. machine) faster than other managers and companies.
Colvin, G. (2002). Managing in the info ear. Fortune, 141 (5)
Skoolbag (2018) highlights the importance of strong leadership and discusses 5 methods for fostering change within the communities and students to promote inclusivity and success.
The 5 methods Skoolbag (2018) articulates is
How establishing a communal vision will encourage individuals to support the cause and 3 directions on how this communal vision can be achieved.
Leadership is ensuring that the decision makers within the school team and beyond are involved at every step. This opens opportunities for discussions and is essential in having effective change management strategies.
Providing the most effective resources, tools, technology and support to classroom teachers to assist in alleviating and/or minimising the additional workload time. Teachers are then able to better support their students within the classroom.
Champion student success, prioritising a student-first approach. Address student wellbeing and assist in their development of being well rounded individuals.
Evolve your leadership strategies to address the needs of every student. Use data-led insights to support students in every way possible and inform the decision makers through the use of the data presented. Approach change by being flexible.
Typically, ideas of leadership stem from business models that are a hierarchical structure with the ‘laymen’ being at the bottom and those who are the leaders, for example managers, CEOs, executives sitting in the top tiers. Removing choice words from the original image and using Michelini’s (2019) picture provides a visual explanation.
Michelini (2019)
The image provides a good laugh, however, it traditionally villainies those in ‘leadership’ roles.
The question What Makes A Good Leader is one that I have been reflecting on throughout Module 1 and in my current employment situation. Our principal, who we all admired, acquired another principal position at a different school and there were numerous discussions over what qualities the staff wanted our new principal to have. Our school staff community is a very close-knitted group and the loss of our principal was devastating, because, our principal embodies the qualities of an excellent leader.
Leadership is not a position of prestige or a higher pay packet, although the demands for leadership are greater to those with more responsibility as Spider-Man would vouch ‘with great power must also come — great responsibility.’ (Lee & Ditko, 1962). Leadership is the ability to structure people and delegate, provide support and ensure that the end goals of those key players are being met. Being a leader requires the respect of those working on your goals and an understanding of the unique attributes that individuals bring to a team. A leader will find opportunities to highlight the strengths of others, and promote a positive attitude to the harder areas of a task.
Personally, I feel that our principal is missed because of his sense of humour. Our leadership team is one part of our school family, but they never considered themselves the end-game. The leadership team is a way to ensure that all voices and ideas get brought to the table and thoroughly discussed to ensure that our business is able to be the best place for learning. We have a clear goal and direction for our students and that is to provide a place where they feel safe, connected and able to learn.
Interestingly, our library is not the center of our school and currently does not have a librarian in at all. I am hoping that this course will support my understanding and love of library to be able to be a leader within this section of the school and highlight the importance and strengths that a library can offer to the wider school community.
References
Lee, S., & Ditko, S. (1962). The amazing Spider-Man. Marvel Comics.
Michelini, M. (2019). Funny Idea of Management Structure – But I Disagree [Blog]. Retrieved 9 March 2020, from https://mikesblog.com/funny-idea-of-management-structure-but-i-disagree/.
