In the past fortnight we were introduced to leadership theory and its place in the teacher librarian role. As teacher librarians we are, like it or not, leaders. We have a very specific role in supporting the strategic direction of the school and, more importantly, we play a fundamental role in leading from the middle.

How?

As a TL we are experts in curriculum at a whole school level. We know what students come from and where they need to go. This knowledge can used as a cornerstone for collaboration for teachers and senior leadership to draw from.

 

TL’s are keen strategists. We know what resources target concepts more effectively than others and we are akin to the student’s interests and reading ability. Through our role, we can facilitate collections which support curriculum delivery effectively and efficiently.

 

TL’s can lead areas of the curriculum that teachers don’t cover to the same degree, and yet these skills (i.e. the general capabilities) are the very skills needed for students to be successful citizens in the future. Our leadership in curriculum in this area, sets us apart and makes us stand out.

 

In the readings, we explored different leadership models including: servitude, transformational, instructional etc. It is clear that the TL role cannot fit into one of these models to the exclusion of others. It is too limiting. TL’s employ a range of different leadership capacities, or as I put it “tools”, in our roles to effectively get the best possible outcomes for our school and the students it serves.