In a post early in the course I outlined how I thought the teacher librarian was a leader. I wasn’t necessarily wrong; my view was, however, significantly limited. Throughout this course I have developed an understanding of leadership principles, management theory and change management. Equipped with this new knowledge I can support bringing my school library into the twenty-first century and myself into the forefront as a leader among peers.

I have learned the teacher librarian can lead from the middle. I did not have the most successful experience of this when I attempted to lead from the middle in the Case Study 3, but perhaps that is simply due to the limitations of the internet, physical distance and the busy schedules we as students and teachers have. As Cox and Korodaj outline in an article on the teacher librarian as a leader, the teacher librarian is perfectly placed to be a leader, whether it be the curriculum, the cross-curricular priorities or the general capabilities (2019, p. 16). The reading I have undertaken in this class and the work of the assessment 2 report has helped me identify an opportunity for me to lead from the middle.

As a bilingual school, it is necessary for students to use both languages in all elements (reading, writing, speaking and listening). Unfortunately, I have identified students do not read in Arabic, and rarely read in English. Hence, I would like to develop a school-wide approach to reading. As I do not hold an official leadership position, this would involve me leading from the middle, developing as a leader and supporting the development of other leaders involved in the program.

I have learned conflict management. In particular I have applied the strategies suggested by Strive! In my Managing Conflict post, I reflected upon how I dealt with conflict. A few weeks later I reflected on an incident at school. I used this incident to practice the conflict management strategies from Strive! While it was a difficult conversation the approach, in particular I needed to change how I manage conflict, it was a rewarding experience. I feel better prepared to have difficult conversations both in school and in my life beyond.

I have found the 2nd assessment discussion paper on developing a twenty-first century ‘future proof’ school library very beneficial. I have already discussed this paper with my principal who is interested in aspects of the ‘future-proofing’ report. With his support I would love to develop the school library to better support students learning needs and prepare them with the skills they need for life in a highly digital world (Liu, 2020, para. 7). I would like to focus on developing empathy, global mindedness and the 4Cs, I believe these to be the more essential twenty-first century skills outlined by Couros in his book The Innovators Mindset (2015). This is of particular necessity in Saudi Arabia as we have been teaching and learning online since March 2020.

I appreciate the opportunities this subject has provided me with. It is a heady experience to reflect upon my learning over the past three months and see the potential directions it provides me with.

References

Couros, G. (2015). The innovators mindset. Dave Burgess Consulting Inc.

Cox, E. & Korodaj, L. (2019). Leading from the sweet spot: Embedding the library and the teacher librarian in your school community. Access, 33(4), 14-25.

Liu, C. (2020, September 23). Beyond the 4Cs: Empowering youth in the 21st-Century. Getting Smart. https://www.gettingsmart.com/2020/09/beyond-the-4cs-empowering-youth-in-the-21st-century/

Strive!. (2013, June 12). How to have a courageous conversation. [Video]. Youtube. https://youtu.be/CoFe_NRRITQ

Recently in a whole school newsletter, I was referred to by the head librarian as the ‘library assistant’. While I am assisting in the library and I have not completed my teacher librarianship degree, I am still a teacher. This belittling, whether intentional or not, had steadily progressed from making ‘suggestions’ to my work in grade level planning documents, to editing my work in whole school documents; without permission.

Why am I telling you this?
Well, I needed to have a courageous conversation. From my readings throughout ETL-504 I have come across multiple useful resources. I took advice from Strive! and had a courageous conversation.

Following the 7 steps I participated in a meaningful discussion and was able to outline the issue I – not being treated as a competent professional – and together we were able to come to a resolution. I occupy the physical space and role of the teacher librarian, however in title and role, I am a teacher.

In past experiences I have been unable to have courageous conversations, instead I held the issues in until they grew to the point that principal intervention was needed. This time due to my studies I was able to effectively solve the communication issue without principal intervention.

References

Strive!. (2013, June 12). How to have a courageous conversation. [Video]. Youtube. https://youtu.be/CoFe_NRRITQ

So this is a summation and reflection on how my group participated in Case Study 3.

When I received an email from Liz letting us know that our groups were live, I logged into Interact2 and as it was only early afternoon for me (Riyadh time), I took the lead, introducing myself and leaving the floor open for others to respond. When some had responded, I suggested we read through the case study and type some notes (I thought doing this in Draw.io would be a good idea – I needed the practice).

I typed up my notes and submitted it to the Draw.io. Nobody else submitted until we received an email from Liz. I realised my error and copied my notes from Draw.io onto the group wiki page. This was updated throughout the rest of the week by the group.

Upon reflection, as I had assumed the leadership role, I should have clarified what was expected and by when. I did not do this, which led to the group sharing thoughts in a very ‘last minute fashion’. One group member unfortunately did complete the required work, however they submitted it 2 days after the Case Study was due.

My mistake was I assumed everyone was on the same page. Everyone (I thought) knew when the Case Study was due, and as the turnaround was 1 week, when I said Thursday, it would mean Thursday this week, not in a months time. Furthermore I didn’t assign specific roles. This however wasn’t a major issue, as group members contributed to wherever they wanted.

To summarise, I took the lead, but failed in my communication with my team.

My approach to managing conflict differs in settings. In the home setting, unfortunately I force my opinion. Watching Campbell and Clarke’s TEDx talk Conflict – Use it, don’t defuse it has definitely been a lightbulb moment. I don’t want my sons to grow up afraid of conflict because of my poor reactions.

In the work scenario I tend to yield, I think due to a personal conflict of not being good/smart enough. I often feel ambushed and lacking time and space to appropriately think through the scenario.

This module has been interesting, I certainly will be using some of the communication techniques, while STR!VE’s model is overly complicated, the suggestions of vulnerability and curiosity from Campbell & Clarke I feel will suit me best.

References:

Campbell, C.M & Clarke, S. [TEDx Talks]. (2015). Conflict – Use it, don’t defuse it [Video]. YouTube.  https://youtu.be/o97fVGTjE4w
[19.13 mins]

STR!VE. (2013). How to have courageous conversations [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/CoFe_NRRITQ
[9.38 mins]

The past few weeks I have been reading on leadership theories and change management. I have held full-time teaching positions in 4 schools and seen and experienced change with many of them. To be honest, I have not always been so adaptable and flexible to change. Especially in my earlier years of teaching when everything additional to teaching was a burden an additional cause of stress.

As the new school year dawns I am busy planning implementation of an Information Literacy (IL) program. Previously I would have selected a class and approached the homeroom teacher, explaining what I wished to achieve. I can see how this would place undue stress on that teacher particularly as half of the homeroom teachers are new to the school.

Instead I will use Reinsel Soulen’s ‘continuum of care’ approach to welcome new and returning staff to the library. Show them key resources and be sure not to overwhelm them. Build a strong positive relationship with them that will be the foundation of a collaborative teaching practice.

Schools are a place of change. It is inevitable. I’ve come to realise how we as educators adapt and how this change is delivered – both to educators, leaders and students – is essential for the success of this change.

References:

Reinsel Soulen, R. (2020). The continuum of care. Knowledge Quest 48(4). 36-42.

Leadership within the library and beyond is about:

• humanity
• relationships
• connections
• shared values
• empathy

Colvin’s (2000) article in Fortune Magazine resounds with my beliefs; if one feels valued, they’ll often go above and beyond their ‘role description’.

How does a library change information sources to information resources?

CSU library provides:

• access and support; without access a source remains undiscovered
• workshops & tutorials
• links to other library catalogues and support in accessing these resources
• abstract information for a vast number of resources
• searched items sorted by relevance

So what do I know bout the teacher librarian as a leader?

Well. The TL is knowledgable in the curriculum, so students and staff would definitely seek their support. Often in larger schools the TL is in charge of library assistants. TL’s can be leaders in educational change, for instance Guided Inquiry by Kuhlthau et.al. (2012).

Beyond this the TL is a person who holds the knowledge on how to find information. On a regular basis TLs lead the learning community to the best resources for their individual needs.

I’m sure TLs can be leaders in more ways than this, particularly leaders in change and innovation in schools. I look forward to learning how I can become a better leader to improve learning outcomes for all.

References

Kuhlthau, C.C, Maniotes, L.K., & Caspari, A.K. (2012). Guided inquiry design: A framework for inquiry in your school. Libraries Unlimited. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/csuau/detail.action?docID=1887925