Reflection Theme 2: The Art of Being a Teacher-Librarian and The Daily Realities

As I look back and reflect on the last three weeks of course work and teaching, I have learned many things about being an effective T-L and the realities T-Ls face in their daily work.

In particular, I have learned three key things on which I would like to reflect:

1. Being an effective T-L is a skill that is crafted with time and experience

2. The role description of a T-L is multi-faceted

3. Reference services and the accessibility to reference resources are constantly evolving.

I found it quite difficult sometimes in the last few weeks to reconcile the differences between what was being discussed in our course work as best-practice and what I was experiencing while at work. At times it was inspiring and at times disheartening to see the discord between reality and best-practice principles. So here are my lessons learned:

1. Being an effective T-L is a skill that is crafted with time and experience:

Rielding does a good job of laying out the framework for a good reference interview. I found this to be a good introduction to the skill set that is needed as a T-L. I found that the collaborative piece of the skill set was missing in her description. I enjoyed the way that was laid out in the Leading Learning document. Personally, I think that an effective T-L can come to the job from various backgrounds; however, a true spirit of collaboration is essential, as well as a deep desire to teach, learn and evolve. 

2. The role description of a T-L is multi-faceted:

The role description provided by the GVSD is very helpful. It is clear, concise and I believe gives concrete direction for the T-L and the administration. I found myself becoming frustrated with my district when I found out that T-Ls are not really supported in their roles other than through an email group. I spoke to some T-Ls who were so thankful to have had a mentor when they first started who supported them and gave them a common sense of direction. Unfortunately, that role does not exists anymore. I found it very helpful to look over the Surrey School District's Teacher-Librarian Handbook. Although somewhat dated, in the absence of any such document from my district, it was an easy find and a good starting point that gave some concrete direction. 

A lot is said about collaboration between the T-L and teachers at a school site. While that is a rich and essential process, I would think that it would be really helpful to have collaboration between T-Ls from different school sites. It made me think how isolated a T-L can be. Classroom teachers have their grade group colleagues to share ideas with. What about the T-L?

3. Reference services and accessibility to reference resources are constantly evolving:

I think this aspect is an exciting part of the job. Being in an elementary school, I would like to see reference resources circulated as much as possible and reference services used from K-grade 7. In talking to other primary teachers, it is interesting to note that even new teacher graduates are not necessarily being taught the value of collaborating with the T-L or learning what sorts of services the library has to offer. I found this useful video that gives student-teachers an overview of the assets that T-Ls bring to the school.

Also, some teachers that have been around awhile may not realize that the T-L is there for more than just a book exchange or read-aloud. So, it seems that an effective T-L has to advocate for their services and advertise at the same time. This is something that I was not so aware of until now, although from this video you can tell it has been going for a long time. 

Overall, I think it sounds exciting to be a T-L and to provide reference services in an ever-changing environment. Transforming the library into a learning commons comes with a clearer understanding of not just the physical environment but also the intellectual milieu that a T-L is working in. I really like the BCTLA's document "From School Library to Library Learning Commons: a pro-active model for educational change". It really captures the essence of teacher-librarianship and is inspirational for leading the way to best-practice. 


Bibliography:

Bibliophile80224. "School Librarians Are Teachers." YouTube. YouTube, 05 June 2010. Web. 19 Feb. 2017.

Canadian Libraries Association. Leading learning: Standards of practice for school library learning commons in Canada. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Libraries Association.

From School Library to Library Learning Commons. N.p.: Bctla, May 2014. PFD.

Jensen, Yrsa. Teacher-Librarian Handbook. Surrey: SD36, Apr.-May 2007. PDF.

Libraryresources. "Why Teacher Librarians Are VERY Important." YouTube. YouTube, 07 Feb. 2011. Web. 19 Feb. 2017.

Riedling, Ann Marlow, Loretta Shake, and Cynthia Houston. Reference Skills for the School Librarian: Tools and Tips. Santa Barbara, CA: Linworth, an Imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC, 2013. P

TSLAC. "I Am a School Librarian." YouTube. YouTube, 11 Apr. 2016. Web. 19 Feb. 2017.

"The Role of a Teacher Librarian." The Role of a Teacher Librarian. N.p., Web. 18 Feb. 2017.