Professional Development and the School Library
As I have previously mentioned, our current library is used only for a book exchange. So, when I looked at the questions to explore for this week, I was quite surprised! Professional-development? Is this the role of the teacher-librarian?! At our school, professional development opportunities are not the responsibility of our librarian. Typically, in-school professional development workshops are organized by the vice-principal or principal. However, if I am hoping to change my school's vision of the library then I want to be seen as playing a vital and active leadership role in our school community.
What makes a good leader in a school setting?
If I use Google to search up the qualities of a good leader, there are many different possible answers that can be found. Forbes offers a list of 8 Essential Qualities where as Tony Robbins believes there are 13 qualities that make a good leader. Searching for specific qualities for leaders in education is no different! Study.com outlines 5 important leadership qualities and the University of San Diego offers 10!
It was quite an overwhelming Google search! To me a leader is always striving to make the school a better place. They have a passion for working with children, they are eager to share and to collaborate and they are accepting of feedback and new ideas. In my opinion, leaders are also humble, trustworthy and dependable. Leaders lead by example and are life long learners.
I believe that I embody the qualities that I have outlined of a good leader. I do, however, consider myself a quiet leader. I try to lead with my actions. I am kind, I am always willing to share resources and to collaborate. I am always eager to try new things and I consider myself a lifelong learner. The idea of being a leader in the school is quite terrifying! As I transition from the safety of my classroom into a leader in my school, I am going to have to step out of my comfort zone. Although nervous, I feel EXCITED and EMPOWERED at the chance to create meaningful change in our school.
According to Hilda A. Weisburg, retired school librarian, she agrees with the vision of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) that states: "Every school librarian is a leader; every learner has a school librarian." In her blog post, On Libraries: The Leader in You, Weisburg says, "The only way we are going to stop losing school librarians is by being valuable leaders in our school communities."
How can I be a valuable leader in my school?
Carl A. Harvey believes that one of the primary traits of a school librarian has to have is leadership. He says, "We have to be one of the leaders in the building. We have to be one of the folks in the building to whom students and staff look for guidance, support and encouragement. We want to be models; our patrons should see the librarian as someone who is a lifelong learner, always striving to make their programs better. " (2011, p.14)
My vision in to transform our school library. I hope that by offering positive changes, I will show that I am committed to improving this space in our school. Here are a few of the changes I would like to make!
- Change the name of the library from "library" to "Student Library Learning Commons"
- Extend the hours of operation. Have the SLLC open in the mornings and at lunch
- Host clubs for students (Lego Robotics, Book Club, Drawing Club- anything!)
- Build a relationship with the public library
- Start a read-aloud for young children that will be attending our school in the future
- Collaborate, collaborate, collaborate! Support and work with teachers
- Spread a love of reading and host school wide reading initiatives
The thought of everything that I want to do is quite overwhelming and I know that I will need to take it one step at a time. To be honest, I do not think that professional development for others will be at the top of my list of priorities in my first year. However, as I become more comfortable and confident in my role, here are some ways that I could offer learning opportunities for the staff at my school:
Lunch and Learn:
Teachers are busy people! I personally appreciate learning opportunities that are during the day and not after school hours. As a leader in my school, hosting a monthly "Lunch and Learn" would be an excellent way to share some of my learning. I could use this time to support teachers, especially with technology. These workshops would be informal and offered to anyone who is interested in learning about a specific topic or technology. It will also be important to seek feedback and to find out exactly what teachers are needing support with.
Time for Collaboration
As a teacher, the most valuable professional development has been the opportunity to collaborate with my co-workers. Again, teachers are BUSY! It will be important to create time in my schedule to offer flexible blocks where I can collaborate with teachers. Trevor MacKenzie believes that teacher-librarians can be "true learning partners". In his article, Classroom Inquiry's Secret Weapon: The Teacher Librarian, MacKenzie offers several ways that teachers and teacher-librarians can work together to support inquiry.
Book Walks
Invite staff into the library to showcase all of the new books purchased for the library. This would be a good time to share lesson ideas that can be used with some of these books. Offer treats as an incentive!
Hello!
ReplyDeleteI think you had identified a few key areas that you can continue to grow in. I was also thinking you could reach out the the Vice Principal and make space in the library for teacher meetings and further teacher development. Just being in that space and being welcome in it will help the teachers come back. I also think having the open-door policy will be so valuable in helping you build a larger collaborative community. Remember it is fine to start small and build on your vision one step at a time.
You share a number of good ideas and strategies here about how you can transform your traditional school library into a SLLC. I agree that this, along with continuing to grow into your new role, is the first step. From there it will be about listening and learning more about how you can best serve your school community.
ReplyDeleteYour post made me want a batman cardigan - haha!
ReplyDeleteI wonder what power our language holds when it comes to naming a library space. So far, I have resisted calling the library a "learning commons". I talk about it as part of a "learning commons", as my school is very lucky to have a courtyard garden and makerspace adjacent and connected to the library space with stacks and books. "Student Library Learning Commons" feels like a mouthful, though I really hear the student-first, collaborative themes in the choice. Can we change the culture without changing a name? Just curious what your thoughts are on this, I haven't fully decided one way or the other!
I've been thinking about changing our name to "Library Learning Commons" as well but have hesitated because it means putting in a work order for signage change that will cost money, etc., and I want to be sure. I guess I want it to be as meaningful to the rest of the school community as it is to me, and I'm not sure about the best way to make that happen.
DeleteCardigans unite! I know what you mean about quiet leadership. Nothing makes more nervous than the thought of leading a professional development workshop for teachers. But I think your plan to lead by example is a really good one. And there is always more than one way to get across an idea or suggestion (video, document, e-mail, etc.). I try to think of myself as alerting my colleagues to possible opportunities for us to learn together rather than behaving as though I am somehow an expert. If they come to you wanting to know more, great. You've made a connection! If not, then it's not the right time or subject for them. But I'm sure if you're putting stuff out there, some will bite. Good luck with your work on transforming your library!
ReplyDeleteHey,
ReplyDeleteIt is a valuable idea to extend the hours of operation and I think you may want to consider extending library hours in the afternoon as many students are waiting outside for their parents and some of them would love to be reading in a space safe.
Alex D.