“The End Is Only The Beginning…”
This required submission serves as a reflective piece, a summation of learning throughout the course. You will give a summary of what you found to be the most influential in the course and for your learning. This can include synthesis from your log, influential readings and content, discussions or things tried. It is curatorial.
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It’s always bittersweet to write your last reflection log for a course, don’t you agree? I’m always surprised to find myself here because it seems like only yesterday I was clicking “Module 1” and starting the readings.
These past 13 weeks have brought on a lot of self-reflection, ups and downs, twists and turns; but most importantly, it has brought me a lot of valuable newfound knowledge I will take with me as I continue my educational journey as a teacher, TL in training, and a student.
To make it easier to navigate through my learning journey this term, I will be dividing this entry into two parts: my learning/aha moments (connection to the modules, readings, and discussion), and the road ahead.
My learning moments:
LLED 462 has taught me that the role of the teacher-librarian is not only to provide resources or to be a tech guru; it is so much more than that! A teacher librarian is a creator, a co-constructor, an information specialist, a leader, an advocate, a literacy nurturer and the heart of the learning commons. But what does this mean though? Let me explain.
A teacher librarian is a creator:
Our job as Teacher Librarians is to make sure we create a learning environment within the learning commons that is welcoming, inclusive, safe, and at the same time it provides the tools our 21st century learners need to succeed. But where do we start?
Joyce Valenza tells us that teacher librarians can turn a library into a laboratory by “transition(ing) from places (where) we get stuff, to places (where) we DO stuff. The library (will then) become a laboratory in which community members (are free to) tinker, build, learn, and communicate.” (Valenza, 2008) The learning commons is no longer the place where you only get physical resources, it is now the true heart of the school, the place where you are invited to come in, explore, let your imagination take you to places where you have not been before, make mistakes, celebrate successes, and learn not only from resources but from others in your community.
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I was so intrigued by module 9: supporting learners as inquirers and designers. I have always found the idea of makerspaces fascinating but was a bit afraid to even consider creating one because I felt like I really needed to have a specific purpose for it . These spaces do not only provide students with a physical space where they can learn collaboratively through hands-on creations and technologies; but can also help students develop a “unique package of complimentary 21st century skills and aptitudes such as creativity, innovation, transmedia navigating, visual literacy, and computational thinking.” (Bowler and Champagne, 2016) The “StoryMaking” resources were the “it” I needed to motivate me into starting to plan how I can introduce these concepts to our staff. I can see a lot of them jumping in to participate as we are noticing a decline in our students’ writing skills in recent years and are planning to add this to our school goals in the next couple years. This could be the perfect program to help our school community!
Teacher librarian is a co-constructor:
Our job as teacher librarians is to actively support our school educators and students not only by providing resources but also through collaboration and partnerships. Furthermore, “teacher librarians are poised to offer a transformative role in curriculum and instruction, and they are most effective when efforts are concentrated on working with the teacher.” (LLED 462 Module 7, 2022). One of the readings that was an eye opener for me was “What can collaboration with a teacher-librarian look like?” by the Surrey BCTLA. Before this course, I thought that our job as collaborators was simply helping teachers gather resources and assist our students by teaching them the research skills needed to complete projects. Boy was I wrong! This train of thought probably came from my own experiences with our previous TL because I only really saw her during book exchanges or if I needed her to gather books for me for the units I was teaching in class at the time. I clearly recall that sense of disbelief and yes, dread, when I saw the collaboration wheel for the first time. Dread because I felt like I really missed out on a golden opportunity by not collaborating with our TL at all!
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| Image credit Surrey BCTLA |
I am hoping that my job share partner and I can become great collaborators; after all, “the success of the library, and its ability to deliver the many programs and services available, requires a high degree of collaboration.” (BCTLA, 2019). It will take time, flexibility and a lot of creative actions and patience for sure, after all, Rome was not built in a day; It’s worth it though because the result is the success of our learners.
A Teacher librarian is an information-specialist:
Having learned about multi-modal literacies really made me reflect on my role as a teacher librarian. I now see the importance of introducing multi-modal resources not only in our classrooms but also in our LLCs. Multimodal texts “convey information not only through the linguistic mode but also through visuals, such as photos, drawings, graphics, and even videos…as students read and compose multimodal texts, they learn to work in sophisticated ways with multiple resources for meaning making.” (Lenters, 2018) Reading and writing are no longer the only defining factors when describing a literate learner. Literacy is the ability individuals possess to communicate and interact with those around us. It is “the way we interact with the world around us, how we shape it and are shaped by it. it is how we communicate with others via reading and writing, but also by speaking, listening, and creating. It is how we articulate our experience in the world and declare ‘we are here!’” (NCTE, 2020) Wow, talk about having one of the biggest responsibilities as a TL! Not only are we information keepers, but also literacy mentors for everyone within our school walls. As module 4 tells us, “Teacher librarians are poised to offer much help to students and teachers to not only understand and demonstrate these literacies, but also to (teach them how to) highlight and integrate them in everyday representations of learning and curricular initiatives.” (LLED 462, module 4, 2022)
A teacher librarian is a leader:
Gone are the days where the TL stayed inside the library and guarded the library collection!
One of our biggest roles is to be one of the main contributors to our school’s mission and goals. As leaders, teacher librarians, have the power to become a trusted resource that allows “everyone to have their voices heard and to contribute to a healthy and engaged (school) society.” (ALA, 2014.) We work together with school administrators and teachers to “develop and implement curriculum-based library services and programs that will support the teaching and learning of ALL (the members of our school community.)” (IFLA, 2015). We need to take initiative to create various programs within our school and learning commons that will be of great benefit to our schools. We are in a unique position because we are not “tied” to one classroom but the whole school is our classroom! We see everyone and know what is truly happening in our community, something that classroom teachers are not able to do. At first, this realization really scared me, how could I become that type of leader? Do I have it in me to step out of my comfort zone and make a difference? I really reflected on this for a while and was pleasantly surprised to see that I am already making a difference in our school. My job share partner and I have been able to turn our SLLC into a place kids want to be in, a place where everyone is welcomed and where learning is encouraged. We have created programs that have gotten kids excited about reading and are currently working on creating more clubs to be run out of our SLLC. Furthermore, as leaders, we are also working towards developing Pro-D workshops for our colleagues to introduce the many programs we have both learned about through our courses and are excited to show them how to use them in our classrooms. One of the programs I am currently working on is Book Creator, a great collaborating app where students can create books as a class about any topic they are currently learning about. The multimodal tools within the program make it easier for everyone to participate, including our neurodiverse learners, reluctant readers, and ELL students. Module 8 also came in at the right time for me, I learned about other great apps thanks to the readings and suggestions from my classmates. Because of this, I was able to create and curate a Web Toolkit as part of my learning log and I’m excited to share that I have been given the opportunity by our admin to share my toolkit with my colleagues during our staff meeting next month.
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A teacher librarian is an advocate:
This one was a big one for me to learn about. I have always been passionate about equity and inclusiveness, as TLs we are in a unique position, not only to make sure our collection reflects everyone in our school community, but to also be the voice for anyone who is needs it. Module 11 was an eye opener! It made me realize that if we do not advocate for our diverse community, who will? As Gaiman points out “libraries are about freedom. Freedom to read, freedom of ideas, freedom of communication, (freedom of being yourself and of being able to explore various point of view before making informed decisions about issues in our community). They are about education, about entertainment, about making safe spaces and about access to information.” (Gaiman, N. 2018). Being an advocate does not only mean being the voice of those who can’t speak, but to also being the leader and creator of outreach programs that can help meet the needs in our community. An example of what we are doing is partnering up with the grade 6/7 teachers to knit scarves and hats to be distributed to those in need in our community. We are also working towards expanding our LGBTQ+ collection as well as adding other culturally diverse authors throughout the many genres within our collection. This is certainly not an easy job that can be done overnight but we are taking the right steps to advocate for everyone.
I have also learned that being an advocate, is not only about ensuring our students have everything they need to succeed. Module 12 made me realize how Teacher Librarians need to be in constant vigilance if we want to continue to be able to provide great programs for our school community. Funding has always been a problem, now more than ever, and we need to always be on alert and ready to “use the research available to express and connect the importance of the library, often without having hard numbers to back it up. Teacher librarians need to be salespeople and leaders, knowledgeable and excited about how change can improve the entire school.” (Module 12, 2022). This is unnerving to say the least as I have never been one for confrontations; however, it seems like now is the time to step out of my comfort zone and prepare myself to become an true advocate for our learning commons as funding continues to decrease for education!
A teacher librarian is a literacy lover and the heart of the school:
One of the quotes from the readings that will stick with me for a long time is from Gaiman, he says that “a library is a place of safety, a haven from the world. It’s a place with librarians in it…” (Gaiman, 2018). Is that a powerful statement or what? As a Teacher Librarian, we have the opportunity to, not only create “the hub of the school,” but to also become the heart. We need out students to see us as someone who will always be there for them: to talk, to show them the right resource, to teach them a new skill, to encourage them to make mistakes, to help them find their reading identity, to help them nurture a love for reading, to lend them a hand, to be their voice, to help them explore new interests, to cheer on them, and most importantly to provide a place where they feel loved, a sense of belonging and safe…the list is endless!
Being a literacy ambassador is one of my favourite roles as a teacher librarian. I have shared time and time again through my blog my love for reading. There is nothing I love more than to get students excited about the magic found within stories. By completing assignment 2, I was able to create a detailed literacy plan, with my school community in mind; a plan which I’m confident will help us achieve our literacy goal in the next couple years. I have already given it to my admin, and we are planning to meet to discuss some ideas after report cards are done.
The Road Ahead: what now?
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Being a teacher librarian is more than just handing out books to students. LLED 462 has taught me that there is more than meets the eye. From being able to foster new literacies in our school community, to supporting our students by being their voice in time of need. We are the heart of the Learning Commons, an integral part of our school community. My LLED 462 chapter might be closing, but another is just opening. Thanks to everything I have learned and created throughout this course, I feel more prepared to continue to help our students become the best they can be, and most importantly, to continue to work towards becoming a great advocate not only for my students, but also for my colleagues and our Learning Commons. I now know how important is it to continue to foster relationships with key players around our community, as they can become great allies in our endless fight to continue to provide the best learning conditions for our students. Parents, members of council, school trustees, are some examples of great allies we can count on to help us advocate for our SLLC and the programs we offer our school community. Our students deserve the best, and as educators we have a duty to do our best to ensure our kids are ready to succeed in this fast-changing society. I’m really looking forward to continuing to create inclusive, safe, and “emergent learning environments that encompass curriculum, learning technologies and offer strategies for working with learners, in a variety of ways.” (LLED 462 Course Description, 2022)
Until next time,
The Duchess of Bookington
Works cited:
American Library Association (2014) Leadership Development. Accessed on November 17, 2022 http://www.ala.org/pla/leadership Document ID: 0c7d7022-ec8b-2454-1de6-643cac9e445e
Bowler, L., & Champagne, R. (2016). Mindful makers: Question prompts to help guide young peoples' critical technical practices in maker spaces in libraries, museums, and community-based youth organizations.Library and Information Science Research, 38(2),
117-124.
Delvecchio, J. (2022). LLED 462: School Library Resource Centre Program. Modules 1-12. University of British Columbia.
Gaiman, N. and Riddell, C. (September 6, 2018). Neil Gaiman and Chris Riddell on why we need libraries - an essay in pictures. The Guardian. Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/books/gallery/2018/sep/06/neil-gaiman-and-chris-riddell-on-why-we-need-libraries-an-essay-in-pictures
Lenters, K. ( 2018). Becoming Multimodal: Literacy In and Beyond the Classroom. The Reading Teacher, 71( 6), 643– 649.
Surrey Teacher Librarian's Association (BCTLA). (December 17, 2019). "What can collaboration with a teacher-librarian look like?" British Columbia Teacher Librarian's Association. Retrieved from: https://surreychapterofthebctla.com/2018/12/17/what-can-collaboration-with-a-teacher-librarian-look-like/
Peterson, A. (2020, March 23). Literacy is More than Just Reading and Writing. NCTE. https://ncte.org/blog/2020/03/literacy-just-reading-writing/
Valenza, J. (2018) Library As Domestic Metaphor. School Library Journal. Retrieved November 17, 2022, from https://blogs.slj.com/neverendingsearch/2008/08/25/library-as-domestic-metaphor/
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