Run imaginative and fun workshops for students outside of class time on the basics such as using the library website, where to find information, how to use databases, the dangers of plagiarism, and note-taking. Creating a presence for the library in the eyes of the student body will underline that teacher librarians are able to do lots more than fix the photocopier.
While some teacher librarians are able to have planning sessions with their teachers, and incorporate the curriculum into their library lessons, a large number of TLs are unable to do this because of lack of available time or support from the school community.
teacher librarians an underutilised asset in schools
One, where the teacher librarian is being underutilised and underappreciated by the school. Frustrated library staff reported being viewed as nothing more than someone who loans and returns books or even seen as a babysitting role during lunchtime.
Regardless of their unique qualifications, the role of the teacher librarian (TL) is often perceived in schools by faculty, parents and the community as the person who simply reads picture books, lends out the library resources and may have the knowledge to repair a broken computer. I have found in my experiences working as a teacher librarian and working alongside several teacher librarians within NSW public schools, that the imperative and pivotal role and knowledge of the TL is often grossly understated, under utilised and frequently forgotten about.
From the perspective of a member of teaching staff within primary schools, it is often not known the specific skill sets, qualifications and professional knowledge that the teacher librarian essentially possesses. Given and Julien (2005) suggest that faculty attitudes, misperceptions and lack of professional relationships are the defining factors that result in the isolation that teacher librarians experience within their schools. The teacher librarian is often segregated from the rest of the school in their separate building, working independently and without a lot of the support and higher management that classroom teachers perhaps receive. The assistance or expertise of the teacher librarian is rarely sought after unless there is a specific text or resource required.
The misperceptions and misinterpretations of the teacher librarians role, capabilities and expert knowledge from faculty can become detrimental not only for the library professional, but can hinder productive faculty collaboration, which in turn can negatively impact student learning experiences and opportunities for the wider school community.
Throughout my experiences and observations within schools; parents, caregivers and the wider school community seem to possess a greater, yet quiet, respect for teacher librarians. Whether this is because there may be a successful means of open communication between librarian and parent/caregiver, less strain on the relationship between the two parties in comparison to classroom teacher/parent relationships, or simply because their child loves the library. If the library environment is a warm, friendly and inviting place to be, students are excited to visit, listen and learn and they want to share these joyful experiences with their families.
While the politics that manifest within schools, arguing over whose role and responsibility it is to do whatever the specific job is, the little shining light for the humble teacher librarian.. is the students. At the end of the day, our role is to facilitate a love of learning to all students. We are the constant support network, facilitators of learning, the information providers, the technology consultants, the book fixerupperers and the literacy lovers and experts. We grit our teeth through the political debates held over the specific role and job title of the librarian (teacher, information leader, school library media specialist, learning hub manager.. etc.) decided by politicians and faculty that have never worked a day in a library.
Your closing statement is a very powerful one and something that makes readers question how higher senior executives understand the role and what limitations teacher librarians go to for the sake of their students. Thank you for an interesting blog post that explores very different ideas to my own and made me think of and understand different views of the teacher librarian role.
When we asked the library staff members in our online panel for their thoughts on these services and programs, many said that their library had either already implemented or should definitely implement many of them in the future. The programs that were most popular with these librarians were: having separate locations for different activities, offering free early literacy programs, coordinating with local schools, and having comfortable spaces for reading, working, or relaxing at the library. Many also said that they were eager to offer a broader selection of e-books for check-out.
This disheartening crisis in our schools is part of a larger trend that we can fight together to reverse. Please sign this petition to send an email to the School District of Philadelphia school board and Superintendent William Hite to reverse these cuts and restore our certified teacher librarians.
Summary: California school administrators assign leadership duties to both instructional coaches and teacher-librarians. This collective case study compares those roles in the context of implementing the California Common Core State Standards in English language arts. Lewis asks why administrators select instructional coaches and teacher-librarians for this task, and how these coaches and teacher-librarians collaborate to fulfill it. As Lewis shows, while administrators may choose either instructional coaches or teacher-librarians to fulfill this task, they prefer instructional coaches, viewing them as instructional leaders similar to themselves, while teacher-librarians are considered instructional resources to be called on only occasionally.
Recommendations: Lewis recommends that library media specialists actively promote school library research to district stakeholders. Students in teacher and administrator education programs need to learn about the instructional role of the teacher-librarian. School districts should develop and use appropriate job descriptions and evaluations to define and assess teacher-librarians. Further research might examine barriers or limitations that coaches and teacher-librarians encounter when providing instructional leadership.
Recommendations: Teacher-librarians are in leadership roles and can be proactive in providing opportunities for collaboration. They have a responsibility to educate administrators, teachers, and students about the skill sets and proficiencies that define their role. Building positive relationships has long been the purview of the teacher-librarian, and this ability will enhance collaborative ventures. Administrators can improve collaborative relationships by inviting teacher-librarians to meetings about curriculum writing or new programs. Educational leadership programs in colleges and universities should provide discussions and readings of the teacher-librarian impact on student achievement. Teacher education programs might offer preservice activities that include collaboration with teacher-librarians. Further research into high school collaborations should be conducted, using varying methodologies and samples.
Firstly, because it is an example of an Open Educational Resource (OER) that deals with OER: a toolkit aimed at teachers and librarians to explain how to create, use, reuse, share and implement OER into teaching and learning.
There are only three librarians left in the Woodbridge school system, and all three are at the high school level. Two have teaching certificates and will be offered teaching jobs in the district, Harris said. At least one librarian will be kept as a traveling librarian between all three high schools, Colonia, JFK and Woodbridge High.
He pointed out that in most schools, the library is a very large space and it is the most underused asset in the building. One library could make two classrooms, he said. Superintendent Dr. Robert Zega previously told Patch he thinks the spaces would be better suited as technology centers, akin to the Apple store.
To meet this challenge, we successfully applied for COVID relief funding and used the time afforded by this funding to explore a partnership with our local school system. (Kidzeum received federal PPP funding, an SBA loan and a state Business Interruption Grant.) We believed that Kidzeum was an underutilized community asset and that we could build a successful business model around the value of that asset. Leah had visited numerous successful museum schools around the country and proposed a similar partnership in Springfield. An AAM article about a successful model in the UK (My Primary School is at the Museum) also inspired her to reach out to Jennifer Gill, superintendent of our local school district.
All the programs in our study provide mentorship and coaching to participants, often in the form of in-class observation and coaching during instructional periods with students. They also offer less-formal opportunities to address questions on everything from curriculum design to career planning. Overall, participants appreciated learning from high-quality instructors and coaches, receiving individualized support and feedback, and working with supportive mentor teachers in host schools.
One-stop solution for informational needs of Student Teachers, Teacher educators and College Librarians.Teacher education college librarians' forum is a platform to share knowledge and experience among teacher education college librarians. We share resources like information and man power for better academic library management and learning. 2ff7e9595c
Comments