Change and Teacher Librarians 5.8.10


I have been reading and considering the Role of the TL. The whole idea at first appears overwhelming, but reflecting on this as I drove home yesterday it occurred to me that it is not impossible. Busy, yes, but in the course of a teaching day, sometimes more than once, the TL wears many hats.

The role of the Teacher librarian has changed considerably as I have noted in my first post on my library history.
Yes, the TL has to be multiskilled and multitalented. It has always been that way, but perhaps not recognized or expected or indeed as necessary as much as it is now.

At first the task seems overwhelming, but it is possible, not all the hats have to be worn at once.
Consider the TL in a school I know. She meets with the Yr 6 teachers before school to plan a unit on important people in Australian history and work out the rubrics for the students as a guide for self evaluate and teacher assessment. At 9.30 she reads a story to Kindergarten and discusses the characters before supervising their borrowing. Next she takes Yr 6 for an information skills lesson at 10.00 to begin the new unit. This is followed by Yr 4 with First Fleet research at 10.40 and another Kinder class before morning tea. And so the day goes on.

At lunch the TL opens the library to the school for borrowing and leads a story time for the infants, also supervising borrowing and computer use. After lunch more senior classes, a meeting with the principal about the afternoon’s staff meeting. After school, a report at the staff meeting on progress of the newly created parent section and new resources available for use.
Is this a typical day? Yes and there is always more. TL’s are important leaders in their schools, offering a range of services to the students, staff and parent community.

The influence of the TL in their school is often determined by the principal, the schools resources and available budget. I believe that this is not something that should be so open to all these variables. It is more important to education generally that the TL exercises an active role in building an ILSC wherever they are, working towards this goal.

Involvement in the school executive and a say on wider school issues would consolidate the role of the TL and in doing so, improve the learning of the school community. This not just a 'now' thing, but an investment in the learning of the students and teachers for the future.