LIBE 467 - Managing and evaluating reference services (Theme 2 Reflection Post)
TL Captain's Blog. Stardate 2020.298.
Lesson 5
I really liked the statement that "instruction on information skills and the use of reference materials should involve a collaborative effort by the classroom teacher who is the subject expert, and the teacher-librarian, the information specialist" (LIBE 467, Lesson 5) because it underscores the importance of collaboration with TLs and classroom teachers, but also because I feel that it takes the pressure off of me. Realizing that I need to be the information specialist and not the subject expert on every grade level and every topic is a huge relief. I feel that sometimes I think that as TLs, we should know the answer to every question asked by students and staff, and we should know everything about everything when we are offering to collaborate with teachers, but the reminder that we are finding and constructing the answers WITH the students and our coworkers is important.
Lesson 6 really got me thinking about the role of the TL and how what the district puts into its job description is all well and good for full time TLs, however, they create, post and fill jobs that have such little FTE that very little of the role is completed well. It made me a little sad at first, but then I remembered that even if I wasn't able to fulfill the entire job description in my 0.34 fte library, I still had a wonderful time connecting with students, sharing my love of reading, helping them explore/find their love of reading, and collaborating with teachers when I could. I love the learning commons, I love what we teach there (when we have the time), I love how it draws kids in and gets them excited, I love that it's a place they want to be, I love that I can learn and teach things that I find interesting and help other teachers see their value and importance to their students and themselves. I love this role. No matter how much time I am given in it.
Lesson 7
Reading through p. 86-89 of Evaluating, selecting and managing learning resources: A guide, and the Achieving Information Literacy: Standards for School Library Programs in Canada, I wasn't shocked to see that the libraries that I used to work at didn't check off many things from the list and landed in the "Below Standard" section, but it was neat to see where it was slightly above the "Below Standard" and the areas where it did good provide access. It's not all bad!
I also appreciated the quote: "It was probably Mae West, or someone of that manner, who said, 'It's not necessarily what you've got, but what you do with what you've got that's important'" (LIBE 467, Lesson 7: Evaluating Reference Services). This is exactly how I try to look at it. Budgets are hard won, adequate staffing is hard to come by, and we need to continue to advocate for school libraries and their programs, but in the meantime, we need to work with what we have and make good use of it! Leveraging what we have to meet the needs of our students and staff as best we can, and getting creative with what we have to check off a few more items from the list should be our goal. There are so many ways to increase access and bring our LC's closer to the gold standard.
References
LIBE 467. Lesson 5: The Reference Interview: Cooperative Program Planning and Teaching for Personalized Inquiry. University of British Columbia.
LIBE 467. Lesson 7: Evaluating Reference Services. University of British Columbia.
British Columbia Ministry of Education. (2002). Evaluating, Selecting, and Managing Learning Resources: A Guide. Retrieved from Evaluating, selecting and managing learning resources: A guide
Thank you for sharing your thoughts! First off, I like how you have organized your post by lesson. That made it helpful to follow along with your learning and to relate your comments and thoughts back to specific modules.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your thoughts about the role of a TL feeling overwhelming. I like your take on this matter. I am not working as a TL yet, and hearing and learning about all the aspects of the job make it seem very overwhelming and like an incredible amount of responsibility and work. I like your perspective, as it reminds me that we are not in this alone, we have other teachers to work with and support us, and we can focus on what we are good at and what we bring to the table. Thank you for reminding me about that.
I also like your final thoughts about how we do the best we can with what we have. I think it is easy to get overwhelmed with the standards and feeling not good enough, but we have to focus on what we can do, not what we cannot do, and support our teachers, students, and community as best we can.
I share many of your thoughts in this post! I also appreciated that the collaboration aspect involves the classroom teachers and us working together to teach the students how to find the information they need. As a classroom teacher for a long time, I've often felt alone with the research projects of my students. And now, knowing I can be that person for them as a TL, that works with them, is a very exciting feeling.
ReplyDeleteI am so relieved that I am not the only library with "below average" assessment. It makes me feel less alone in the fact that my SLLC isn't providing the best resources or services it should. Maybe it's a consequence of the fact that schools have been underfunded for decades? But that is a completely different discussion...
A good reflection post on your learning, awareness and understanding of the last theme. You did a good job highlighting some of the key lessons, quotes, resources and approaches you've picked up along the way. A good reminder as well to be positive, to use what you have and to push your program and relationships forward, even if it is not adequate in time, funding and support. A good connection to some of our course texts and key resources.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the knowledge about the clarity of our position is a a relief. Trying to know everything all the time can be overwhelming, but with a focus it makes it easier. We help teachers and student find answers, we don’t need to know the answer for everything.
ReplyDeleteYour love of everything you can do with your position makes me smile. I have yet to be a TL just like Lisa, and it has worried me about trying to fit all of the aspects into the position when there is never a full time position in my district (at least not at the elementary level). Just enjoying the job and doing what we can with what we are given is a good idea that takes some of the pressure off.