Teacher-Librarians are Learning Gems!

My very first post on this blog highlighted the need for teacher-librarians to stop being the invisible quiet achievers in schools.  It is my view that we are too often ‘overlooked’ because other teachers, parents and leaders aren’t always aware of the vital contributions we make during all stages of the learning process.  We provide ideas, advice, troubleshooting, resources, information and enthusiasm (to name a few).  Moreover, these are often based on our unique perspective of the whole school curriculum; a perspective that gives us valuable insights into teaching and learning processes and educational programs within the school.

Teacher-librarians, as lifelong learners, stay up-to-date with emerging trends and are often first to hear about new learning tools, educational shifts and exciting texts.  It is also a vital part of our role to pass this information on to others.  Which brings me to the point of this blog post …

I pass on a lot of material to staff and I’m still trying to work out whether the following incident is a good or bad development.  I started passing around a teacher magazine with a lot of valuable material in it. Before I started at the school this particular magazine was simply fodder for the recycling bins.  No-one ever picked it up or read it!   At first I only passed on copies to teachers I thought might do something with it, (that is, read it!).  Recently I received extra copies and started passing it on to every teacher. 

Well, today someone cut out an interesting article about libraries and ICT from this magazine and pigeonholed me (no name attached) No doubt this person believes they have helped me out by passing on a crucial piece of ’library’ information.  What they don’t know and will probably never know is that I was the person who passed this information on to them in the first place!  Also, the article, which I had read, was about an Australian teacher-librarian, Judy O’Connell, a wonderful blogger whose blog, Hey Jude I also read regularly! (We also recently became friends on Second Life!)

Is this a positive sign?  It means that teachers are finally starting to read and learn from this valuable resource.  Essentially, I achieved my goal.  OR… is it a negative sign?  Teachers continue to be unaware of how these valuable learning gems reach them and I remain invisible (and perhaps another teacher-librarian position disappears somewhere in the world?)

8 thoughts on “Teacher-Librarians are Learning Gems!

  1. I see more positives than negatives coming from this. Your teachers are not only reading the magazine, but sharing by passing it on to others.

    Why not cut out one or two interesting articles and play a “Tag – You’re It!” type game with them. Paste each article on a larger sheet of paper, read them, sign your name, then pass them on to others with the instructions to do the same. After a while, those articles will have made the rounds, and your co-workers will notice that you started them.

    We library media specialists do so much and go unrecognized for it. Every little thing we can do to promote our programs helps to bridge that gap between us being “keepers of the books” to us being valued collaborative partners in education.

    Would love to hear how others do little things like this to promote their programs!

  2. How about printing a few pages of labels/stickers of an easily recognizable library avatar. Stick one on the front of resources you distribute. I think it’s a good thing for the library to have a visible image/icon in the school. Perhaps you could use the gems/jewel theme for the avatar?

  3. You are SO right – we TLs do undersell ourselves. You are blogging, you are collecting information gems, you are working in multiple ways to learn for yourself and for others. Don’t be afraid to say “I knew that” and keep the fire burning for all of us. See you again in SL some time soon….we are intrepid explorers paving the way for all learners..teachers and students!!
    By the way…I haven’t seen the article..maybe you should have left it in my pigeonhole 🙂

  4. On balance, I think this is a positive sign/story. You’re supporting the “hey, saw this, thought you might like it” impulse, which in turn is founded on a belief in shared interests and experiences.

    No harm in getting a little credit along the way, though! 😉

  5. As a non-librarian currently working in a school library (as the 21st Century Literacy Specialist) I am really curious as to why Librarians are so unrecognized and quiet about their achievements? It’s something I’ve really been noticing this year – especially with my observations about the similarity between the role of a librarian and a tech facilitator (my previous job).

    Is it personality types? Or just a lack of wanting to appear vain/promotional? I can’t figure it out!

  6. I think it is a shame that many government primary schools in W.A. no longer have teacher librarians. Staffing is so tight that by the time DOTT time for music, LOTE and other areas is provided there is little or no funding for support teachers and for me the best use of a teacher librarian in my school would be to work collaboratively with that person and ensure that I tap into the many skills a librarian has that could be shared with both myself and my students. In the past I have worked in schools that have teacher librarians (not trained librarians) and yes! they are often undervalued by their peers and their job regarded by some of my past colleagues as an easy option compared to a classroom teacher. I know I have always valued the worth of a Library teacher or librarian and wish that they weren’t a thing of the past in my school.

  7. Thank you,
    I’ve only just discovered how exciting it is to receive comments in response to a blog post. It’s a wonderful feeling! I know now that there are lots of like-minded people out there who also seem to care about what is happening in education. The work of all educators, not just teacher-librarians, is largely unrecognised but we seem to be taking over the blogosphere and that’s a great start!

  8. Its very positive that you have managed to turn a piece of potential recycling into a valued resource. And it’s great than a culture of sharing has been fostered in your school. I dont think I’d be able to resist a gently reminder that I had started the ball rolling though….

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