A change of workplace is always a whirlwind. I am definitely out of my comfort zone in my new role as Teacher Librarian! I intended to keep a log of what happened week by week but it has mostly been me figuring out school systems and finding my place so I have revised my plan and have created an overview of the term.
My contributions have been focused on expanding what already happens in the school library. Instead of taking over existing things I am beginning new things or spending more time where there wasn't any time previously. Here are some of the things I have been working on over the last nine weeks:
Role Statement - I am in a very unique situation to be joining the first Teacher-Librarian. The move coincided with the construction of the new School Improvement Plan (SIP) so a role statement was provided. I contributed very little as I have never been a Teacher-Librarian before but the things I have been allocated are things I am excited to create.
Social Media - I am designing posts mainly for Instagram but they are also released on the school's Facebook account. My aim is a minimum of three posts per week. I am sending these to the Social Media Coordinator so the plan so far is to create an image with Canva (the education account is great) or take a photo and then I caption each in a record sheet before emailing off for posting. I may start a school specific account in the future some time. So far 33 posts have been shared which has been a solid start.
Posters - I have just been putting a few bits and pieces together on Canva to brighten up certain places. I also bought an electronic alphabet bunting and I used it to create a 'Write' wall with some Grant Snider cartoons about writing. There is a lot of blank space in the library which isn't a bad thing - it is a nice clean look but there are definitely some displays that I am excited to spruce up in the new year.
Displays - I have checked in with my fellow TL about creating a 'Book Trail' behind the circulation desk. We have recently had air conditioning installed and they have not been particularly judicious about the placement of the electrical service points. So my idea is to create some trail/journey/travelling/camping imagery around the window and in the window to display the covers of the books I am planning on reading (hopefully I will get a start on these during the holidays).
Reviews - Students are able to post reviews through Oliver so I approved these and printed out a template for book reviews to post some on the wall. There hasn't been a great take up of this - I need to work it in with the school's reward system as a merit for a review would be fine.
Continuous Story - The New York Public Library had a Continuous Story in the youth section of the library when I visited and I loved the idea. I need to rethink the placement in the library to capture students but there are a few posts at the moment. I will aim to push this a little more in the new year with more social media and I will change the prompt twice a term. I also need a place to leave some post it notes and pens on the service desk as well.
Pocket Poetry - this surprised me a little so I am definitely continuing next year - I even have all of the poems printed for the entire year so I am ready! I will place a few more 'pockets' around as well and then the poems will be updated twice a term just to keep things fresh. I think mostly things just have to be changed or updated regularly so I am looking forward to coming up with displays and a bit of a timeline to fit in with some special days over the holidays. A schedule will help me to keep track and then if I need to be off with my son (hopefully both his and my immune systems will be doing a bit better in the new year!) then I will remain on track.
Research skills - I was really reluctant to take on study last semester as things were just manic after covid and really, I never caught up. I wasn't able to defer, however, so I struggled on but the resources I cam across were really useful and I was able to come up with some great resources to support students with the research projects in CAFS. I am aiming to refine these either this afternoon or tomorrow so they can be added as a scaffold to the assessment task next year.
Working with individual students - this mainly took place in CAFS where students spent a large portion of the term investigating the research question they created at the start of the term. Students were required to conduct local research as well as a literature review and this is where they were a little stuck. I supported them with search terms and joined their search just to be an extra set of eyes searching. For most students we were able to find at least 4-5 articles which set them on the right path to write their literature review.
Developing resources to support the inquiry learning process - I am still tweaking these and I have come up with a few things that would have helped me with the inquiry process earlier this semester so hopefully students will find them useful. At least they will be a resource that I can take with me when I am supporting students with their research.
The school newspaper - I have been tasked with being the final editor of the student led school newspaper. A year 10 student started the publication and has organised, very efficiently I might add, a great team. She leads the meetings and ensures everyone has a task to complete by the deadline. I will hopefully continue to help out in the future - just as an extra pair of eyes to ensure everything is smooth and clear before distribution.
Communication Skills - my teaching load is year 7 Communication Skills which is almost like a literacy subject that all year 7 students take once a fortnight. Now we are at the end of the year and I have seen all of my classes multiple times this term I know quite a few of their names which is really nice. Hopefully they all come back to the library next year to borrow some books!
Extra curricular - the second half of this term I ran a 'Gift of Writing' recess activity. Using Nancie Atwell's process from 'In the Middle' I put together some poems as an example of different ways gifts of writing could be structured and I awaited hoards of students coming along to write gifts for their friends and families. This is not exactly how it panned out - I have had two students come along and at the first mention of poetry one left. The other student, though, has come along every Monday and she has written several poems - firstly for a group of friends and secondly for her parents. We brainstormed together and then I let her write and gave her some quick feedback before the bell went.
Display video - the library has a display television and after a bit of trial and error with PowerPoint I worked out how to get it to show a presentation on loop. I have made the first one for Term 1, 2021 and will get started on the second one early next year.
I have several (actually, many) books about reading so I have lots of quality information to draw on. I am currently reading 'Raising Readers' by Megan Daley and not only does it contain great book recommendations, ideas on how to support reading in children of all ages, it has some great tips for Teacher Librarians. I will have to pop them in my book of lists as I think they will be very helpful to look back upon as I develop my skills and understanding of the role.
It has been a great term and I am excited to see what the new year brings.