Leadership is being in control, but not of everything. Leadership is happening everywhere. There are leadership opportunities in every
school at every level, not just principals and heads of department. Every teacher has a chance to demonstrate
leadership.
When I began studying this subject, I had done a lot of
reading about the role of the teacher librarian. I hadn’t done a lot of reading about the
leadership role of the teacher librarian.
In the beginning, the leader in a school was a principal or deputy or a
co-ordinator. As I explored the
leadership role of the teacher librarian, many things began to make sense for
me in regard to the teacher librarian in my own school. It is vital that the role of the teacher
librarian is communicated clearly and supported proactively by not only the
principal and classroom teachers, but also the students and the parent
community.
As I read about the different styles of leadership, I tried
to match them up to leaders I knew and leadership styles I had seen in
action. It was hard for me to imagine
that one leadership style could suit one person, especially when opportunities
to demonstrate leadership are so diverse.
I was under the impression that if your leadership style was
transactional or situational or transformational, you used that leadership
style throughout your role as a leader.
It made more sense to me to incorporate a variety of elements from each
leadership style to develop a personal approach to leadership. As it turns out, you can. There are no leadership rules set in
stone. They are all open to
interpretation. Leadership in schools is a partnership of leadership styles
and a partnership of leaders.
Leadership is being in control, but not
of everything….
Leadership can be demonstrated in many
different ways; the classroom teacher sharing expertise, skills and talents
during a staff meeting and encouraging other staff to take those skills back to
their own classroom to use. A teacher librarian leads by demonstrating how to
use the Smartboard to plan an interactive literacy lesson for Grade 1.
The role of the teacher librarian is one of leadership
through instruction, collaboration and participation. As education, information and technology are
evolving, it is exciting to think that many 21st century learning
skills will be taught in the library and
then extended out across the curriculum.
DiScala and Subramaniam (2011) discuss leadership
as being “integral to developing a successful 21st century school library
media program.” It is the role of the
teacher librarian to lead the way among the staff in a school. It involves a willingness to serve as a
teacher and as a learner who listens to and acts upon good ideas from peers,
teachers and students. It is the role of
the teacher librarian to lead by example, modeling best practice and the way
toward the achievement of goals and objectives and enabling others to act.
It is vital that teacher librarians are effective
communicators and collaborators as they lead within their field of
expertise. It is vital that teacher
librarians advocate for collaborative partnerships and facilitate opportunities
to collaborate with classroom teachers to develop 21st century
learning. As the Australian Curriculum
is implemented nationally, the importance of the role of the teacher librarian
will increase as ICT skills and literacy skills are developed across the
curriculum.
Lamb and Johnson (2004-2010) write about teacher
librarians being agents for change.
Being a teacher librarian is not just about the books anymore. Many teacher librarians have chosen to become
leaders of change as well as adapt to the changes. As a leader, and an agent for change, the
teacher librarian has more control of their library program, its organisation
and its delivery. With knowledge of
current changes and the vision of the changes that may lie ahead, a teacher
librarian can plan and prepare for the future.
I have learned that as a leader in the achievement of a
shared vision, the role of the teacher librarian needs to be one of sharing,
collaboration and empowerment. Sharing
of information through collaboration empowers those involved. The roles of teacher and learner become fluid
as the sharing of skills and knowledge takes place (Tapscott, 2012) . The sharing of information creates a powerful
base from which informed decisions can be made regarding planning, programming
and teaching. Empowerment and ownership
of a shared vision creates a positive force encouraging staff and students to
embrace the vision.
I am looking forward to the opportunity of sharing my skills,
ideas and vision of a school library in the future.
References
DiScala, J.and Subramaniam, M. (2011). Evidence-Based
Practice: A practice towards leadership credibility among school librarians. School
Libraries Worldwide, 17(2), 59-70.
Lamb, A. and Johnson, L. (2004-2010). Advocacy:
Change: Innovative Practices and Evolving Roles. Retrieved May 12, 2013,
from The School Library Media Specialist:
http://eduscapes.com/sms/advocacy/change.html
Martin, A. M. (2012). Seven Steps to an Award
Winning School Library Program. Oxford, Great Britain: ABC-CLIO.
McKenzie, J. (2010, February). teacher Librarians:
leading, connecting and innovating. Scan, 29(1), 6-9.
Tapscott, D. (2012, June 10-14). Four Principles for
the Open World. Edinburgh, Scotland. Retrieved from
http://interact.csu.edu.au/portal/site/ETL504_201330_W_D/page/2179fa2f-bbfd-4f13-803d-da9d7fd8c83e
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