The Librarian's Journey

So You Are Going To Be a Teacher Librarian- Part 3

Today I want to talk about long range planning. As a self-confessed pedagogical nerd and uber planner, I love to long range plan. I like making a chart or a table. I like to add colour. I like to see where themes and topics intersect. I love a big idea and a learning goal.

But planning in the library was always a different kind of challenge. On one hand, you want to plan ahead and push the library programming forward. On the other hand, you want and need to be responsive and collaborative to educator and student learning needs. It's also not just about the curriculum. There's the physical space, the collection, makerspace, virtual LLC AND the curriculum to consider.

One of the first things I did when I started in the library was to consult and talk with fellow teacher librarians. Jenn Brown was a huge help. She shared her 3 year long range plan with me and it really helped me to created mine (which to be honest, at that moment was a very slightly tweaked version of hers!!). My admin and I also printed off all of the continuums from Leading Learning and discussed where we thought the library currently was and which steps we could take to move forward. We kept in printed in a binder and referred back to it often during meetings to track our progress and next steps.

I also worked with the technology teacher in my school to create an inquiry map for a few years to see how we might align and integrate our programs. Our hope was that she could teach the various tech skills, how to use apps, etc and then classes could come to me in the library to integrate their use into existing curriculum inquiries.

When I completed my Librarianship Specialist AQ we were tasked with outlining how the 6 C's fit into the library and how it impacted our planning. I used this chart to create a Year 3 and Beyond plan for how I saw the library moving forward once we completed Year 3 of the original plan.

One small hiccup.

Year 3 was 2019- 2020. The year we shutdown in March due to COVID.

And then nothing in the library was according to anyone's plan.

Library planning was a whole new beast. For the full 2020-2021 school year 80% of my school was virtual and the students that were in the building weren't allowed in the library. In 2021-2022, we started with COVID restrictions and protocols that slowly eased off but students and educators were re-learning how to be together in learning spaces, using the materials, sharing, and more. The last 2 years were much more reactive than proactive when planning anything in the library, or so it felt.

I've pulled together all the documents I've mentioned above on this graphic. Feel free to use it to support your own planning in the school library, to share with others in your network or just take a peek.

If you have any questions, let me know in the comments or send me a DM on Twitter.

Happy Planning!!

So You Are Going to Be a Teacher Librarian- Part 2

I was originally going to write about long range planning as a TL (and I still will) for this second blog post about transitioning to the teacher librarian role but instead I want to talk about connections, advocating and friendship.

As many of you may know the school library world lost a powerful ally, advocate, spokesperson, collaborator and friend this past week. In the short time I knew her Caroline Freibauer left an impression on my heart. Her passion for school libraries, for all libraries really, is unmatched in anyone I have met along this journey. She was also an excellent "yes, and...." collaborator. During my time with the OSLA council I have been in many meetings with Caroline and she is always quick to jump to support a new idea and to add on to make the idea even better. She had a special way of making you feel like your idea was gold (even if it wasn't, yet) and she would work to help you process and unpack the idea to make it even better.

Becoming the President of the OSLA Council this past year was a daunting prospect. School libraries have had it rough the past couple of years (decades really) and knowing that you are about to be the face and the voice of something so many people hold dear felt a little scary. Caroline was always there to tell me I was on the right track, to give advice without criticism and to make sure I knew I could count on her for anything.

This week as I learned of Caroline's passing and began to call friends and school library colleagues the world felt very heavy. It's always strange to recognize that you are an adult in these situations. I mean, I've obviously been an adult for many years but does anyone ever really feel like they are adult? I've never had to be the one to share bad news in this way, to connect others in their grief, to schedule meetings to plan for upcoming deadlines and more. It was heavy, and foggy, and very adult.

What made this week and this news more bearable were the friendships and connections I have made on my teacher-librarian journey. Reading the tributes to Caroline posted on Twitter and Facebook from mutual friends. Phone calls and texts with OSLA and CSL connections and friends. Sharing memories. Planning a tribute for the September issue of Teaching Librarian. Reading about Caroline's many accomplishments and work undertaken on behalf of libraries and school library professionals.

So, if you are just starting out on your school library journey or into the thick of it after a few years or hoping one day to be in the school library, my advice to you is to be like Caroline. Join OLA/OSLA. Connect with other school library professionals across the province and Canada. I don't mean you all have to nominate yourself for a council position (but seriously, think about....) but you can join the #OnLibChats, use the #ONSchoolLibraries or #SchoolLibraryJoy hashtags on Twitter to share your accomplishments, your wonderings, your blunders, your process. You could write or co-write an article for Teaching Librarian magazine or the Canadian School Libraries journal. You could write a paper for Treasure Mountain Canada.

You can connect.

You can advocate.

You can share.

And along the way you will meet amazing people and have the privilege to call them friends. You will learn more than you ever thought possible. You will share your love of libraries and books and stories.

And you will help us keep Caroline's memory alive.