Reflections and Impressions

The inquiry phase of this course was very useful and got me thinking about some of the big topics that are important in being a TL.  I always enjoy researching and finding all kinds of new and interesting approaches to teaching and managing a library.  Reading other classmates blogs was also very helpful in getting ideas and seeing things from a different perspective.    

During the inquiry of fostering a reading culture in our school I took a lot of time to really reflect upon my strengths and weaknesses and I realized how little I do to include families.  Family literacy plays a vital role in developing life-long readers yet it’s something that wasn't on my radar.  What made me really stop and think about what I could be doing was in reading blogs from classmates and reading how they stay in touch with parents and include them in the school literacy program.  Since that inquiry, I have continued to look into ways to reach out to parents and give them suggestions on how to encourage reading at home.  I have already found a few activities that I would like to do after Spring Break such as books for breakfast, give a short presentation on literacy and the library at the new Kindergarten orientation meeting held in May and I plan on adding a page to my library website to provide links, book lists and activities to help parents encourage summer reading. 

Another takeaway for me is not to be afraid to be a leader in my school.  I often feel like I need to be an expert before I can start giving presentations or suggesting resources but throughout the inquiry process I discovered that it is not possible for me to be this expert in all things.  One of the key things I learned in this article was when an environment that encourages respect, sharing and teaching among staff members is created then the pressure of being seen as an expert diminishes. A good starting point is to plant seeds and to gently guide my colleagues in the right direction and take the lead when necessary.   

This photo really spoke to me and reminds me that deep down I am a leader and I need to let that shine!  Teachers are similar to students and respond differently to my teaching.  Each teacher will need some guidance in something different and I need to look at what they need instead of only focusing on what I think they need.

Learning about the use of mobile devices and eBooks in developing countries was something that I had not heard about or even thought about.  It was nice to do some research that had a more global perspective and was designed to bring awareness to other ways of promoting literacy.   This has even helped me reflect on what our school could do to help the students that are in this city that have no books at home and who never have the opportunity to go to the library or buy a new book. 

The one big topic that really resonated with me was creating a PLN.  Taking this diploma program has lit a spark in me and I have a constant desire to explore and learn new things.  In a month I will be done this journey and I now feel confident in how I can maintain this interest in learning.  One of the big eye openers for me has been Twitter!  It had never occurred to me that it can be used as a way of sharing professional information.   Now I check in from time to time and I always find something new and interesting to read.  Staying organized with all the new information is another potential challenge. I opened a Delicious account a few years back but I have not been using it.  Instead I have links all over the place and I can never find what I need when I need it. It is time to use the technology that is available to me and to get organized. By choosing a few ways of staying connected with blogs, twitter and TL networks I feel that I will be able to stay connected and get the support that I need as I continue learning how to be an effective TL.

Overall this inquiry phase was very helpful in exploring aspects of being a TL that I had not yet thought about in great depth.  I was able to discover things that will help me right now and much later in my career. I look forward to putting all this research into action and to continue to explore new avenues.