Inquiry Blog Post #3

 

You Can Lead a Horse to Water...

How can we best respond to the needs of our staff?

    As Teacher Librarians we need to have open minds about what collaboration and professional development looks like. The BC Teacher Librarian's Association (2020) says “Collaboration looks different in every school community and is dependent upon the needs of all the learners involved.” As TL’s we are in a unique position where we can work with everyone in the school, we need to respect that everyone comes with different values, beliefs, and preconceived notions about what education looks like. As Fontichiaro and Oehrli (2014) discuss, as Teacher Librarians, we need to be flexible. We can’t enter a relationship with other teachers where we are set in our ways and only willing to collaborate the way we want. We need to listen and try to understand what it is that teachers are looking for, rather than telling them what resources they should use and how exactly they could use them. We need to listen more than we talk and really understand where our staff are at, what they want, what they need and move forward from there.

What could collaboration look like?

Collaboration can look different depending on the teacher and the TL. We need to be willing to try different methods and meet our colleauges where they are most comfortable.  I really like this infographic created by the BCTF because it illustrates how collaboration takes place at different points in the learning process and further breaks these down:

I love that old proverb, “you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink”. I thought the extended version shown in this image was especially applicable to teachers!  

Shellert (2019) says that as potential facilitators of professional development, we can provide teachers with “provocations or invitations to be leaders of their own learning.” We can purposefully present learning opportunities, ideas, strategies in such a way that teachers don’t feel they are being pressured or expected to participate. We must be resourceful and creative in finding ways to support teachers, gain their trust, and put ourselves in a position where they come to us as a resource because we are consistent, reliable, and helpful.

How can we create opportunities to bring staff members together? How can we create an environment that fosters professional learning and professional growth?

I have found myself considering this question for quite some time. I think the library needs to be seen as a gathering place, where all staff and students want to go because it is vibrant, fun, inclusive and welcoming. I think it would be wonderful to host staff meetings in the library, every staff I have been on, the staff meetings have been held in the staff room. If they were held in the library, maybe teachers would notice a new book display or see a resource that they might not have otherwise noticed. After staff meetings while people are packing up and chatting, they might be more inclined to browse through the library or start up a conversation with the TL or other teachers about an inquiry project that they could use support with or a project they need resources for. I think hosting more events in the library for staff might open more doors for professional conversations that spark further conversations down the road. At these times TL’s need to position themselves in a place where they can help teachers nurture their ideas and move them forward. Staenberg and Vanneman say “Successful collaborations are built on successful professional relationships that are built over time on trust, flexibility, creativity, understanding of best practice, knowledge of curriculum and assessment, good planning, and the willingness to share teaching, decision-making, and professional growth” (2009). Relationships, relationships, relationships. We need to build relationships and establish trust with our colleagues before we can expect them to take a risk to collaborate with us.

How can show teachers that we are a valuable resource?

Teachers are busy. They are working with students all day. We can’t always add one more thing to their plate by expecting them to give us more of their precious time to collaborate. What can we take off their plate? What resources can we share that will lighten their load? As TL’s, we need to have an arsenal of awesome resources to inspire and excite teachers and students. We need teachers to believe in us and know that we are there for them. MacKenzie (2019) states “Many teachers see the librarian interact only with students, but they are invaluable resources for teachers as well.” 

MacKenzie (2019) created the above graphic Teacher Librarian: Your Inquiry Superhero to illustrate how TL’s can spark inquiry collaboration with teachers. TL’s can play a huge role in supporting teachers in inquiry projects with students, and with their own inquiries. If this graphic resonates with you, have a read of MacKenzie’s article called Classroom Inquiries Secret Weapon: The Teacher Librarian, it’s very inspiring! 

In conclusion, I think TL’s are in a very special position within a school and they need to situate themselves to make the most of this. Foster curiosity, encourage inquiry, provide support, and listen. I hope to do all of these things if I have the opportunity to be a TL one day.

References

BC Teacher Librarian's Association & Surrey Teacher's Association.
(accessed :July 28, 2021). "What can collaboration with a teacher-librarian look like?': Infographic.

Fontichiaro, K. & Oehrli, J. A. (2014). Nudging toward inquiry – Turning the tables on collaboration part I: Planning for successLinks to an external site.. Library Media Connection 32(4): 36-38.

Free English Materials For You. (2015). Retrieved from https://freeenglishmaterialsforyou.com/tag/you-can-lead-a-horse-to-water/.

Institute for Community Engaged Research Press (2019). "The small secondary school think tanks: collaborating for equity for Indigenous learners in rural schools".  Retrieved from:Collaborating for Equity for Indigenous Learners in Rural Schools (Links to an external site.)

MacKenzie, T. (2019). Classroom inquiry's secret weapon: The teacher librarian. Canadian School Libraries Journal, 3(1). https://journal.canadianschoollibraries.ca/classroom-inquirys-secret-weapon-the-teacher-librarian/.

Staenberg, L. & Vanneman, S. (2009). A collaborative conversation Links to an external site.. School Library Monthly 26(4): 15-17.