Pro-D Spree

What strategies, tools, resources and networks can you implement to maintain your explorations and development? What are some of the ways that educators and professionals are connecting and sharing their learning? What can you do during this class and after it is over to maintain your connections and networks, to further develop your knowledge, experience and skills?

Specialist Associations

The BC Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) has a list of specialist associations that it supports for British Columbian educators.  One of these associations is the BC Teacher-Librarians’ Association (BCTLA). According to their website, the BCTLA’s goal is to “promote the essential evolving role of the teacher-librarian within the education community” (BC Teacher-Librarians’ Association, n.d.).  This includes providing access to resources, grants and professional development.  The professional development portion of their website includes details about upcoming conferences, webinars, book reviews, professional learning networks, information on teacher-librarian training programs, and online learning resources for library management, digital literacy tools, and curriculum.

Through the BCTLA’s professional learning network, I also found the network “Library 2.0”, which provides both free and paid online conference events for teacher-librarians around the world.  Library 2.0 is partnered with the School of Information at San José University to offer topic-specific mini-conferences multiple times over the course of a year.   Some of the themes of previous conferences include virtual reality and learning, libraries as community anchors, and sustainability in libraries.  Library 2.0 is not specifically intended for teacher-librarians in the education system, but for librarians in general.  Membership (free) is required to view upcoming events, and to access certain resources.

From a previous course, I also found the Canadian School Libraries (CSL) and the Canadian Federation of Library Associations (CFLA-FCAB).  CSL is an organization that promotes “professional research and development in the field of school library learning commons in Canada” (Canadian School Libraries, n.d.). CSL has links to professional resources and holds biennial symposiums to share related research. They are hosting the next symposium this coming October in New Westminster, BC.  While not strictly professional development, I believe that being aware of recent research is important to develop our understanding of what professional development topics will be of future importance.

CFLA-FCAB is the “united, national voice of Canada’s library community” (Canadian Federation of Library Associations, n.d.). They don’t provide professional development conferences/workshops, but they are a valuable source of information and resources to guide library policies (e.g. copyright, indigenous resources usage, diversity and inclusion in libraries, freedom of information).  Knowing these policies and having access to these resources will help guide any TL in their professional development and the development of their SLLC’s policies and practices.

Talk and Tour!

One of the most eye-opening and valuable activities that I have had the opportunity to experience has been touring other SLLCs and talking to other TLs in our school district.  After I had expressed interest in stepping into her position once she retires, our TL used district-provided release time to take me on tours of the other SLLCs in our district and discuss the programming and activities, as well as organization and policies with our host TLs.  This opportunity was inspiring and intimidating in equal measures- I witnessed many different styles and approaches to SLLCs that I can only dream of implementing (for now).  The amount of thought, planning, and collaboration that the TLs did was intimidating for a classroom teacher who had only just begun to consider moving into teacher-librarianship.

The TLs in our district are also connected through a Microsoft Teams group where they share resources and ideas, as well as problem-solve with each other.  I am not able to access this group, as I am not a TL with the district yet.  However, I am told by our school’s TL that they are very active and very supportive of each other.  Rebeca Rubio is our school district’s Coordinator for Library and Information Services, District Resource Centre, and Library Administrative Centre makes herself available not only to district TLs, but also to school staff.  She sometimes presents at school-based professional development days on a variety of topics, and she organizes the yearly district conference for TLs. She has a Twitter account, and was a guest on the educational blog "Lesson Impossible".

READ!

As current TLs and future TLs, we know the importance of information from different sources and perspectives.  I would be completely remiss if I didn’t also read books and articles about teacher-librarianship, education, leadership, and issues current and relevant to our school community (e.g. racism, gender diversity, language acquisition, social-emotional learning). Book suggestions can be found through book reviews by related organizations and/or colleagues, as well as by browsing the bookshelves at my local bookstore. More recently, I have been building a to-be-bought list/to-be-read stack through the sharing of our intrepid instructor during her office hours, as well as through the recommendations of my fellow LIBE 477 students.  Some of the books on my list include “The Listening Leader: Creating the Conditions for Equitable School Transformation” by Shane Safir, “Start Here, Start Now: A Guide to Antibias and Antiracist Work in Your School Community” by Liz Kleinrock, and “Indigenous Relations: Insights, Tips, & Suggestions to Make Reconciliation a Reality” by Bob Joseph. 

Works Referenced

BC Teacher-Librarians' Association. BC Teacher-Librarians' Association. (n.d.). Retrieved June 4, 2022, from https://bctla.ca/ 

Canadian School Libraries. (n.d.). Retrieved June 4, 2022, from https://www.canadianschoollibraries.ca/ 

Fédération canadienne des associations de bibliothèques/Canadian Federation of Library Associations. Canadian Federation of Library Associations. (n.d.). Retrieved June 4, 2022, from http://cfla-fcab.ca/en/home-page/ 

Home. Library 2.0. (n.d.). Retrieved June 4, 2022, from https://www.library20.com/