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Monday 24 March 2014

Teacher Librarian Versus The Teacher

The teacher librarian's expertise and role is different from that required by all teachers.  For the teacher librarian to effectively resource the library, they need to have a working knowledge across all areas and levels of the curriculum and needs to be fully abreast of teaching programs throughout their particular area of their school.  A teacher librarian requires the knowledge of resources available and how to search for and source further suitable resources.

A classroom teacher is required to look after the learning program for their particular class and/or year level.  Admittedly a classroom teacher  has a greater emotional investment and commitment to class administration in their class's learning curriculum, but the knowledge required to effectively implement their classroom learning program stops with their class.

The teacher librarian is responsible for making digital, print and online resources available to teachers and students and provide knowledge of where they can be found.
Teacher librarians become involved in class planning by attending year level meetings, providing resources to complement the classroom teacher's lessons and through knowledge of the curriculum.
The teacher librarian needs to have ears and eyes to the ground, watching what students are reading and listening to what they are talking about.

Through interaction with each of the classes, the teacher librarian is in the unique position of being able to see teacher-made resources being used in individual classes.  Teacher-made resources are a valued addition to classroom learning.

It is the responsibility of the teacher librarian to encourage conversations about learning and information.  To engage students, the teacher librarian needs to ask them what they are reading, what they are doing on the weekends, what television shows are they watching and which websites are they using.  The library should be the hub of pop-culture, information and meta-information, where students go to find out.

The popularity and success of the library depends on the expertise of the teacher librarian.  The teacher librarian is a highly skilled information specialist with skills in research, marketing, business, and resource collection and management.
The library is the place to find out.

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