The Culture of Teaching: ISOLATION

Notes on LEADERSHIP AND THE TEACHER-LIBRARIAN by E. L. Burdenuk

I found this article fascinating and intriguing! I helped solidify many of my beliefs of the role of the TL.

This article talks about social architecture (in Canadian schools) being the idea of how teachers act within a school including, values and norms. Described as "the way we do things around here". This article investigates how this social architecture effects the job of the TL in schools. This is so interesting due to the fact that I do feel as if I am fighting a ghost. This is the TL of my childhood. SHE was always shushing and seemed matronly and a grumpy protecter of books. I always thought that these were criteria for being a TL. So much has changed and TL are now dynamic school leaders. I am not so sure this transition is clear to all and how do you create this NEW LOOK?

Lieberman and Miller found that the greatest irony of teaching was how isolated teachers are and how this results in the difficult process of sharing ideas and growing together professionally. Rozenholt regards isolation as the "greatest impediment to learning to teach and to improve skills" Break down the walls of isolation so teacher can receive feedback, and work collaboratively! Rid the school of teacher invisibility. This culture creates an environment that resists change and maybe the single most important factor preventing the integration and collaboration of TL in the classroom and the curriculum. Teachers are entrenched. PLC (Professional Learning Communities) breaks down walls and creates a commitment to student learning and school excellence. Though this article doesn't talk about PLC, I had to include it here. PLC may be what Canada needed as a reform instead of new missions, visions, goals, and objectives. PLC creates these under one important umbrella: STUDENT LEARNING. The author believes that change in schools can happen through collaboration for teachers and students. I never heard the word "consigliere" sounds very French and means an indirect leader or second change agent based on expertise (of curriculum, collaborative process)who interacts as a colleague with teachers and admin. Peter Block talks about empower ourselves, and I see this as a truism and a self fulfilling prophesy. This encourages thinking of the whole school at every level. These critical thinking skills are paramount to the TL. Teachers also need to learn to think, learning how to learn, learning to be creative, lifelong learning. "learning to learn, unlearn, and relearn" to create school leaders. The TL can use referent power (based on individual's personal characteristics and traits) and expert power (individual's possession of expertise, skill and knowledge) to influence others. I believe that I have referent power and as a result of my studies I am gaining expert power daily. TL don't need to be recognized as leaders but can have a powerful influence by demonstrating skills, encouraging collaboration, providing resources and from knowledge of the curriculum. Leadership is an inner quest: Know thyself and always Learn MORE!

Look For:

University of Texas study on change process and the TL

Implementing Change: A Cooperative Approach to Initiating, Implementing and Sustaining Library Resource Centre Programs: published by British Columbia Teacher-Librarian Association (Austrom, 1990)

THRIVING IN CHAOS by Tom Peters