Guiding question: What do you believe are the most critical elements that make a

teacher librarian an exemplary instructional partner?

The most important of the critical elements that make a teacher librarian an
exemplary instructional partner is people skills. There is tremendous potential to
enhance student learning in the library space itself, in teacher-collaboration, and in
the expertise of a teacher librarian. If the access to this wealth is blocked, so much
of it can be wasted. According to Madeline Will in her article As Media Landscape
Changes, Librarians Take on New Roles , “Teachers aren't required to collaborate with
the school librarians, so the librarians say that an important part of their job is
public relations.” This to me starts in the copy room or in the hallway. If one can give
out a feeling of positivity, connection, and honesty to teachers, they may be more
likely to try a collaborative session (or at least, it might be rude to decline). If
Teacher Librarians can demonstrate that they are adding useful lessons and
experiences to a class, the teacher will hopefully be open to future sessions. From
the same article: “One way to spread the word, Whiting said, is easing teachers'
burdens. ‘We didn't add something to their plate, we took something off their plate,’
she said. ‘Once we make one person's life a little easier, that person tells their
friends and so on. It's one positive interaction at a time.’" Many of us probably have
a librarian stereotype about the old-fashioned shushing librarian who hides behind
the desk. If adults are feeling a cold vibe, you better bet the students feel it too. As a
teacher, I know that relationship building is key to student success. If a Teacher
Librarian has any hope of connecting with the students, the students must first see
that they have a positive connection with their teacher.

West Vancouver school superintendent Chris Kennedy’s article “My Take on Teacher
Librarians” discusses the role of the teacher librarian in moving a school’s learning
agenda forward, especially when, due to budget or size constraints, have no support
or helping teachers. His slide called the “Just-in-time” solution also supports my
point that people skills are key. The school administration could be relying very
heavily on a teacher librarian to move a particular learning agenda forward. This
might be a digital literacy or even a straight literacy goal. The ability of the teacher
librarian to bridge the gap between the administration and classroom teachers is
vital to achieving this goal. Even stand-alone, non-collaborative lessons in the
library can remind teachers of what the school’s goal is and take the burden of
knowing-everything and planning-everything off their shoulders.
Kennedy, Chris. "My Take on Librarians." Culture of Yes, 23 May 2011,
cultureofyes.ca/2011/05/23/my-take-on-librarians/.

Martin, Ann M., and Suzanna L. Panter. “The Paradox of Our Profession.” Knowledge Quest, vol.
43, no. 4, Mar. 2015, pp. 54–61. EBSCOhost,
search.ebscohost.com.proxy.queensu.ca/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=eue&AN=101459212&site=ehost-live.

Will, Madeline. "As Media Landscape Changes, Librarians Take on New Roles." Education Week,
vol. 36, no. 12, 11 Sept. 2016, pp. 25-28. Education Source.