One person....many names

Information specialist, curriculum leader and collaboraror. These are the 3 roles that I would like to be referred to by both staff and students. Curriculum leader and collaborator are the easier ones for me as I've come to the TL role after 10 years of classroom teaching. During these 10 years I have taught in P6, P5 and larger schools where I needed to know all areas of curriculum. I believe my knowledge and interest in curriculum is extensive and this was one of the things I was going to miss most when I applied for the TL role. After Ass.1 I can now see how my knowledge is an advantage - a necessity if you consider how poorly resourced the library collection is in all areas of supporting curriculum. Collaboration is also a strength of mine - with students, staff and community - and I have always taught in a collaborative way with co-workers and encourage this approach in the library - show me a TL who does not acknowledge the expertise of others and I'll show you an arrogant TL!!! Information specialist....now there's the challenge.

Don't forget to breathe

Just sent off Ass 1 401.....time for a quick breath and start looking at Ass 2 503. Learning so much so quickly - however the forum is not helping me much. With so many readings for both units, I find I have little time for the social chit-chat that goes on - however I do enjoy reading the thoughts that othres have regarding the readings. Thank God it's holidays..... a week left to catch up before I get snowed under in Term 2.

Snowed under

OMG. I can't believe how many hours I have been putting in to this course. I flew through High School and Uni with minimum effort and foolishly thought this would be the same - but whether it's an age thing or a huge gap in between studying, I'm finding this really, really stressful and difficult.

My W/E's now consist of going into Matt's office - where I know I won't be distracted - and putting in 9hr days - noone in my family believe me when I tell them.

Just spent the 1st week of school holidays in Melbourne - where my daughter Molly was dancing at the Aust. Ballet school - and spent 6hrs each day in my room working on assignment and catching up on readings!!!! What is happening to me?

HOWEVER.... what I'm learning is so useful and inspiring it almost makes it all worthwhile. Having to critically analyse the many roles of a TL makes the role  - and what my priorities in the role are - has made it much more defined in my own head and has given me a clear direction for next term.

Am I missing something?

While I'm finding the readings interesting - I'm also feeling that I must be missing a fundamental element to this course. The forum posts from fellow students, discuss in-depth their views on what a TL's role is perceived as, and how we need Principal support. There are also alot of posts bemoaning the amount of different roles a TL is expected to have and how this is too hard. As a classroom teacher for the last 15 years I know that EVERY teacher in a school environment is busy and is expected to juggle many balls at once. Our role as TLs is no different. If we want our role to be seen as vital to a school's learning plan, with support from execs and fellow staff members we must make sure we are providing engaging, student centred lessons which have deep knowledge and understanding inbuilt. If we follow the Quality Framework - as all teachers should -  we cannot do anything BUT suceed in our roles - thereby gaining respect of peers and execs for the vital role we play at our school. If this respect and support is missing - perhaps we need to examine our own teaching practice before blaming others!

Not falling behind

It's only Wednesday, but already I have done more reading and "study" than I did for my whole HSC - many, many, many years ago. I am really scared that I will relax for a moment or 400 and find myself so unbelievably behind that I can't catch up. My husband says this is a good thing that will keep me on task, but waking up at 2.30 in the morning worrying that I haven't done enough yet is not going to do me much good. I guess it's about finding the happy medium - somthing I hope to do soon.

2nd attempt

After almost 1 hour, I think I've finally made it to the writing bit!!!! I knew I should have waited for my teenage children to come home to help me, but I guess I wanted to show them that I could do it by myself - as all 3 think it's simply hillarious that their old mum is attempting something like this.

I'm feeling very nervous, frightened, and to be honest sh*t scared at the moment. I haven't studied in 19 years and I really don't know where i'm going to find the time in my very busy and full life. I used the timetable tool in ETL401 to see where I can find time, but it is nowhere near the reccommended 20hrs a week.

Guess I'm going to have to sacrafice some relax time and family time to get this done - after all, it is only 8 months!!!

Attended a 2 day training course in Sydney for DEC staff - SO glad I went. It really helped me get my head around what is required of me this year - it also helped to know that what I did in our library last year was right on track with 21C libraries - was beginning to doubt this after feedback from the older members of staff - "...but Joyette never did that!!!!"

I have a real vision as to what I want our library to look, sound and feel like over the next few years - which is quite different to how it has been over the last 25 years according to the afore mentioned staff, and I feel good knowing that the subjects I am studying this semester will help me achieve this - I was quite worried that, like most of my earlier teaching degree, the subjects would be all theory with little relevance to actual teaching. But after the 2 days in Sydney I can see how useful and practical they will be.