What Does a Teacher/Librarian Actually Do?

What Does a Teacher/Librarian actually Do?

Good question! 
A lot of people ask me that and some people make assumptions about the job. Others just have no clue and well lots of people don't like libraries so they don't care. They see the stereotypical library where the librarian is crabby, grumpy and insists on complete silence.

Kind of like the image you see here.

This is the way lots of people picture us. Talk about  stereotypes.

Television shows and movies enforce this stereotype. If you have the time there's a whole you tube series on librarian stereotypes. You can find the link to the first movie in the series right here.

So lets dispel some myths. Lets talk about what I really do. In another entry I'll discuss the grand vision for this library. So let's stay focused on the job itself, at least for today. Please keep in mind that there is a significant difference between Teacher/Librarians and Public Librarians. Teacher/Librarians are teachers who operate libraries located in schools and have a teaching degree with a Library qualification. Public Librarians have library sciences training from a college or university. My list discusses the role of the Teacher/Librarian. Depending on the person and the school this list may vary. The list is a description of what I do on a daily basis others may have different items on their list but it would be similar to my own. 

1. Keep staff up to date with available programs for student learning.
2. Run library orientations, at the start of the year in order to familiarize students with the resources available. 
3. Collaborate with teachers and help them to build research unit for students.
4. Manage the library collection. This includes purchasing, weeding out damaged or out of date books.
5. Create and implement programs which promote literacy like the Forest of Reading program.  
6. Provide assistance to teachers when planning units.
7. Provide staff with resources for the classroom.
8. Provide a schedule of available times for book exchange, teaching periods, etc.
9. Work with teachers to coordinate optimal use of library time.
10. Run a library leaders program that involves students in the maintenance of the library collection.
11. Instruct students on techniques for successful research projects.
12. Consulting with teachers in order to provide teachers with materials for their classrooms. (For example, I recently put together a collection of Gothic novels and Frankenstein resources. A teacher is planning on using these resources for her novel study unit.)
13. Keep the printers supplied with paper.
14. Manage overdue lists. This includes following up with students at the end of the year and getting them to pay, for or replace lost and damaged items.
15. Maintain the library lab which is usually a bank of 25 to 30 computers. This includes calling techs. for repairs and managing the network. (note: not all librarians have this added position. Some libraries don't have labs)
16. Catalogue and shelve library materials. 
17. Provide work spaces for students to complete work.
18. Assist students with finding resources within the library and on the web.
19. The list is endless I'm pretty sure I could list 50 more things but I'll stop here before this entry gets too long. 

I would like to end this entry with a different image of a librarian. 

For orientation this year, I created an avatar of myself and posted it for kids to view. I used a website called The Hero Factory. The kids thought it was pretty funny and wanted to know how to use the site. Some have since made characters and are using these characters for creative writing projects. 

Gone (I hope) are the days of the stiff, unforgiving, cranky, nerdy librarian. I want everyone to view the library space as a hub of activity in which the space reflects the needs of the student body. The library should encourage students to read for pleasure and for learning. 

I want students here researching, practicing drama skits, utlizing technology to build a presentation for class, and 100 other things. 

This library and many others like it should be a place where kids love to learn. 

The Actual Assignment pages.

Yesterday I posted a description of a collaborative project that I completed with some grade 6  students and their teacher Mrs. Camarda.

Today I've pasted in the assignment pages for our First Nations Assignment so that you can see the roles that we supplied to the kids. Hopefully, this gives you an idea of the structure we have created for this assignment. Please see the Two Heads are Better than One post for more info on the assignment.

Aboriginal Unit:  Culminating Task

You will be placed into groups.  Each group will have the task of researching one of the following Aboriginal Groups:     

Cree (Subarctic Region)

·         Haida (Northwest Coast Region)

·         Interior Salish (Plateau Region)

·         Inuit (Arctic Region)

·         Iroqouis (Eastern Woodlands)

·         Blackfoot  (Plains)

As a group you will need to complete the following tasks that will be presented at our Potlatch at the end of this unit.

Task 1

Find a myth/story from the group that you are studying.  Create a four square sketch of the stories important scenes. 

Write a paragraph on why this story would be important to your tribes culture and what message or lesson your group thinks it is trying to teach.

Task 2

Research the art and culture of your tribe.  Look at the fact sheet provided and decide on an individual and art form that you would like to research and describe in your report.

Task 3

Describe the lifestyle that was lived by these tribes before contact with the Europeans.  Look at the fact sheet provided for key words that you could use to begin your research.  Look at what their homes looked like, what tools they used to gather food and survive the harsh climate, how they travelled or transported goods.

Task 4

As a group, once you have researched your tribe, you will come together and design a flag that represents the people of your tribe.  Also, you will need to share a dish during the potlatch that you think best represents these people that you can share with the rest of the class.

That was page 1. Here's page 2.

The Story Teller  Checklist

1.       Your task is to find 2 myths from the particular tribe you are researching. 

2.      Create a four square sketch for each story. 

These should be drawn neatly and coloured in.        

3.       Write one paragraph on the importance of one of these stories. 

What is the main idea of the story?

What is the theme? 

In your opinion, how do you think this story was used by the tribe in

order to help them survive?                                      

Cultural Attaché

1.       Research an art or musical style from the particular tribe you are researching.

2.       Find 2 examples of your art or musical form.  This can be a photo, a music video

or an audio file.

3.       Create a paragraph about the artist who created these pieces of art work.

Who is the artist?

When did they begin drawing/singing/sculpting, etc?

Where did they learn this art form?

What type of message are they trying to send with their art?

What is your opinion of this art form.  Do you like it?  Why/Why not? 

Life and Style Reporter A

1.       Research what it was like to live like the tribe you are researching.

Start with researching the types of homes they lived in.  Ask for a

“Constructing a Model of an Early First Nation Home”  Sheet  from Mrs. Camarda.

2.      Create a good copy drawing or a 3-D model.

3.       Write a paragraph describing the home.

What tools and materials were used for construction?

What items could be found inside the home?

Who was in charge of the home and what were their jobs? (ex. Mom’s were in

Charge of cooking meals, dad’s hunting and gathering food.)

Life and Style Reporter B

1.       Research the clothing that the tribe you are looking at wore. 

2.       In a paragraph, describe what they wore on an everyday basis and if

there were any pieces of clothing used for special occasions or ceremonies.

3.       Provide at least two examples of everyday wear and two examples of

ceremonial dress.

The Food Critic

1.       It is your task to find any interesting facts about how the tribe you are

researching found their food source. 

2.       Write a paragraph about how they were able to feed their tribe.  Think about the following questions.

How did they find food?  Were they farmers, fishers, hunters, etc?

How did they prepare their food to eat?

What tools did they use to prepare their food or kill it?

3.       Provide at least three pictures of how they found and prepared their food.

Hope this gives a good idea about what the project was all about.