Harte Loves Books

It feels like teachers are tired. More so than usual. Feelings of anxiety, frustration, exhaustion and overwhelmed seem to be present in all discussions, whether related to school or life in general. When I think about my role as a teacher-librarian, supporting teachers with ideas, support, and time, feels more crucial than ever before. Finding the spaces and avenues to do this effectively is important.  (image source: pixabay.com) I am wondering: How can I support teachers?  How can I share my learning in a way that is meaningful? How can I adapt my role to the COVID world we are living in? Taking lessons off their plates  I know that collaboration is the ideal goal. But for now, having me zoom in to teach a quick lesson or skill, like how to navigate learnalberta.ca, or how to add images and videos into blogs is so appreciated. The students are excited to ‘see’ me, and teachers have a chance to listen and learn along with their students. In this way, I am providing a bi...

                                         (image source: pixabay.com)  This is a topic that is important to me. As a self-described introvert, initially, the thought of working as a solo in the library was kind of appealing. I didn’t anticipate the loneliness that would accompany this move. After years of working collaboratively and being part of a team, the feeling of ‘being part of everyone’s team, but really, no team’ has taken some adjustment. What became quite clear to me during the remote learning this past spring is that collaboration and community spark creativity for me. I crave connection, community, and a feeling of belonging much more than I thought I did. Finding long-lasting ways to stay connected to continue learning is important, but even more so for me, it is the shared experience and community that is needed most.  (Image source: pixabay.com ) As we moved o...

  As I forge the path of a new teacher-librarian role, developing a reading culture has been the first and easy way to connect. This is what students, teachers, and admin imagine my role to be. We do not have a school-wide reading program, my work has been to develop a culture of reading working with grades and divisions where they are at, with the resources that they have. Pre-COVID, my schedule was fixed, and I saw all 26 classes every week for a full block.  Topics and activities of our weekly classes together ranged, but in regards to developing a culture of reading, I did picture book read alouds, book talks, worked with students individually to find books. I ensured the space was open and accessible to students outside of instructional time every day and talked with kids about what they were reading. I hosted a Family Literacy Night, author visits, book fairs, and school-wide reading events. Looking back at last year makes me grieve for the community feel of the LC. Now,...

  (image source: https://medium.com)  What I find most challenging with research and inquiry, is knowing when to stop. I often find myself ‘going down the rabbit hole’ much like Alice does in Wonderland, and find myself lost or diving deeper, as I go from one search to another. I have never really seem to hit a definitive ‘endpoint’ and maybe that is part of the learning. Rather, I get to a place where I felt I have enough to begin my process, I know that my understanding was deeper than before, and I am confident I could continue researching as I went along. This is what I think is missing in research projects taught in schools, and what I really value about inquiry. The circular process of learning in this way allows for flexibility, change, and course correction. I am still finding new sources and information despite the research I have already done.   For this assignment, research meant looking at probably more than fifty websites and articles, many of them unhel...