Never Not Learning - Inquiry Blog Post #2

Free image by Robfoto on Pixabay, text added by Holly Broadland

As a new teacher librarian, I feel like a sponge, absorbing information and skills from many sources. In addition to my coursework, I learn through meeting with people in real life, through online interactions with people I know, through attending workshops and conferences, and through social media. 

In Person Interactions

The life of a teacher librarian can be isolating, due to the fact that we are often the only person in our role at a school. However, I've been lucky enough to work with other teacher librarians several times and I've learned something from each of them. While I was a primary teacher at my former school, the teacher librarian saw my interest in librarianship and asked me to come along on a book buying trip. What fun! In the past six months, I have attended two meetings of the Vancouver Teacher Librarians' Association (VTLA), my local chapter of the BCTLA and I find it inspiring and incredibly helpful to connect with other teacher librarians in my district. I've approached some of the experienced TLs in Vancouver for information interviews and I always come away with new ideas for how to run a library.

Online Connections with Colleagues

As the librarians I know are most often working at their individual schools, I find it useful to keep in touch online. We have a district-wide email list for both elementary and secondary TLs where I can ask questions and learn from others' comments. I have also been informally paired up with an experienced TL I can text when I need support. This week I asked her how to get in touch with a local Scholastic rep regarding book fairs. 

Workshops and Conferences

I've attended many workshop opportunities with topics that range from technology to literacy. Last year, I went to the Richmond Public Library and learned how to use their 3D printers. At the end of September, I learned some of the basics of being a TL at the Vancouver School Board's New Teacher Librarian Orientation. I've been attending the BCTLA's annual conference since before I had a job as a teacher librarian and I always find it edifying. I've learned about robotics, gained tips for new teacher librarians, and connected with colleagues from around the province. I'm looking forward to attending the BCTLA conference in Richmond on the 19th. Will you be there?

#bookfacefriday compliation post by the @burlingame_library on Instagram

Social Media

I truly appreciate all the ideas and resources and connections I experience through social media. I use twitter, facebook, instagram, and pinterest and have found a strong community of educators on each platform. I following along with facebook groups such as Future Ready Librarians, Learning Librarians, Elementary Librarian Exchange, Elementary Librarians, Teachers, & Technologists - Collaborating Together!, Library Think Tank #ALATT, and Storytime Underground. I even started a UBC Teacher-Librarianship group on Facebook to connect with other students in this program. Join us and become our fifteenth member! A year ago, I started tweeting regularly with my professional account (@hollybroadland) and it's been an excellent experience. It always amazes me how authors are willing to connect with readers online. I had a grade seven student who was thrilled to see that Shannon Messenger, author of the Keeper of the Lost Cities series, had replied to one of my tweets. I haven't yet participated in a #bcedchat or #tlchat, but I'm glad to know they exist. In addition to facebook and twitter, I enjoy following libraries on instagram and I'm considering creating a professional account on that platform. I don't see many elementary libraries on instagram, but I think there are creative ways to run an account that don't rely on photos of students. I'd really like to try #bookfacefriday sometime! Here's a NY Times article on the bookface trend in case you haven't heard of it.

Social media is how I've heard about the Global Read Aloud, hashtags like #weneeddiversebooks and #IMWAYR (It's Monday, What are you Reading?), flipped classrooms, using green screens in the library, and Google Classroom. Whenever I come across and unfamiliar term or acronym, I read the post, do a bit of research, and add a new tool to my toolbox. I might not try them out quite yet, but it's good to know what others are learning so I have goals for my future professional development. Speaking of new terms, ICT skills was a new one for me. From what I can tell, it's basically tech skills such as using a computer and sending email. I've always felt I was above average in tech skills and I'm happy to learn new applications as they come along. My coursework has introduced me to Padlet, Symbaloo, Canva, and PowToon. In future, I'd like to try Prezi, Google Slides, Flipgrid, and more!

Time

It's a good thing that I'm passionate about my job, because I'm motivated to learn about how to do it better in my limited personal time. I get a few opportunities to develop my skills through work, but most of my learning is done in my off hours. It can be hard to have patience when you're at the start of our career and want to learn everything at once, but I know over time I'll develop more and more skills that will make me a helpful resource in the library. And I know I'll never stop learning!