Finger in the Library Pie

 I had to look this up, because I knew what I wanted to say, but not how to say it.

When I haven't done something for a while, I get out of practice. This is true when I play video games. I haven't been on as regularly on Animal Crossing New Horizon as I used to be, because of my school workload, and I can tell: I nearly forgot how to wish on stars and collect star fragments. I had to look up in the manual how to load my bobbin in my sewing machine, because it's been so long. 

I haven't been in my teacher-librarian role officially since September 2020 and performing my regular duties related to the job since March 2020. I worry that I will forget how to do things. However, there are at least two things that are helping me keep my "finger in the pie" of Library Land.

Writing an AQ Course

I don't know if this is allowed to be public knowledge (so if it isn't, I'll keep the name of the institution secret). I was hired in the summer to write the Teacher-Librarian Part 1, Part 2 and Specialist course for an organization that is accredited to provide the course and qualifications. This was a great honour and privilege, and especially timely because I was on the team that revised the guidelines for these TL AQ courses with the Ontario College of Teachers. 

I am so grateful to my critical friends who encouraged me and offered suggestions. I am also thankful for the support I have received from my liaison, who has provided excellent guidance and has been accommodating with extensions.  It wasn't easy! Some of the project has been submitted already and some will be due shortly. I hope that the assignments and tasks I have designed will make taking the courses interesting, informative, and helpful. I examined the feedback written by AQ candidates who took the previous version of the course and used their advice to shape the course, hopefully for the better.

ETT Library Ad Hoc Committee

It began with this tweet:

Another student wonders why K-8 libraries are shut. Some Boards have TL's written into contracts. Why not province-wide? @oslacouncil @maritstiles @calphonso @krushowy @cafreeland @etfopresident @JennMacBrown @MzMollyTL @MrsGeekChic @EricRWalters @ForestofReading @eysreading https://t.co/sBIIuR2y1g

— Lisa Lewis (@MmeLisa_Lewis) December 9, 2020

Johanna Lawler, OSLA council member and school library advocate, wrote back and recommended that our ETFO local has a Library Ad Hoc Committee. This led me to create a tweet in response.

 

*clears throat* Hello, @ElemTeachersTO - many of us TDSB TLs would be interested in forming a Library Ad Hoc Committee. Please DM 1 of us from this thread to let us know our next steps (and thank you @Lawler for all your work in this area advocating!) https://t.co/M8vf7fn4jb

— Diana Maliszewski (@MzMollyTL) December 10, 2020

A few displaced Toronto teacher-librarians have contacted me privately to indicate their interest in being part of that committee. Since I haven't heard from ETT yet, I will take Johanna's advice and start the necessary steps to make it possible. It's not like I need more work to do. I'm still swamped with marking and I dread the upcoming switch deadline, which I'm sure will need to more upheaval and unrealistic expectations placed on educators. However, I think it's important work to do, and it's a way of staying involved in matters related to school libraries even when I can't be there.