Wednesday, April 25, 2018

My Personal Mission Statement

My mission as a teacher-librarian is to provide learning support and leadership to my community. I will seek and provide resources, electronic and print, that reflect the diversity of my community and the world. I will support readers and non-readers alike, with materials that support their questioning, problem-solving, and collaborative meaning-making. I will create an environment in the learning
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash
commons which respects and honours the rights and diversity of our community. I will work with my colleagues to provide resources and opportunities to increase information literacy for all. I will advocate for the learning commons and the resources needed to support learners equitably, including access to technology. I will ensure that the learning commons is accessible, inclusive, and  welcoming during school hours. Learners will have access to my services any time they need support.

Thursday, April 12, 2018

Freedom

It seems odd to value failure, yet it is so important to look at where you have not successfully met goals and move forward from that. This spring has been a test of what I believe about goal-setting, achievement and failure. 

I'm a member of the Leadership Development Program in my district. It's an honour to be chosen, as it is an interview selection process. For two years, the district gives your school release time to allow you to act in a leadership role and support the administrative team. You are asked to attend workshops and take two courses at the local university, as well as take on various responsibilities. Some people choose this program to develop their leadership skills; some use this as a stepping stone to administrative roles in the district. This year, the district changed the process of hiring principals and vice principals from individually posting each new job, to a pool of possible candidates. 

I was short-listed, but unsuccessful in my application and I was very disappointed. In the weeks since the interviews, I have spent a lot of time reflecting on what I can learn from the process and my interview. Here's what I think I will work on for the next interview I have: 

  • sustained positive energy (perhaps I was too subdued)
  • refining my examples of professional practice
  • smiling more
That's all I can think of - that my answers weren't what they were looking for and that I wasn't energetic/positive enough. In my darkest, most unlikely thoughts, the things that weren't "enough" are beyond my control - my gender, my appearance, my age. I can't control those things.  I can only control my thoughts, beliefs, and effort. 

I know from all my previous experiences that I have the ability to be a successful, capable leader and will make a very good administrator when I'm given the opportunity. I simply need to keep the faith and seek the right fit! This is the thing that I am wondering about now: is the right fit in the community I've lived in most of my life? This is not a bad thing. This is an adventure and an opportunity to reach out for my dreams of living in some other communities that I love!

The other thing that I know without a doubt is that if I am a teacher librarian and never given the opportunity to be an administrator, I'll lead from where I am. It's never a hardship to do work you love, and I love being a teacher librarian!! Getting to work with new technologies and promote great literature, solid inquiry practices, and involving myself in the intense conversations of learning is nothing but joy. 

Either way, I'm a very lucky person! Failure is simply part of the cha-cha of life!