Congrtulations to Waverley College PRC Participants

I was reading Nurrunga (Newsletter for Waverley College) this week and was impressed to read about the efforts of those who did the NSW Premiers Reading Challenge this year. 79 boys completed the challenge this year. I am proud of them all. Congratulations to the boys and the Library Team.

When I finished at the end of Term 1, 95 had registered. I do not know the final figure for registrations.

Below is the newsletter article.

Accreditation Complete

I logged into my BOSTES account this week and found that my status is now proficient which means I am now officially recognised as a teacher in NSW. This will open some new doors for me professionally.

I would like to thank Waverley College and the following staff in particular for their support in getting the evidence together and completing the paperwork:

• Ray Paxton (Head of College) - for his constant support in my work at the College.
• Tony Moore (Director of Personnel Services) - Guiding me through the steps involved in submitting the evidence and ensuring that my portfolio complied with standards set by the College and BOSTES.
• Lynsey Porter (Head of English) - Giving up her time to complete a lesson observation during Term 4, 2015 and providing useful feedback to support my professional practice.
• Sherri Falkinder (Acting Head of Library) - Liaising with senior staff when needed and for providing me with time to prepare the portfolio. 

Also, a big thanks to Jenny Williams (Former Head of Digital Learning & Information Services, MLC School Burwood) who was able to sign off samples of evidence from my work as Teacher Librarian (Acting) in 2014 at MLC Burwood. 

Waverley College Reflection 2013

This is an opportunity to reflect on the term that was (Term 3) and to list some of my key achievements:

Achievements

• Involved in the setup of the reading list for the NSW Premier's Reading Challenge including stickering listed items. I think I managed to do about 300 items on my own. 
• Facilitating Overdrive E-Book presentations to Year Nine Students - This included the creation and publication of support materials on the library webpage on Haiku. 
• Updating library databases.
• Facilitating the Homework Club after school for four afternoons per week. 
• Responsibility for a roll call group. I got to establish a good rapport with the students in that group. 
• Recommending items for addition to the E-Book collection through Overdrive. 
• Promote the Annual Writing Competition for 2013 including creation of posters and promoting it to English Teachers. 

The most important aspect of this role would end up taking half of the term. This was the relocation of the library to a temporary site while awaiting construction of a new permanent location. Even before the move, I had begun some tasks including shelf checks of the non fiction collection, some weeding (Term II) and relocation in anticipation of movement. Relocation was aimed for start of term, but the date was pushed back several weeks due to construction delays

There were the general setup duties e.g. shelving collections and shelf checks. As the setup continued, we also had to reconfigure shelf allocations as the numbers of available shelves had changed (particularly non fiction) where more shelves were allocated than planned. As I mentioned back in October, this became challenging and was able to work around it with ease. 

After the store room was ready, I was then given the responsibility to set it up. 

With the library closed (except for study classes and Homework Club), we also managed to do some testing of the new facilities and sort out the teething problems such as our new monitors. I was able to produce a Powerpoint Slide to welcome students to the new facility. 

I was fortuante to attend the official opening on November 14, and was able to explain to those present some of the new features of the new facility. The general feedback was quite good.

Reflection

I look back and I think the most important skill or activity to me was the library relocation. As a Teacher Librarian, I have to be able to effectively setup and manage a learning space, just like a classroom teacher would do for their classroom. I attained skills in how to effectively setup a library space and had to consider the challenges and limitations based on the resources and spaces that were available to my colleagues and myself. This also requires consideration of the latest trends in learning and library management. As the library was slowly opened for student use (though not fully even by terms end), the effectiveness of our setup could be measured based on the library users experiences e.g. seating arrangements for booked classes. Like a classroom, we have to manage student behaviour. I found the new layout actually encouraged better management. The computer areas were not in a classroom like setting anymore and all screens were easily visible. I could keep a presence that looked "minimal" to the student yet I could see what they were doing. If suspicious, I could move closer as needed. 

In the preparation stage, the shelf check made my work much easier down the at the new site, as I had already ensured that the items were in order. 

I still may prefer printed literature but I've slowly begun to embrace it in an electronic format such as viewing school newsletters, magazines and newspapers online through an Ipad which I purchased mid year. Through the Overdrive Sessions and recommending resources for inclusion in that collection, I begun to apprecipate the reading options available through that medium. Students have much more to gain from it because it allows them to read on devices that normally appeal to them like a tablet computer or their smartphone. It removes some of the "baggage" that comes with having to read.  However I felt that Overdrive itself is still limited in the literature available. Australian Literature is limited at the moment and I hope they add more. However it did open me to new items that otherwise may not be available to them. 

As for the Homework Club - I will take this to any school that I work full time in or retain if such a service is already offered. I think having a service like this to students helps them with their learning. Apart from having access to full library services, it gives students a chance to consult me or library staff in a more relaxed setting. We dont have the time limitations that before school or lunch brings. Teachers can come in and do seminars or assist students for instance (It didn't happen in Term 3 but I'd support it). It gives the students an option to complete homework or study in relaxed and familar settings with support right at hand. Even I felt more relaxed for some reason as well. I liked being available to help the students as needed. 

Store Room Setup

During this past week, my main focus has been to set up our library stack or storeroom. It has seen me work in isolation away from the hum-drum of school life but has allowed me a chance to really learn something in managing a library collection.

This is the first time and the first school where I have been involved in the setting up of a library stack. Being in a temporary location does have it's setback; that there isn't necessarily the full space to stock a full collection as in the past on the main floor of the library. Weeding is not really a fair solution to a space problem as it does consign rather useful resources to their "death".

But then big libraries have faced that challenge. I know from my Study Tour last year the limitations in making a full collection available like the State Library of NSW, where most items are stored in a library stack or offsite and only bought up into the public areas when requested by a person.

I am happy at the fact that a large collection is still being maintained and that the access will be instant. A student or teacher merely has to request the item from the catalogue and within minutes would be located and one can borrow the item.

Also it has allowed me a chance on something that I can be proud of especially at this early stage of my career. Even though I was working mostly in isolation during the week, I enjoyed "building" something even though it was just unpacking boxes and placing it onto the shelves. I recall just a few weeks ago, the rooms were dusty, dirty, stuffy and empty and lacking soul. Now its become apart of the library. A collection of items is now available for use. With my period of employment at the school coming to the end, I can leave feeling that I have done something very positive for the school apart from the other duties which I have fulfilled as part of my role.

I've also made sure that the yearbook collection which had been merely kept in shelves in back of the old AV room were labelled on the shelves just in case someone wants read them. I remember in Year 12 that I was part of a group that enjoyed viewing old school yearbooks mostly to see photos of our teachers as they may have looked in the years gone by. Apart from the school's yearbooks, it also tells me which other schools have provided yearbooks. Labelling makes their location and retrieval much easier.

This week I will have to do a shelf check to make sure all items are at their precise location. I for one want everything in their exact place.

I hope to reflect on some other aspects of the past ten weeks as well.