Donna Stephens Teacher/Librarian Philosophy An appreciation for Literature I want my students to have an appreciation for Literature, form their

own opinions about what makes good literature, and connect to the universal truths found within texts. Many of the stories shared with my Nursery classes have shown a poignant understanding of loneliness, loss, conflict and also a good sense of humour. These children are my toughest critics and have their own opinions on what makes a good book. This term we explored traditional Nursery Rhymes focusing on rhyme and vocabulary. Through collaborating with teachers on their Early Learning Goals I am able to ensure that Library time is supporting curriculum goals and empowering literacy learning. I know I have achieved this when students independently recommend books to me or their peers or share books we have been exploring after school with parents.

A Global Community I believe in building an understanding of life beyond the immediate environment and community through connection and collaboration by sharing between classrooms. Last year I collaborated with Years 1 and 2 teachers and joined the K-2 Building Bridges Flat classroom project www.flatclassroomproject.org. KS1 were the youngest cohort of students to join this project. These young students connected, communicated, and collaborated on a global project, thereby weaving 21st century skills into their learning by working with classroom teachers to create interesting, authentic work with students. This promotes student engagement which is a critical factor in getting students to think and succeed. I can measure this by observing students while creating and collecting their responses to the project.

Authenticity I explore skills and concepts through units that are relevant to childrens lives, where they live and class themes. Themes can be inspired by the local community, world news, local festivals or events happening at that time. This authenticity promotes opportunities for global action and service. Recently, Year 6 began the unit Explorers. Within the Library I was able to form links with ice explorer and environmentalist Mark Woods www.markwoodsexplorer.com and have the class interview him via Skype. Not only was this a wonderful and inspiring learning opportunity for the teachers and students, but it enabled me to promote a genre of books. A display with a mini Mount Everest filled with nonfiction and fiction books relating to this topic were promoted. By monitoring borrowing histories I can decide whether my actions have made a difference.

Reading to Learn The research process is the same for a Year 2 child as it is for a tertiary student. Students need to decide what information is needed; make choices about the information available both in print and electronically; locate resources to satisfy an information need and evaluate and share information. The plethora of information available, through books, news and internet can be overwhelming. I used a pathfinder for a Year 6 class so they could access web sites about Natural Disasters. In Year 4 we explored key words that could be used in a search strategy. Year 2 learnt a Dewey Decimal rap to help when locating books and Year 1 reviewed the Contents pages of nonfiction books to decide if they met their information needs. I know I have achieved my goals by assessing childrens skills and observing how they go about these tasks in the context of their independent research.

Organisation The multi-faceted role of the Librarian can be daunting but with good management my Library runs efficiently. I use time management tools to run an effective library. The administrative duties such as cataloguing, filing, ordering and weeding are planned for in my timetable. My virtual personal learning network allows me to share and collaborate with other teachers and teacher librarians. Through networking I am working smarter not harder. I organise the Library space so students, staff and parents can effectively access the Library. The physical layout, cataloguing systems, signage and displays ensure a user friendly service. Ensuring there are consistent routines and systems in place means that students know how to use the Library independently. The primary library monitors run the library lunchtime programs under my supervision. I felt I had achieved success when a student commented I love the Library at lunchtimes. I feel like a queen when I come through the door and Im greeted. The monitors tell me what activities are happening today. It is like a posh hotel.