The League of Extraordinary Librarians
Heroes are ordinary people
who make themselves extraordinary.
- Gerard Way, Musician/Comic Book Writer (1977-present)
“You had me at superhero” (Thind, 2018a). When I read a blog post by my classmate in LIBE 467 who likened teacher-librarians to superheroes (Classmate, 2018), I knew I wanted to complement their content with my own. It is fitting to format this post at the end of the course since in my "Introduce Yourself" message I mentioned my favourite superhero (“student star stickers” if you remember who - please comment in the comment section 🌟😁!) (Thind, 2018b). Superheroes play and played a significant role for me personally and professionally:
Although I did well academically in school, I struggled in the social realm and superheroes saved me. I take my childhood experiences and teach to the ideology of student interest-based instruction while curating the curriculum (Thind, 2017).
In connection, the super teachers I had were the ones who cared about our learning as well as our lives. In terms of child development, “We cannot separate [a] child from a particular reality [and this child] brings these experiences, feelings, and relationships into the school with [them]” (Malaguzzi, 1994, para. 7). The popularity of popular culture has brought this type of pedagogy into our profession; i.e., superheroes and its associations are part of our reference materials (pun intended). As with social media, the social spheres of our students should be recognized as part of their realities. It is the type of teacher I aim to be.
The video below is a hugh-morous endorsement for educators with a former fictional faculty member:
Within my mindset of mindfulness, I further suggest
a leader in the league of scholastic superheroes
is the school librarian.
A T-L is a specialist who can hold a special place in the literary and lived lives of pupils. They have the outstanding opportunity to build relationships with a range of age groups over time. As a student, the school library was a sanctum for me; a place to peruse and ponder. The temperament of the T-L would affect my academics as well as my aspirations. As a Learning Commons, this space and designated staff members have evolved education to be an investment in social studying. Information literacy is not an isolationist activity; it involves personnel and pupils. As noted in our text, “The day of seeking answers has not ended; only the process has changed” (Riedling, 2005, p. 101). Teacher-Librarians are people who teach essential - literacy-saving - education skills. As I wrote in Assignment Three, “The T-L is first and foremost the reference service” (Thind, 2018c). A connection to this person is a connection to the curriculum as well as to all the classes in the school.
Great Hera, It's a GIF!
It’s a Librarian! Not For Glory Save Your Day The Librarian Knows Great Responsibility
It’s a Librarian! Not For Glory Save Your Day The Librarian Knows Great Responsibility
We all remember the teachers who were good and those who were bad. The super ones were heroic because they were ordinary people who made their teaching extraordinary. I hope one day to join the league of teacher-librarians and continue the fight for familiarity with my students and staff.
References
AskALibrarian. (2003-2017). Online superheroes [Online images]. Retrieved from
Classmate*. (2018, Feb 18). Capturing my learning [Web log message]. Retrieved from
CollegeHumor. (2012, Jun 04). Hugh Jackman’s teacher interview [Video file]. Retrieved from
Malaguzzi, L. (1994). Your image of the child: Where teaching begins. Exchange, 3.
Riedling, A. (2005). Reference skills for the school library media specialist: Tools and tips
(2nd ed.). Worthington, OH: Linworth.
Tanga. (2018). Teacher because superhero isn’t an official job title [Online image]. Retrieved from
Thind, J. (2017, November 27). ECED 405A: The power of pedagogy: Superheroes and students
(Class assignment). University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
(Class assignment). University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Thind, J. (2018a, February 21). LIBE 467: Theme 2 blog posting - Group 6 [Online discussion group].
Retrieved from https://canvas.ubc.ca
Thind, J. (2018b, January 8). LIBE 467: Introduce yourself [Online discussion group].
Retrieved from https://canvas.ubc.ca
Thind, J. (2018c, March 26). LIBE 467: Assignment three [Web log message].
Retrieved from https://yellow-star-red-heart.blogspot.ca/2018/03/libe-467-assignment-three-evaluation.html
*Name withheld for privacy.
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