Donham – Leadership

Donham addresses the idea of the TL as school leader, discussing;

• Leading from the middle

-         a TL leads more often through influence

-         collegial position with other staff

-         need for establishing one’s expertise

-         working collegially and collaboratively with others

-         articulating one’s ideas clearly

-         maintaining a good “say-do” ratio

-         establishing processes for continuous reflection and assessment

(pp. 299-300)

• Internal and external locus of control

- internally oriented TLs “will look within their circle of influence for solutions.” (p. 297)

- externally oriented TLs “frequently look outside themselves to explain their situation.” (p. 296)

Locus of control orientation is the difference between saying “I can find alternatives or compromises” and “There is nothing I can do.” (p.297)

• Circle of influence

-         Defining the limits around those things that a person can control

-         Within one’s circle of influence are one’s own thoughts and behaviors

-         Leaders know and respect the limits of their circles of influence

                (p. 296)

I enjoyed this reading. Donham reassures me that as a TL I am not expected to know everything, stating;

 “Rare is the library media specialist who is a true expert in all dimensions of the field; the challenge is to pursue to the maximum what one has aptitude for and strive for acceptable performance in the other aspects of the field.”

I think I can achieve this.

What I am concerned about though, is the amount of time a TL may need to allow to involve themselves within the wider school community. Donham suggests the TL volunteer on school-wide committees, and I agree this can be an effective way to collaborate, but where does a TL draw the line?

Donham states, “Whatever the actual work of the committee (drafting/writing goals, conducting surveys, or putting together slides), volunteer to do it.” And, “Taking on extra work shows that you care about the school, not just the library media program.”(p. 304)

Although I do agree that it can be beneficial to volunteer and participate on school committees, I believe the TLs interest and care for the wider school community should be evident within the lessons, activities and programs they develop and deliver.

  

Cheers

The Library Lady

Donham, J. (2005). Leadership. In Enhancing teaching and learning: a leadership guide for school library media specialists (2^nd ed.) (pp. 295-305). New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers