Collaboration and Support: The Role of the Principal

Dianne ObergFaculty of EducationUniversity of Alberta, Canada

Principals: Role in Change

Vision-building Evolutionary planning Empowerment of others Resource mobilization Problem-coping and monitoring (e.g., Fullan, 1993; Rosenholtz,

1989)

How do principals support the school library?Four key roles:

Supporting the program(1) Supervisors

(2) Models

(3) Managers

Supporting the teacher-librarian(4) Mentors

‘Principal support’

Supervisors working directly with teachers

Models demonstrating personal commitment

Managers enabling the program Mentors providing visibility and

importance for the teacher-librarian

How do principals support collaboration? Provides opportunities for

teachers (and teacher-librarians) to work and learn together

Actively leads faculty to decide what students are to learn and how they are to show what they have learned

How do teacher-librarians support collaboration? Analyze / share what is in place,

what is needed for collaboration Help teachers to share / examine

their philosophies, pedagogies Actively lead in developing

schoolwide approaches to teaching and learning

Who / what else can support collaboration? District administrators / school

trustees Policy and infrastructure Teacher-librarians network for

PD, mentoring, advocacy, policy development

What gains emerge from support and collaboration? Mutual support for all Improved quality of teaching and

teaching and learning Increased attention to digital

citizenship, to literacies for life Improved student success