ETL 401 - Can the teacher and teacher-librarian ever coexist in harmony?

Yes, I know that it's probably not a question that plagues many of us, but it is something that puzzles me after this week's readings.

So much of what a teacher-librarian has to offer crosses over into the territory of the classroom teacher ... it's therefore perfectly natural for them to feel threatened or intimidated by the role that the TL wants to play.  Hence it all comes down to the building of relationships.  The TL must be prepared to be positive, supportive, open and friendly towards the classroom teachers.  There has to be an authentic partnership in operation with both parties making equal contributions to the collaborative approach.  There must be a common goal and a shared vision for the students to truly benefit from CPT. 

Schools are busy places and often operate at a frenetic pace.  Individual subjects compete for student attention and deadlines frequently clash, often placing unfair demands of the students.  Yet imagine a world where the curriculum was flexible enough that students were encouraged to formulate their own questions and investigate their own answers.  There will always have to be deadlines, but why do we have to focus on teaching 'essential' knowledge to then test how much of that knowledge has been retained.  Once we are able to accept that the process is far more important than the end result then we will all be better off.  It is only through this acceptance that we will be able to develop the critical skills that will empower life long learners who are able to adapt to the ever changing world.