Aaaahh - that's me breathing a sigh of relief. I've just finished reading a very enlightening paragraph in Skrzeczynski's "Breaking the barriers: sculpturing an information literate school community" (1999).
After reading all the roles and responsibilities of excellent TLs over this past week, I was beginning to think that I would need to be cloned in order to fulfill all of these expectations. How can one TL possibly juggle their time well enough to be involved in so many important areas of the school? I sort of felt like I was drowning under this weight of responsibility, thinking that I would have to be involved in the teaching of every one of the 850 kids in my school every week. I already work 50+ hours a week - how can I possibly take on any more work?
Skrzexczynski explains that TLs don't have to be "engaged in the face-to-face teaching of students", it's the expertise they bring to the "planning, organising and management" of the curriculum that is important.
I'll sleep well tonight knowing that yes, I will still be involved in face-to-face teaching, but not expected to teach every lesson. My worth will be guaged by the contributions I make during the planning process, not in the actual execution of every lesson.
Now I realise that I won't have to move a camp bed into my library and take up permanent residence there.
I read something along those lines, but it wasn't there, it was somewhere else, it could of been in my 501 readings, that our main role as a TL should be to provide service to the teachers, and our secondary role is service to the students.
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