It's week 3 of this course and I am feeling overwhelmed by not so much the new information I have read and learned but about how much I still have to read. Every time I go back to the topic - this week being The Role of the Teacher Librarian and read the essential readings, I then see all of the "suggested" further readings. I am not so great at reading online...funny that I should be doing an online Masters! so I find myself printing a few of these articles off. I am using the back of scrap paper from my husband's office so I am not using up any extra paper...just using up a lot of ink. Anyway, I am in the midst of rethinking my role of TL. When I started doing some casual work in the Library, I thought it was the best job mainly due to the fact that you only have these children for 50 minutes/week. How in the world can you not be a happy, positive person for that small amount of time that you teach these children? I have done executive relief teaching - still am - for over 10years and was getting a bit bored with it and thought the library would be a great move. I had never thought about the other roles of the TL. Purcell's five roles of SLMS nearly knocked me over. Yes,I agree with Purcell's role of teacher, instructional partner and information specialist and even the program administrator but the role of leader had never entered my thinking about a TL. Now, that 50 minutes might need to be divided into ten minute slots for each of the 5 roles. Talk about juggling...and I cannot even juggle oranges or balls or anything. I know the other TL at my school - she is 2 days full time and I am only .1 - teach 2 classes once a week is amazing. I am fortunate to be able to work with her and yes, I see her carry out all but the role of leader but frankly she is busy juggling everything else - me a rookie TL included! Aren't there other people in our school that get paid a lot more than us to carry out the role of leader?