Jen Robertshaw

Teacher Librarian

Kindergarten to Grade 6.

recent posts

about

Literature Review

Name: Jen Robertshaw

Photo by Mikhail Nilov on Pexels.com
Title (Leading Learning Subtopic):
Designing for Student Well Being in the LLC
Introductory Paragraph:
I work at a school with a variety of student needs. We have four hundred students, eighteen classes and twenty nine Educational Assistants (EAs). This means that there are, on average, one to two EA’s in each classroom. I have created a calm corner in the library and borrowed items from our Inclusionary Support Program Teachers (ISP). The most popular items are the noise cancelling headphones, bean bag chair and wobbly stool. Students who are part of the ISP program will stop by the library with their EA’s as a break from their homeroom classrooms. My main reason for choosing the subtopic of Designing for Student Well Being in the LLC is to ensure the library is inclusive for all students. We are in the third month of school and there are some students who have never been in the library, and as a result have never taken books out. I am working on ensuring everyone in the learning community (students, staff, parents) all have access to our library. 

Annotated Bibliography of 4-6 Resources

Resource #1 MLA 9 Citation: Chudy, D. (2021) BCTLA Covid-19 LLC and T-L recommendations – updated for September 2021, BC Teacher-Librarians’ Association. Available at: https://bctla.ca/2020/09/19/bctf-approved-re-opening-process-approved/ (Accessed: 28 November 2025). 

Summary: This article was written by the BCTLA and BCTF, to help support Teacher Librarians as they opened libraries back up following the pandemic. It advocates for teacher librarians and provides information reducing the spread of COVID-19. The article focused on keeping the learning community safe while starting book circulation. 

Evaluation: The links included are helpful for additional research. The increased use of technology to support the library will be a learning curve for the learning community, and additional professional development could be beneficial. 

Reflection: I think that some of the information is still valid today. Some of the local schools have lice and hand, foot and mouth going around. There is no sink in the library, so I have purchased 3 large sanitizers. We have big conversations about hygiene, and I remind students that all the materials are shared by 400 students. 
Resource #2 MLA 9 Citation: Nunn, L.L. and Hall, R. (2014) Well-Being and Mental Health in the Library and Learning Commons at R.H. King Academy, Ontario Library Association Super Conference Session 1208. Available at: http://accessola2.com/superconference2014/sessions/1208.pdf (Accessed: 28 November 2025).

 Summary: the article talks about a well being survey of students grade 9-12. It states that stressed brains focus on survival instead of learning social and cognitive skills. There is information and examples about mindfulness for students. A smart tool box for teachers to manage their own stress. There are book displays for well being and information on your brain. 

Evaluation: The resource is a slide show from the Ontario Library Association Super Conference. I think the use of student opinions from the survey and photos from real libraries is effective in the slide show. The information on the new curriculum document for grade 9-12 Social Studies and Humanities is interesting and important information. Teachers in elementary, middle and secondary schools could benefit from learning where students are coming from before they teach, and where they are working towards, after being in your classroom. 

Reflection: I think I will search through the library to move the health and wellness section over to the calm corner area to display the books differently. It’s currently between animals and things that go in the non-fiction area and has not been very popular over the last few months. During a previous assignment, to look up professional development options for teacher librarians, I heard of this conference and got excited about this opportunity for learning. I have family and friends in Ontario because I lived there until 2018. I often go to Ontario once or twice a year so it would be nice to combine a learning trip with a visit as well. 
Resource #3 MLA 9 Citation: Editor, W. (2019) What happens when you create a culture of respect, trust, and innovation in school library spaces?, Canadian School Libraries Journal. Available at: https://journal.canadianschoollibraries.ca/what-happens-when-you-create-a-culture-of-respect-trust-and-innovation-in-school-library-spaces/ (Accessed: 28 November 2025). 

Summary: This article describes the hard realities of residential school. Indigenous people had to get permission to leave the reserve they lived on, women lost their status if they married someone who was not indigenous. No voting, post secondary school or hiring lawyers until 1960’s. Residential schools were open until 1996. 
Today, indigenous peoples face struggles of third world housing, disproportionate incarceration rates, lower graduation rates, missing or murdered women, and misrepresentation in literature. 
Jenny Kay Dupuis wrote ‘I am Not a Number’ as a tribute to residential school, and to encourage young readers to think critically about issues indigenous peoples face. 
Libraries have an important role in reconciliation and knowledge sharing. IBBY Canada’s new catalogue From Sea to Sea to Sea: Celebrating Indigenous Picture Books was included. 

Evaluation:This article is very informative and provides next steps for teacher librarians to move towards a library that supports truth and reconciliation. It encourages readers to open their eyes to the past and current struggles of indigenous peoples. Providing a list of indigenous stories can be helpful for teacher librarians, especially if they are not indigenous themselves. 

Reflection: I downloaded the ‘From Sea to Sea to Sea: Celebrating Indigenous Picture books’. I will be reviewing it with the Indigenous mentor teacher in the district and the head librarian on Monday when they join me at my school for a morning of Collaboration. We will be examining our library’s Indigenous books to ensure they are authentically written by an Indigenous author, have no inaccuracies and have no racist terms. We will also be ensuring that the books are labelled and sorted into the correct genres. Our school library has the book ‘I am not a Number’ so I found it really interesting to read this article from the author. 
Resource #4 MLA 9 Citation: 
Editor, W. (2019) Fostering Wellness in the LLC: Stories from around the Board, Canadian School Libraries Journal. Available at: https://journal.canadianschoollibraries.ca/fostering-wellness-in-the-llc/ (Accessed: 29 November 2025). 

Summary: This article contains stories from secondary school teacher librarians about wellness. It emphasizes that wellness is a mindset and holistic with a buy-in needed from everyone. There needs to be a physical space (often in the library) dedicated to wellness. A suggestion was made to really get the ideas of wellness out to the whole learning community in authentic ways (talk about the recommended sleep on a pajama day, or pop balloons when talking about stress, have hot chocolate and a chat). The idea of whole school activities for special days (eg. pink shirt day), students could collaborate on a bulletin board, and create crafts. The little things (twinkly lights, wellness books in library, fish tanks etc) matter to students. The article went on to talk about secondary school curricular connections and suggest a newsletter with collaboration with professionals. 

Evaluation: the article invites readers to reflect on their own school practices and gives so many suggestions to support wellness for the whole learning community. It was focused on secondary school, however, most of it was very relatable to an elementary school as well. 

Reflection: Wellness at my school looks like a safe space for everyone. We have a rainbow room, ISP, LST, Resource (will youth care worker and counsellor), Indigenous room and Library. Each classroom in the school shares a quiet room with the classroom next door. It is big enough for about 6 people to sit comfortably.
My school supports wellness by getting to know the students and their families. The teachers include social and emotional learning in their lesson plans and daily routines. We work on teaching students problem solving skills. Our school has a unique build with external doors to each classroom, allowing drop off and pick up to go smoothly and provide a time for connection between home and school. 
In the library, I will highlight the resources we do have. I have created a bin of SEL books in the picture book area. On Follett Destiny, the library website, I have created a SEL collection of books. This will make it accessible for students, staff and parents.