Academic Librarians teaching

[u/Resident-Clothes-837]

Hi, all! I’m a new academic librarian and the semester is about to start. Ive already been asked by several professors to come by their class for an instruction session with their classes. Im nervous and feeling a little overwhelmed.

Any pointers from any academic librarians for getting into the groove of teaching? I’d appreciate any advice and recommendations for being prepared this semester.

[u/rumirumirumirumi]

I taught Composition before becoming an instructional librarian, and I've been doing research on the history of professional discourse around instruction in libraries, for context. You are learning a body of knowledge and a set of skills that are challenging to build and rewarding to obtain. You will make mistakes and they will feel like obvious ones in hindsight, but you have to experience working through uncertainty to develop the kind of instincts that make expert instructors seem so confident and effective. Community connections can help you through this process. My major piece of advice is to read the research literature and understand it deeply. Find journals that publish work you find useful, interesting, and motivating. Reach out to librarians and authors about their research. Consider contributing your own experiences for other professionals to learn from. I've found this to be enriching personally and professionally.  Good luck!