One of my favorite yearly library lessons is 11th-grade Nonfiction Book Speed Dating. Watching students actively walk around the library from table to table exploring books always makes me smile. Motivating teens to read is a challenging aspect of my… Read More ›
“Laughter is the best medicine.” You’ve heard that saying, right? The Mayo Clinic supports this message in their post “Stress Relief from Laughter? It’s No Joke.” They present the benefits of having a good laugh. So when things get a… Read More ›
This year I have been teaching students who are face to face as well as those who are learning remotely. At the start of the school year, I had grand plans. I was going to do all the things and… Read More ›
Collaboration is a wonderful thing for school librarians because there are so many opportunities for collaboration with fellow educators, students, administrators, and the community. School librarians can become leaders in their school communities through collaboration. Collaboration can take many forms,… Read More ›
I find that I grow in my professional practices by asking other people about the strategies that work for them. In this post, I am following up on last month’s discussion about educational changes and adaptations since the COIVD-19 pandemic… Read More ›
During the holiday season, reviewing all of the things that I am grateful for has become a yearly tradition. In this unprecedented year, with the COVID-19 pandemic affecting our lives in so many ways, taking stock of items to be… Read More ›
2020 draws to an end. The days grow shorter and the nights lengthen; both become colder. This year, more than any in recent memory, it appears that the coming winter will indeed be one of discontent. The prevailing mood throughout… Read More ›
Cultivating Allies Too often, educators–and school librarians in particular–are reactive in advocacy, rather than proactive. But an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Developing relationships with those within school districts who have both initial recommendations and ultimate… Read More ›
Google Drawings is an online tool to help users create images, charts, posters, and other drawing needs. Similar to other Google tools, you can collaborate with others, publish online, or download an image file. Google Drawings works great with other… Read More ›
In one of my last trips of the year, I had the opportunity to join Don Tate and others at the Historical Society of Philadelphia last January to learn about Tate’s upcoming book, William Still and His Freedom Stories. We… Read More ›
Inviting Participation Many students are reluctant to ask questions or comment with a large group during discussions. The virtual environment makes this worst. Maybe they don’t want their whole face taking up the screen or posting to the chat under… Read More ›
Students have headed back to school this fall with the weight of social and political unrest in the air. As a microcosm of society, what happens external to our schools impacts how students make sense of and experience the world…. Read More ›
Once upon a time, when I was a wee library school student, I was also working on my Master’s in secondary education. (At my university in Omaha, NE, you earn a Master’s endorsement in school library, but with a few… Read More ›
Library of Congress Resources for Research Writer’s Block It’s been a little over a month since my last blog post. I’ve been having quite a time with writer’s block. Personally, I feel like that block is a combination of stress,… Read More ›