Author Archives

Colleen R. Lee is a former middle school English teacher and Elementary Teacher. She is currently the Elementary Librarian at Greenfield Elementary School in Chesterfield County, VA. Follow her on Twitter @MrsLeesLibrary.

• The Changing Role of the Elementary School Librarian

  By Colleen R. Lee on 06/11/2020 • ( 1 )

  A Librarian without a Library Recently, I’ve attended many meetings about the possibility of starting school in September with only digital learning. As an elementary librarian, my heart breaks when I think of my library sitting empty, the books and materials… Read More ›

• What’s Next: Things I’ve Learned from Distance Learning

  By Colleen R. Lee on 05/06/2020 • ( 1 )

  It has been almost two months since Virginia schools have shut down. Teachers and librarians have been adapting and changing so they can still connect with and teach their students. Changes for Next Year The question that I have been… Read More ›

• Staying Connected with Students Despite Social Distancing

  By Colleen R. Lee on 04/13/2020 • ( 2 )

  

  I have always been a bit of a self-proclaimed Hobbit. Last month, I was praying for a snow storm, hoping for a few days off, so I could just sit around and read. After entering week 4 of Virginia schools… Read More ›

• If You Give a Librarian a Costume…

  By Colleen R. Lee on 03/12/2020 • ( 1 )

  

  At our elementary school, we do a lot of dressing up in costumes. As someone who attends Ren Faires, Fairy Festivals, and Comic Cons in full costume, I love it. Even better is when I come up with a lesson… Read More ›

• American Dirt: To Read or Not to Read?

  By Colleen R. Lee on 02/13/2020 • ( 7 )

  

  Is That the Question? Last month, I was scrolling through Twitter and found Oprah promoting American Dirt. A thriller about immigration that hooked her on the first page? I’m in. I immediately ordered it on Amazon and went back to… Read More ›

• Thematic Teaching with Kindergarten in the Library

  By Colleen R. Lee on 01/30/2020 • ( 3 )

  As any elementary librarian knows, kindergarten teachers deserve a special place in heaven. Out of all the grades that I teach, nothing makes me as nervous as the kindergarten classes, especially in September. Forty-five minutes with tiny humans wandering around… Read More ›

• Teaching Students to SIFT through News and Information

  By Colleen R. Lee on 11/15/2019 • ( 0 )

  

  2019 AASL National Conference Session: Fighting Fake News with Visual Literacy This is Colleen Lee, reporting live from AASL2019, Louisville, KY, on the Friday, November 15, Session “Fighting Fake News with Visual Literacy,” presented by Lois D. Wine, April M…. Read More ›

• Library Writers

  By Colleen R. Lee on 11/12/2019 • ( 0 )

  As a former 6th-grade English teacher, I miss teaching kids how to be writers. As a school librarian, I realize that reading and writing go hand in hand and there is no reason writing cannot be a part of my… Read More ›

• Fiction Genrefication at the Elementary School Level

  By Colleen R. Lee on 10/03/2019 • ( 4 )

  

  This summer I undertook the huge project of genrefying my library. This gargantuan task involved lots of stickers, tape, and sweat. Now that the dog days of summer are over and a new school year has started, I am so… Read More ›

• Back-to-School Tips

  By Colleen R. Lee on 08/28/2019 • ( 0 )

  Summer is always a great time to reset, recharge, and rethink the way we run our school libraries. I thought I would share a few organizational tips that you may want to implement in your school library for the upcoming… Read More ›