Author Archives

I am the librarian at Detroit Country Day Lower School in Bloomfield Hills, MI. I have worked as a librarian for the past nine years. I was a classroom teacher for four years prior to that. I have worked in charter, public, and private schools. My favorite thing about being a librarian is the opportunities I have to work both with students and teachers. I love the co-teaching opportunities and connections I have been able to make! I have served on AASL committees as a member and chair. I was most recently a member of ALA's Ready to Code (RtC) Task Force.

• My Favorite Collaborative Lesson: Talking about September 11th

  By Kelly Hincks on 10/12/2021 • ( 0 )

  

  In August, my school offered a school-wide professional development about Mind Brain Education (MBE) from The Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning (CTTL). The purpose of this professional development was to identify best teaching practices that are grounded in research. … Read More ›

• 6 Goals for the Library This School Year

  By Kelly Hincks on 09/09/2021 • ( 1 )

  

  This summer has been unique for me. Usually, I jump into professional development opportunities or professional reading, but this summer I have needed a minute. Instead, I have focused on reading for pleasure every day. I have just tried to… Read More ›

• Super Awesome Library Project: Websites in 3rd Grade

  By Kelly Hincks on 08/12/2021 • ( 2 )

  

  You know when you have those times as an educator when you become so impressed by what students can do that you just have to stop and appreciate the moment. Well, this happened to me at the end of the… Read More ›

• My Favorite Collaborative Lesson: Story Problems with Scratch Jr.

  By Kelly Hincks on 07/22/2021 • ( 0 )

  

  I find that collaboration between homeroom teachers and the school librarian can happen naturally in subjects like language arts and social studies, but other subjects like math can be a bit tricky to fit together. However, every once in a… Read More ›

• Are You Backable? 5 Ways to Advocate

  By Kelly Hincks on 06/09/2021 • ( 0 )

  

  What does it mean to be backable? You know the person who seems to convince others with ease. The person who can get up and share an idea and show others exactly what needs to be done. When becoming a… Read More ›

• My Favorite Collaborative Lesson: Flags in First Grade

  By Kelly Hincks on 05/19/2021 • ( 1 )

  

  Collaboration can take many forms. It does not always have to be a co-taught lesson or one with many parts. It just needs to be one where the school librarian and classroom teacher support each other’s curriculum to help extend… Read More ›

• My Favorite Collaborative Lesson: Stop Motion in Preschool

  By Kelly Hincks on 04/14/2021 • ( 0 )

  

  As school librarians, we know that collaboration is important. I am fortunate that many of my colleagues love to work together. They understand the shared vision and benefits that collaboration can offer. Below is a project that was developed alongside… Read More ›

• Making Connections and Practicing Digital Citizenship Skills with Flipgrid

  By Kelly Hincks on 03/10/2021 • ( 2 )

  

  This year has required us to do things a bit differently, to say the least. Planning for World Read Aloud Day was no exception. This event has always been about allowing my students to gain a larger view of the… Read More ›

• MISelf in Books: A Diverse Book List for All

  By Kelly Hincks on 02/10/2021 • ( 1 )

  

  Recently, the Michigan Association for Media in Education (MAME) released the 2020 MISelf in Books List. MAME is an affiliate of AASL and works with librarians across the state of Michigan. The MISelf in Books List is an annual list… Read More ›

• My Favorite Collaborative Lesson: Mixing Figurative Language and Coding

  By Kelly Hincks on 01/11/2021 • ( 0 )

  

  As a school librarian collaborating with classroom teachers is a key component to our role in the school community. Collaboration can come in many forms, but the goal is to move past just the curation of resources. The focus is… Read More ›