Author Archives

I'm a reader, writer, swimmer, and a public middle school librarian. I love all things Italian. I was honored to be Austin ISD's first librarian of the year in 2013.

• The Importance of Keeping Kudos

  By Sara Stevenson on 06/13/2018 • ( 9 )

  

  Kudos Those little notes you get from students over the years, the thank-you notes from parents, administrators, teachers; the illustration of you as a librarian with a superhero cape–I save these over the years and put them in a back… Read More ›

• Say Yes to That Practicum Student Librarian

  By Sara Stevenson on 05/07/2018 • ( 3 )

  

  “Example isn’t another way to teach; it is the only way to teach.”                                                      … Read More ›

• The Library Is the Heart of the School

  By Sara Stevenson on 04/11/2018 • ( 2 )

  

  Librarian of the Year Essay In 2013, I was honored as Librarian of the Year by my district, Austin ISD. I was nominated again this year, and although I withdrew from the competition, I wanted to write an essay from… Read More ›

• iGen: School Librarians Must Understand New Generation

  By Sara Stevenson on 03/08/2018 • ( 3 )

  

  The Generation Gap or How iGen Are You? At 58, I joke with people that I love being a middle school librarian because I’m still so in touch with my adolescent self. As a late Boomer, the mother of late… Read More ›

• TCEA: Technology in Instruction Professional Development

  By Sara Stevenson on 02/12/2018 • ( 0 )

  

  TCEA TCEA stands for the Texas Computer Education Association. Each year, educators in Austin and around the state are lucky to have this opportunity to learn about the latest in technology use in instruction. The word “instruction” sets this conference… Read More ›

• Review of the Testing Charade: Pretending to Make Schools Better

  By Sara Stevenson on 01/10/2018 • ( 1 )

  

  Library space, librarians, and instructional time are too frequently railroaded by the testing regime, so reviewing The Testing Charade by Daniel Koretz seems appropriate to the Knowledge Quest forum. When George W. Bush ran for president in 2000, he boasted about the… Read More ›

• Are Middle School Book Fairs Worth It?

  By Sara Stevenson on 12/11/2017 • ( 4 )

  

  Fifteen Years of Hosting Book Fairs For fifteen years as a middle school librarian, I have hosted two book fairs per year. Throughout this time, I’ve seen my gross sales decline each year since my first fair in 2004 when… Read More ›

• Disrupting Thinking

  By Sara Stevenson on 11/10/2017 • ( 0 )

  

  Disrupting Thinking by Kylene Beers and Robert E. Probst Every once in a while, a professional development book comes along that hits the sweet spot of affirming what you already do and believe while challenging you to think in new… Read More ›

• My New Favorite Author: Jason Reynolds

  By Sara Stevenson on 10/12/2017 • ( 5 )

  

  When Jason Reynolds Came to My School Every once in a while, an author comes along that I can’t resist. I usually try to read one or two books by an author and then move on because, as Frank Zappa… Read More ›

• English Language Learners + Graphic Novels

  By Sara Stevenson on 09/12/2017 • ( 1 )

  

  Beginner’s Mind Recently I had a powerful if uncomfortable experience. I spent a month in Italy taking Italian language lessons. Although I’d studied the language off and on before, I was placed in a situation where I felt over my… Read More ›