Let’s face it, end-of-school year materials collection does not rank high among the reasons we went into this profession. Why highlight this process school-wide then? There are some ways we can turn a tiresome task into a real-life example of… Read More ›
Community/Teacher Collaboration
Supporting Students by Collaborating with Counselors
In October 2016, I attended the School Library Journal Leadership Summit and was honored to hear YA author Shaun David Hutchinson speak about the impact of his mental health and sexuality on his writing and his life. He said, “I… Read More ›
Being an Active Collaborator
If there is one consistency in our ever-changing school library profession, it is the need to tell the world who we are, what we do, and why we’re essential workers. Remote Collaboration Collaboration is always difficult for educators. But this… Read More ›
My Favorite Collaborative Lesson: Stop Motion in Preschool
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 ›
To Kill a Mockingbird Themes with Student Choice
In my high school, teaching To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a requirement for all freshman English classes during second semester. This year I had a teacher approach me wanting to brainstorm ways we could make this book… Read More ›
Collecting and Celebrating the Small Wins
Whether your library is virtual, in-person, or somewhere in between, there’s no doubt that these last two school years have been simply overwhelming. Connecting personally with our students in order to deliver them their next great read or resource has… Read More ›
Getting New Students Excited about Your School Library
As we approach the end of the school year, there is a lot on school librarians’ minds and to-do lists: collecting books, taking down bulletin boards, all the other duties as assigned, and if you have a budget or some… Read More ›
A School Librarian’s Thoughts on Labeling Programs: Part 2
So, if there is no evidence that forcing kids to read in zones and on grade levels for their independent reading is best practice, why do some schools enforce this in the school library? I agree with a recent Facebook… Read More ›
Making Connections and Practicing Digital Citizenship Skills with Flipgrid
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 ›
#NJASLSpring21, Part 1: Planning a Virtual Conference
Social Distancing… We are all exceedingly aware of how COVID-19 has dramatically impacted public gatherings. One need only check a preferred news source to read about the terrible social cost this past year has taken. Many are feeling isolated and… Read More ›