A Frightening Conclusion A long time ago, a parent gave me a copy of the quote above. His daughter was having some difficulties in my class. It was a simple but effective reminder that as an educator, my job is… Read More ›
![I have come to a frightening conclusion. I am the decisive element in the classroom. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. As [an educator] I possess tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated, and a child humanized or de-humanized. -Haim G. Ginott](https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/I-Am-the-Decisive-Factor-120x120.png)
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
The Way Forward with Include
The Way Forward with Include BY JULIE STIVERS The Shared Foundation Include is at the heart of an effective school library practice, not as a buzzword or feel-good mantra, but as the muscle that should power everything we do. Include… Read More ›
A New Year, A Delightful New Book
A new year means lots of new books! Here’s one title I read an advance copy of in 2022 and loved. I’m looking forward to promoting it to students and teachers in 2023. The Davenports by Krystal Marquis, Dial Books,… Read More ›
Re-imagined Classics for Your High School Library
As I read new young adult books this summer, I noticed a trend of re-imagined classics. While modern-day stories inspired by classics aren’t new, I can’t remember seeing so many of them at one time. Here are my reviews of… Read More ›
Hallway Conversations as Book Challenge Repellent, Part 2
Previously on “Hallway Conversations as Book Challenge Repellent”… Last month, I shared some topics that school librarians might want to discuss with colleagues, supervisors, administrators, and members of the school community ahead of any book challenges that might come their… Read More ›
Black People Are Brilliant
[SPONSORED CONTENT] Black people are brilliant. Say it with me: Black people are brilliant. Just by uttering those words, we are one step toward reclaiming and centering our worthiness. Our genius is unstoppable and we are responsible for so many… Read More ›
Hallway Conversations as Book Challenge Repellent, Part 1
Laying the Groundwork Ahead of Book Challenges There is a lot of information about book challenges out there. I’m just one of several folks who have written about this in Knowledge Quest previously. Out in the wider world, there are… Read More ›
New York City is Supposed to Have a Librarian in Every Secondary School- So Where Are They?
When I came to my school library in 2018, it was a dump. And I don’t mean that metaphorically. I mean that literally. Once a gorgeous centerpiece of a school built in the 1930s, the library had become a desolate… Read More ›
LEAD OUT LOUD: Access Defended in the May/June 2022 Issue of Knowledge Quest
School librarians and information professionals unconditionally endorse the power of voice. We personify speaking up, advocating, and sharing our truths. Ensuring our communities are seen and represented is our mission. We are teaching and learning through our school libraries to… Read More ›
Choose Your Own (Professional) Adventure
The AASL Member Engagement Committee is excited to invite members to join the association’s new Communities of Practice! “Communities of Practice are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to… Read More ›