When you first open a book, take a look at the front endpapers. An interesting map might catch your eye. Most times, these maps serve a purpose. And if you pass over them, you could miss a part of the… Read More ›
Student Engagement/ Teaching Models
You Have Always Been My Safe Home: The School Library
“The library is my safe harbor since I dare not go into the cafeteria alone, a whale surrounded by starving sharks.” — Lisa Fipps, Starfish This month being April, I had a veritable menagerie of subjects swirling about in my… 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 ›
March Book Madness 2021: The Digital Version
The Fun Begins It’s that time of year again! When our school closed on Friday, March 13, 2020, I had just finished preparing all of the March Book Madness materials and was excited to come into the library on Monday… Read More ›
Strategies for Reading an Academic Journal
Academic journal articles can be tough to read. From the challenging vocabulary to the format, students often struggle synthesizing information from such articles. For several years, I have struggled with the best way to guide students. Finally, this year, I… Read More ›
A Vital Resource for Women’s History Month: Women and the American Story
When you think of Women’s Rights, what are the terms that come to mind? What events? What individuals? I think most educators and students would have similar responses. And if you think of those responses, what do they indicate about… Read More ›
Earth Hour: A Collaboration Lesson
Earth Hour is a global event that takes place every year at 8:30 p.m. on the last Saturday of March. For one hour, people turn off their lights. Famous monuments, statues, and landmarks go dark. This grassroots movement began in… Read More ›
Reconfiguring My School Library’s Layout
When we think of librarianship, most of us don’t think about physical exertion and muscle power. Books are heavy, especially nonfiction. With my library closed I decided it was time to start moving things around in anticipation of next school… 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 ›
Say Something: A Powerful, Community-Building Hall Display
“The world needs your voice.” ~Peter H. Reynolds, Say Something With the constant noise that technology and other means of communication bring to our lives in this era of modern communication, it seems we are in an endless competition to… Read More ›