“Which book is longer?” asked an 11th grader after hearing my book talks for the two competitors of the day. It’s March Book Madness time in my high school library: my favorite activity of the year. Each day, I walk… Read More ›
Student Engagement/ Teaching Models
The Kids Are Alright: Highlighting Children’s Books with Characters Who Stand Up to Censorship
It has been a rather long while since I’ve been in this space, since I’ve put pen to paper or fingertips to keyboard. You may be wondering: “Well, where have you been?” Since truly and completely answering such a query… Read More ›
3 Reasons to Love Passive Programming
In August, I attended #BossLibrarianPD put on by K.C. Boyd. This was a free virtual two-day professional development for school librarians featuring presenters from across the country. One such presenter was Holly Brown (@MsBrownsLibrary). She shared a session called Easy… Read More ›
School Librarian interviews ChatGPT
Everyone is talking about it! Like many other school librarians, I have several questions about the newest artificial intelligence, OpenAI ChatGPT. So I thought, what better way to get answers than to ask my questions using the software itself? I… 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)
Recognize Student Voice And Build Student Self-Confidence
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 ›
STEM, Art, SEL, and Literacy: A Perfect Match for Learners
One of my favorite things to do as a school librarian is to find ways to combine STEM, art, SEL, and literacy. From an educator’s point of view, learners are constantly engaged with STEM and Art projects. STEM and Art… Read More ›
Celebrating Crayola’s Creativity Week with Kindergarten
What is Crayola’s Creativity Week? Crayola’s Creativity Week will take place on January 23rd – 29th! The goal of this week is to celebrate children’s creativity and embrace innovative thinking. There is a different event planned every day for children… Read More ›
Unleashing Imagination: Celebrating Crayola Creativity Week with Misty the Cloud and the Magic of Cloud Science
Are you looking for a lesson idea that integrates imagination with science? There’s an event during Crayola Creativity Week that may pique your interest. On January 29th, the creators of Misty the Cloud: A Very Stormy Day will lead a… Read More ›
Organize Breakout Boxes for Easy Use
No doubt that a breakout box engages students in learning. Students enjoy using the provided clues to open a lock – 3 digit lock, word lock, color lock or a key lock. Once all the locks are open, the box… Read More ›
My Favorite Collaborative Lesson: Learn About Each Other Using Hexagonal Thinking
Inspiration can come from so many places! Sometimes a collaborative project starts with the school librarian and sometimes it begins with the classroom teacher. This project was developed from an idea shared by a classroom teacher. She had listened to… Read More ›