Every year I collaborate with the 11th-grade English teachers on a nonfiction independent reading project. The goal is to increase student agency and create excitement about literature. While many juniors initially express an aversion to reading, they often show an… Read More ›
Research is one of the most valuable skills we can teach learners. Because of the volume of information available online, it’s easy for children (and adults) to fall into the trap of believing everything they read. Before we go too… Read More ›
In my school, we use a hybrid schedule in the library. This means that all lessons taught in first through third grade are done in collaboration with the homeroom teacher. The goal is to teach the library and… Read More ›
Every person has a story to tell. That’s as true for children as it is for established writers. Most high school teachers are familiar with the college essay crunch that starts at the end of junior year, heats up in… Read More ›
As school librarians, we know that collaboration is a large part of our role. In the AASL National School Library Standards to collaborate is to “work effectively with others to broaden perspectives and work toward common goals.” We also understand… Read More ›
Our preschool is all based on play and authentic learning opportunities. The objectives in preschool can be taught through a variety of themes. So the teachers choose the themes to teach these objectives from what the children are talking about… Read More ›
When collaborating with teachers, I like to have a toolkit of ideas as we brainstorm ways to design lessons and assessment activities. Like authors get writer’s block, I also get “stuck” thinking of new ideas to implement with classes. The… Read More ›
I find that collaboration between homeroom teachers and the school librarian can happen naturally in subjects like language arts and social studies, but other subjects like math can be a bit tricky to fit together. However, every once in a… Read More ›
There were many issues that people disagreed about this past school year. What staff, students, and parents had in common, though, were high levels of stress. When an English teacher colleague approached me about co-hosting a community book discussion, I… Read More ›
“What are some new things that you have done this year that you will continue in the future?” This a question that the middle school librarians in my district were asked at our May professional learning community (PLC) meeting. This… Read More ›