Creativity Week January is considered International Creativity Month. In celebration, AASL partnered with Crayola to provide a week of sponsored activities in the last week of January. The first day of the Crayola Creativity Week features NASA astronauts with a… Read More ›
collaboration
Speed Dating with Nonfiction Books
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 ›
Collaborations Outside the Box
Often when people think of collaborations with the school library, English and Social Studies are the first subjects to come to mind. So much of the English and Social Studies curriculum is based around literacy and research making the school… Read More ›
Introducing High Schoolers to Research Through Webquests
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 ›
Graphic Novels to Pair with Social Studies Lessons
I am a huge fan of graphic novels, especially when it comes to instruction. As a school librarian, I love finding new ways to collaborate with teachers and one way that teachers love to utilize me is when they ask… Read More ›
Different types of SEL Activities to Build School Library Culture
School libraries are often a refuge for learners who feel overwhelmed, need a safe space, or just want somewhere to go. At the start of the school year many are feeling stress and anxiety about the unknown of what the… Read More ›
Quick Wins to Collaborate: Tips and a Lesson Idea
Did you watch the AASL Town Hall meeting about collaboration on August 10, 2022? In the meeting, AASL President Kathie Lester interviewed two school librarians about collaboration. Michael Giller and Sarah Sansbury discussed their award-winning collaborative projects. The librarians offered… Read More ›
8 Things on my “To Do” List to Start the School Year
When the calendar flips to August I start thinking about the start of the school year. As I make my “to do” list here are eight things I always do to start the year. Share New Back-to-School Books I create… Read More ›
Working with Instructional Coaches – I have questions
For the upcoming school year, my building just added an instructional design coach. This position will be new to the high school as we pilot for the other high schools in our district. An instructional coach is a supporting role… Read More ›
My Favorite Collaborative Lesson: Animal Crossings in 2nd Grade
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 ›