Young learners come to the school library possessing skills and talents just waiting to be revealed. The school librarian also possesses talents. The librarian knows how to connect students with literature that incites curiosity. The librarian knows how to select… Read More ›
New Year on the Horizon The opening of a new school year beckons. We are days away from filling the library with scholars, journalists, laughter, amateurs, independent study, and tomorrow’s game makers. My college preparatory boarding high school (say that… Read More ›
High ability does not guarantee high achievement. Our students need motivation if they are expected to perform at their greatest levels and to perform well over an extended period of time. For many students, motivation comes in the form of… Read More ›
“Educators can play important roles to enhance any components of students’ creativity” (Sak 2004). School librarians are no different. School libraries have the staff, resources, and space needed to foster creativity in students and teachers. There are many definitions and… Read More ›
The wood piece falls from my hand. I pick it up, put it in the clamp, and saw away at the block until the blade slices through the remaining attached fibers and one piece becomes two. I have thirty minutes… Read More ›
Did you know that the last week in September is National Keep Kids Creative Week? Bruce Van Patter, an illustrator and an author, started this holiday in 2003. He wanted to encourage children to imagine and create. Let’s celebrate creativity… Read More ›
Summer is almost here for many of us. It’s a great time to relax, recharge, and reinvigorate our passion for education. I love using my summers to explore creative ideas that I haven’t gotten to throughout the school year. Whether… Read More ›
This Fall, I find myself purposefully drifting back toward my roots and remembering the first stirrings of my desire to be a librarian: my love of stories and storytelling. It has always been my belief and conviction that stories are… Read More ›
Students using a dictionary or thesaurus to look up synonyms has all but become a lost art. “Why do I need to learn this when I can go to dictionary.com and have it do it for me?” To encourage students… Read More ›