“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 ›
high school library
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 ›
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 ›
Fighting Anti-Semitism and Anti-Asian Hate Through Books
May is Jewish American Heritage and Asian American & Pacific Islander Month. Both these cultures contain vibrant histories. Unfortunately, something else they have in common lately is an increase in hate crimes against them. It’s more important than ever to read… Read More ›
Teaching Personal Narrative Writing
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 ›
Promoting Young Adult Books Through March Madness
Tournament Time Every year I eagerly await March Madness. Lifting me out of the mid-winter slump, the NCAA basketball tournament excites me with its college colors, team logos, energetic players, and unpredictable outcomes. Similarly, the March Book Madness tournament I… Read More ›
Data Literacy in the Library
Data Driven Data has always been around us, but recently it’s taken center stage in all areas of society. Earlier this month I attended the virtual Empire State Library Network Pillars Symposium. During the conference, I gathered valuable resources and… 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 ›
The I-Search Paper: Getting Students Excited about Research
Whenever I teach a research lesson to a class of high school students, I notice the lack of enthusiasm for the project they’re about to start. I find myself working hard to convince them that research is a rewarding endeavor… Read More ›
Digital Speed Dating with Books
One of my favorite yearly library lessons is 11th-grade Nonfiction Book Speed Dating. Watching students actively walk around the library from table to table exploring books always makes me smile. Motivating teens to read is a challenging aspect of my… Read More ›