Why is it important to practice comparing and contrasting with learners? Because the exercise develops critical thinking skills and improves reading comprehension. There’s great value in considering how two or more entities are different, yet similar. Noticing and discussing differences… Read More ›
We Are Total Leaders As part of courses that I have been taking over the past year, I have been immersed in thinking about leadership, types of leaders, leadership styles, and what leadership looks like and entails. One of the… Read More ›
I had the opportunity to participate in the Elementary School Tour as part of the 2019 AASL National Conference on Thursday, November 14. During the tour, the group visited two elementary schools in Jefferson County Public Schools. We started our… Read More ›
What makes a strong school library? For me, that question is twofold. Strong school libraries are staffed by strong school librarians and are used utilized by strong learners. This is why I was so excited that our middle school libraries… Read More ›
Introduction Time went by fast for me this school year. I had the opportunity to collaborate with some great librarians on various projects. One of the things that I learned during my quest for knowledge was that children are not… Read More ›
As librarians, we are evangelists for our students, our teachers, our families, and how we all interact with the world. At the opening keynote of the 2017 AASL National Conference, we were reminded of our importance in the lives of our… Read More ›
Tidying Up Your Life Last year, I read The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. I’ve read a lot of books on decluttering and organizing, but this was the first one that simultaneously resonated with me and annoyed… Read More ›
On March 14, 2016, I moderated #TLchat along with Melissa Ray. Our topic focused on bringing makerspaces and creativity into the library. Check out the full transcript of the chat – there were some amazing ideas and resources being passed… Read More ›
I was about to be another lost librarian in the Chicago Public Schools system when I got my dismissal letter a month ago. But my students surprised me with a “read in” protest at DuSable (three small high schools in… Read More ›