The last two weeks of school are hard. We see the finish line in sight, but there are so many steps to reach it. Our classroom teachers feel the same way. This is a great time to encourage others and… Read More ›
reading
Popcorn and the Power of a Great Book Trailer
There’s nothing like seeing a great movie in a theater. First of all, there’s the popcorn. Movie-theater popcorn is unlike anything you can microwave or cook on the stove. There’s the anticipation of a great film and spending 2 hours… Read More ›
Traveling the Dust Bowl in the School Library
Connection: Classroom Curriculum and School Library Standards School librarians wear many hats; teacher, keeper of the books, tech expert, collaborator, program planner, host of events and programs, just to mention a few. I recently planned, organized, and hosted “Traveling the… Read More ›
Summer Book Clubs for School Staff Members
May is such a busy month for educators across the country. School librarians are in the midst of taking the end-of-the-year inventory, assisting with testing, and preparing end-of-the year reports for administrators. So many tasks are on our plates. While… Read More ›
Gallery Walk, A Novel Idea!
During the last six weeks of school, the ELA department has a novel of choice unit. Each English teacher does novel of choice differently; while some allow their students to simply choose whatever book they want, others want to create… Read More ›
Young Adult Nonfiction: Engaging Titles to Add to Your Collection
Do you remember when states started adopting the Common Core State Standards? The standards’ emphasis on nonfiction had school librarians scrambling to find “readable” nonfiction as they welcomed the opportunity to help teachers with the shift away from fiction. We… Read More ›
Learner-Ready School Librarians for a Community of Readers!
Celebrating what we have chosen to do for our life’s work is steeped in both reflection and joy. School Library Month reminds us to pause in our busy school librarian lives and contemplate for a few minutes what we do… Read More ›
March Book Madness: A Library Tournament
One of the most frustrating aspects of being a high school librarian is failing to increase the level of leisure reading among the teenagers who frequent my library. There are a handful of dedicated readers who are as enthusiastic as… Read More ›
One School + One Book = A Love of Reading
Creating a culture for reading is a major part of what it means to be a school librarian. It is also an ongoing effort. There will never come a time when we stop encouraging students to read. One of the… Read More ›
African American History in Real Life – The Black College Football Hall of Fame
The History of Black History Month Black History Month started as Negro History Week, created by Carter G. Woodson in 1926. It celebrates the significant impact African Americans had on development in the United States and the world. Woodson was… Read More ›