Every year my husband makes a Thanksgiving dinner for the students in his life skills class. He leads the students in making a menu, discussing their favorite dishes, and learning about the holiday. In the twenty-two years he has been… Read More ›
reading
Author Visit Inspires Heather Ridge School Students
I have the best job of all at Heather Ridge School (HRS): I am the librarian. HRS is a small, alternative school within the Frederick County Public School system in Frederick, Maryland. I love my students, staff, and community and… Read More ›
How to Diversify Literary Analysis Research
As I was teaching a research lesson to an AP literature class the other day, a student raised her hand and asked, “Why is this list mostly dead white males?” She had been looking over the chart of author choices… Read More ›
DC Virgo Preparatory Academy Hopes to Spark Joy in Reading While Building Literacy Skills through Inspire Special Event Grant
At D.C. Virgo Preparatory Academy (DCVPA), we focus on four pillars that drive school decision-making: Social and Emotional Learning, School and Community Resiliency, Literacy, and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support/Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support. A needs assessment of the school community… Read More ›
Novels to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
I have always been drawn to Hispanic culture. For my Master’s of Library Science thesis, I wrote a 100-page study examining the portrayal of Hispanic characters in contemporary young adult books. Though I’ve never traveled to Latin America, I keep… Read More ›
6 Goals for the Library This School Year
This summer has been unique for me. Usually, I jump into professional development opportunities or professional reading, but this summer I have needed a minute. Instead, I have focused on reading for pleasure every day. I have just tried to… Read More ›
Meeting Our Students’ Reading Needs in the Midst of a Pandemic
There is nothing more satisfying than reaching my goal for how many books I can read in a summer. In fact, I pride myself on how many books I can get through in a summer, setting the goal realistically but… Read More ›
What If We Were “Just Book Slingers”?
Perceptions versus Reality Okay – WE all know that school librarians are the “Swiss Army knives of education.” (Thanks for that phrase, guest on School Librarians United!) But too many people are confused about the many diverse aspects of being… Read More ›
Bringing the Community Together with a Book Discussion
There were many issues that people disagreed about this past school year. What staff, students, and parents had in common, though, were high levels of stress. When an English teacher colleague approached me about co-hosting a community book discussion, I… Read More ›
Read Across America: Promoting Reading in a K-8 School
Read Across America Week began in 1988 by the National Education Association and is the “nation’s largest celebration of reading” (NEA n.d.). It is always celebrated the week of March 2 to correspond with Dr. Seuss’ birthday, which is who… Read More ›