When we mention anyone getting up on a soapbox, we generally mean that they are speaking or writing about something that evokes strong feelings within them. The term, which was first noted in print in 1907, was once a literal… Read More ›
reflection
Listening to the Little Voices: Making Students Heard with Your Collection Choices
…It’s just a little voice and if you’re listening Sometimes a little voice Can say the biggest thing… –Sara Bareilles One of the first things that I realized when I became a school librarian and commenced my school librarianship studies… 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 ›
Books to Celebrate Cultures and Foster Togetherness
There is so much misinformation circulating around the world these days. Hate has always existed but in today’s environment, it is front and center because of social media and other forms of technology that enable lies to spread in seconds…. Read More ›
You Have Always Been My Safe Home: The School Library
“The library is my safe harbor since I dare not go into the cafeteria alone, a whale surrounded by starving sharks.” — Lisa Fipps, Starfish This month being April, I had a veritable menagerie of subjects swirling about in my… Read More ›
Collecting and Celebrating the Small Wins
Whether your library is virtual, in-person, or somewhere in between, there’s no doubt that these last two school years have been simply overwhelming. Connecting personally with our students in order to deliver them their next great read or resource has… Read More ›
Resilient Reading: Helping Kids (and Grown-ups!) to Bounce Back with Books
Merriam-Webster offers a twofold definition of the word “resilience”: 1: the capability of a strained body to recover its size and shape after deformation caused especially by compressive stress; 2: an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune… Read More ›
Assessing Your School Library to Ensure All Students Are Represented
Five Years Ago It seems like many long ages have passed since Lin-Manuel Miranda, accepting the Tony Award for Hamilton’s score, gave an emotional and heartfelt speech (in sonnet form!) that honored his own wife and also gave tribute to… Read More ›
A School Librarian’s Reflection of 2020
A Look Back at March To say the past 10 months have been rough might be the understatement of the year; however, it has also been a time of reflection and a time for school librarians to shine. Back in… Read More ›
The Original Plan vs. What It Really Looks Like
This year I have been teaching students who are face to face as well as those who are learning remotely. At the start of the school year, I had grand plans. I was going to do all the things and… Read More ›