As I transition from one year to the next, I review what went well the past year and determine areas for improvement. Since I was new to the building last year, I focused on developing relationships with staff for greater… Read More ›
reflection
Using Newsletters to Advocate
The concept of a newsletter is a simple one. It is not flashy or overly creative, but for the library program it has been transformative. Currently, I send a monthly newsletter, which allows for a quick, effective, and easy way… Read More ›
A New Year’s Reset for Your Library Program
January is a popular month for resolutions, detoxes, resets, etc. It’s the perfect time to reflect on the previous year, to look at what went right and what could have been better. Being that it’s also the middle of the… Read More ›
Learning from Losing
How losing taught me more than winning ever did. There are some pivotal moments in life when one experiences a loss. Most everyone has lost a job, which can be devastating and leave one directionless for a time. Many of us… Read More ›
Keeping Data: What and How I Plan to Keep Track
Every year I enjoy looking at the year-end reports that people share. I always find it interesting what and how people represent their library. However, I often think, “Man, I wish I would have thought to keep track of that… Read More ›
Celebrate #SLM17 with Flipgrid
Each year, school libraries celebrate #SLM17, or School Library Month. The hashtag #SLM17 is used to follow the conversation on social media, with the numerals changing each year. You may recall a post about the history of SLM in March… Read More ›
PD for the Rural School Librarian
From “Out standing in my field” to “Outstanding in my field” My school library is a 25-minute drive to the nearest public library. We are also 57 miles from the nearest metropolitan area. It is sometimes quite hard to get… Read More ›
Journey to a Flexible Schedule: Part 2
The great John Dewey once said, “We do not learn from experience…we learn from reflecting on experience.” Reflecting is what I am doing every day this year as I move forward using a flexible schedule with first- and second-grade students…. Read More ›
Engaging Readers with Bookopolis
What Is Bookopolis? I’m always on the lookout for new ways to get my students excited about reading. This summer, I came across a website from AASL’s 2015 List of Best Websites for Teaching and Learning that does exactly that…. Read More ›
Three things I Need to Stop Saying: Impact of Teacher Language
Each year, the faculty I work with is given summer reading homework. The chosen book deals with a best practice in education. The expectation is that we read the book. Then, there is an open discussion when we return to… Read More ›