Every year I collaborate with the 11th-grade English teachers on a nonfiction independent reading project. The goal is to increase student agency and create excitement about literature. While many juniors initially express an aversion to reading, they often show an… Read More ›
Research is one of the most valuable skills we can teach learners. Because of the volume of information available online, it’s easy for children (and adults) to fall into the trap of believing everything they read. Before we go too… Read More ›
Data Driven We live in a world that is largely data driven. Teenagers, especially, are surrounded by quantifiable things. How many likes did my Instagram post get? What was your grade on the Social Studies test? Did you add another… Read More ›
Summer is a reading marathon for me. Each year, as I prepare to go back to my high school library, I take stock of titles I’ve read that might engage my students. I’m not always successful at motivating resistant teenage… Read More ›
May is Jewish American Heritage and Asian American & Pacific Islander Month. Both these cultures contain vibrant histories. Unfortunately, something else they have in common lately is an increase in hate crimes against them. It’s more important than ever to read… Read More ›
Tournament Time Every year I eagerly await March Madness. Lifting me out of the mid-winter slump, the NCAA basketball tournament excites me with its college colors, team logos, energetic players, and unpredictable outcomes. Similarly, the March Book Madness tournament I… Read More ›
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 ›
…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 ›
The next AASL National Conference will be held October 21-23, 2021, in Salt Lake City, Utah. I am excited because I get to be part of the AASL National Conference Committee. I will be working with some innovative people to… Read More ›
The School Librarian Roles I am Most Passionate About I began as a student in the online school library media program at the University of West Georgia in 2015. I was working part-time as a school library paraprofessional at the… Read More ›