In August, I attended #BossLibrarianPD put on by K.C. Boyd. This was a free virtual two-day professional development for school librarians featuring presenters from across the country. One such presenter was Holly Brown (@MsBrownsLibrary). She shared a session called Easy… Read More ›
It’s that time of year again when juniors are on their way to being academically exhausted. Our Advanced Placement English Language & Composition teachers tackled this fatigue by introducing passion projects to their 11th-grade classes. Allowing students to choose topics… Read More ›
Star Gazing One recent night when the temperature in New York hovered around 15 degrees, my dog needed to go outside. I had been sitting on the couch reading (ironically!) A Year in Jamaica, Diana Lewes’s memoir from 1889. While… Read More ›
What is Crayola’s Creativity Week? Crayola’s Creativity Week will take place on January 23rd – 29th! The goal of this week is to celebrate children’s creativity and embrace innovative thinking. There is a different event planned every day for children… Read More ›
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 ›
“Complex Library News” I previously wrote about my efforts to reestablish a library presence for my middle school’s students, starting with a website. Once I had a digital presence put together, the next step was to let folks know about… Read More ›