Make your library the center of your school
I don’t read picture books to my upper elementary students very often, but I’ve found a pair of books that hold their attention and teach some valuable lessons about friendship and the role of technology in our lives and friendships. I read the books Nerdy Birdy and Nerdy Birdy Tweets (by Aaron Reynolds and Matt Davies) to all of my classes in grades 3, 4,
Mo Willems’ Elephant and Piggie series for early readers is popular with young children for a reason. They are fun, exciting, surprising, and full of genuine emotions! Although the final book in the series was just published in 2016, these engaging stories have already become a classic staple in elementary school libraries and kindergarten and first grade classrooms across the country! At my school, older
We’ve been celebrating “Screen-Free Week” (formerly known as “TV Turnoff Week”) at my school for over 10 years. For this week we challenge the students to consider trying to go the whole week without using a screen for entertainment. Successful students fill out a contract and recording sheet, have it signed by an adult, and get 10 tickets to enter into raffles for fun screen-free
A friend shared a great idea with me for helping my fourth and fifth grade students focus on uplifting messages and positive thoughts using the quotes from the book 365 Days of Wonder: Mr. Brown’s Book of Precepts. She had torn out several pages from the book, let students choose one, and write a reflection on what the precept meant to them. I loved the
I started a Keyboarding Club for 4th and 5th grade students in my library because keyboarding wasn’t being taught at my school in those grades and I wanted to give students the option of sharpening their skills on the keys before they began the Smarter Balanced Tests in the Spring. I used free websites, and didn’t have my students create the free accounts offered,
Either I”m getting old or “youngsters these days have a harder time sitting still!” I really think it’s a combination of both, but regardless of that, what are we going to do about it? I’ve found yoga to be a great outlet for me in my personal life as far as my concentration, mindfulness, and overall health, so it makes sense that yoga could be
The first time I hosted a Scholastic Book Fair, I eagerly watched the helpful online how-to videos for setting up the book fair. I scoured the book fair toolkit for helpful hints and tips and I was ready for my shipment. When my books arrived, I called my representative asking “Where are the cases?” You know… the cases that you roll to the exact place
When I first moved into my current library, a colleague visited and suggested I utilize the wall space in the hallways leading in by putting up some large bulletin boards. She could see the possibilities for displaying student work and library concepts in this high-traffic area. I followed her advice and have had a love/hate relationship with those boards ever since! On the one hand,
About a month ago I received a surprise visit by a local television station and representatives from First Interstate Bank with a check for $250 – I had won their One Class at a Time grant!! I used the money from this grant to purchase 5 Ozobot Starter Kits, (which were on sale for $50 each). These tiny programmable robots will enable all of my
It all started with a casual conversation with our physical education teacher… It was a Friday afternoon and I felt like the week had chewed me up and spit me out! I told her I could use some advice on incorporating some movement into my library classes. I needed to turn my lessons up a notch to provide more engagement. She suggested I team up
