Make your library the center of your school
In the spring of 2019, I was chosen by the teachers in my school district as the educator of the year. It was a tremendous honor that came with a great opportunity and responsibility. I was to speak in front of all of the members of our school district at our opening convocation in August. As I considered what I would say, I decided I
March is definitely the time for a fun Leprechaun Storytime in your elementary library or classroom! I’d like to share some fun picture books and lively songs to help you plan your own St. Patrick’s Day storytime session for your kindergarten and first grade students. This post contains Amazon affiliate links for your convenience. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I
A couple of weeks before Halloween, our school library was transformed into Hogwarts as our whole school celebrated Harry Potter Week! Over the past couple of years, I’ve teamed up with the music and physical education teachers in my building to integrate our subject areas around a theme for a week or so. Our Harry Potter Week has been our most exciting so far! This
Chinese New Year is a fun time for our students to learn about the traditions of a culture that may be unfamiliar to them. It can be a bright spot in the middle of winter, a reason to celebrate in your classroom or school library. I’d like to share my favorite read alouds for Chinese New Year. I recommend pairing an informational text with a
Six teacher-librarian friends are teaming up to share some favorite library center resources in a “Love Those Library Centers!” blog hop and giveaway! Everyone will get some new ideas… and one lucky participant will receive a copy of all SIX featured library centers AND a $20 Amazon gift card! (Heads up – one of our library center resources is shown in two age versions. The
Computer Science Education Week is the first week in December each year. This is a time when students around the world participate in the Hour of Code. I’ve been participating with my elementary library classes for several years now, but at first I was very reluctant to try it with my youngest classes. My lack of understanding about coding led to me feeling afraid to
December is hitting my school library with the usual excitement of winter programs, parties, ski days, assemblies, gift making, and the unpredictability of schedules that can change at a moment’s notice! I do love this time of year, especially now that I make sure I have extra Christmas picture books on hand to read aloud with fun lessons and activities! This post contains some affiliate
Each year I promote the nominated books for the Pacific Northwest Library Association’s Young Reader’s Choice Award in my 4th and 5th grade classes. My students are eligible to vote for their favorite book in the Junior Division, which covers grades 4-6. I use book trailers and a library catalog review activity in my library classes to get the kids familiar with the books and
Recently I collaborated with the music and physical education teachers in my school to provide an interdisciplinary unit around the theme of Native American Culture. (Yes, these are the same friends who had the great idea to team up for an Irish Unit Collaboration around St. Patrick’s Day!) In Montana, we celebrate American Indian Heritage Week the last full week of September. There is a
Fire Prevention Week is the first full week of October. It’s a great time to review fire safety concepts with our young children and to help them learn about firefighters. I’ve been collecting the following books to read with my Kindergarten, first, and second grade classes. This post contains affiliate links. If you click through one of them and make a purchase I may
