Make your library the center of your school
December is not the time for a full-blown research project. But if you want to teach or review research skills with your students, a mini-unit for holiday research is just what you need. Students will still get practice on important research skills. But if a lesson is missed, it isn’t a problem (unlike when you’re doing those long, multi-week research projects). Stay Flexible in December
December is a challenging time to keep our students actively learning. I’ve shared several ways to keep the fun in our libraries this month. There is so much excitement about upcoming holidays in the air that it’s difficult to maintain a focus on academics. Time to pull out your tricks! I’ve found that my lessons are always more engaging if I make a game out
In a normal school year, December brings changing schedules and lots of fun activities for our students. School librarians are always working at being flexible and maintaining that happy place in our libraries. But December 2020 is bringing unique challenges to schools as we face a holiday season unlike any other we’ve seen. It seems like the fun has been taken out of so many
Seasonal book displays are a great way to brighten up your school library. Eye-catching book arrangements will draw the interest of your students and might just hook your readers on a new book. I’ve got some school library book display ideas for you! Create Monthly Displays The easiest way to get started with book displays in your school library is to start with a monthly
It’s true that Back to School 2020 is starting off like no other year in education. Regardless of our return to school scenario – distance learning, in person, hybrid – at least one thing remains the same. We need great back to school books to read aloud to our students! I recently visited my local public library to check out these titles – all opinions
Educators across the country (and the world) are getting ready to go back to school. However, many of us still don’t know how to plan for a successful start to the school year. If we want to be successful in getting back to school in the library, it’s time to start planning. Even if your school or district has not yet released plans for the
This time of year can be a little dreary at school. The weather is changing (it can get pretty crazy here in Montana in March!), kids are a little squirrely, and teachers are starting to get stressed out about testing season! It’s the perfect time to lift up staff morale with a fun pass-it-on activity! I’m part of our school’s social committee and we’ve been
As we get closer to the Super Bowl, more and more students are discussing football and their favorite teams. They come to school on Mondays talking about what happened at the latest playoff games. Excitement builds with each passing week. This is the perfect time to hook students with a great lesson focusing on media literacy skills. I’ve got a fun and engaging lesson using
I love to have holiday-themed storytime classes for my kindergarten, first grade, and second grade students. The right combination of fiction and nonfiction books, along with a song and a fun activity builds enthusiasm and positive connections for my students. One of my favorites is Halloween Storytime! I’d like to share my favorite Halloween picture books to use in the primary grades in your elementary
October brings an interest in spooky stories, mysterious tales, and disguises. A Halloween Storytime is a fun way to bring all of this together for our young learners. We had a great time in Kindergarten, first grade, and second grade singing songs and listening to fun read alouds. With a little bit of creativity and planning, you can have an engaging Halloween Storytime in your
