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You are here: Home / Archives for Helpful Hints

March 30, 2020 by: Laura

Show Up for Your Students When School is Closed

As we all deal with the wide spread effects of school closures during this COVID 19 coronavirus outbreak, educators are looking for what is truly best for their students at this time. Many people may panic at the idea of missed instructional time and a possible decline in academic achievement. I believe the more pressing need is to maintain a connection to and among our

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January 4, 2020 by: Laura

Spice Up Your Library Catalog Instruction!

Trapped Librarian Catalog Practice

Library catalog instruction can be dull and boring. It can be difficult to motivate students to care about library search and location skills when they’d rather be playing a game. Why not make your library catalog search and location practice into a game with additional activities just as fun as playing a game?! This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience.  This means that

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July 30, 2019 by: Laura

TPT Tips for School Librarians

I’ve teamed up with 4 other School Librarians to give you some shopping tips for using the Teachers Pay Teachers website to your advantage! Many of us have tight budgets in our school libraries, so it’s important to save money whenever we can! Take a look at these tips for using TpT… It’s a Blog Hop! You can start at the top and hop on

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July 29, 2019 by: Laura

TpT Tips for Teacher Librarians: Ratings, Comments, and Questions

I love to shop on Teachers Pay Teachers! It is so satisfying to find just the right resource at just the right time and to be able to purchase and download it instantly. More than once I’ve found the perfect activity for my students right when I need it. I’ve found that I can save some money while also helping out the sellers who create

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January 21, 2019 by: Laura

I Love to Read Month in Your Library

I Love to Read Month The Trapped Librarian

February is “I Love to Read Month!” It’s the perfect time for you to celebrate reading in your school! Start with an “I Love to Read” bulletin board and a book recommendation center and you’ll help your students and staff spread the love of reading throughout the school. This article may contain Amazon affiliate links for your convenience. This means that if you click a

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March 11, 2018 by: Laura

Get Your Students Prepared for Tests with Keyboarding Club!

Keyboarding Club Test Prep

  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,

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October 22, 2017 by: Laura

7 Tips for a Successful Book Fair

Trapp Book Fair Displays

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

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July 24, 2017 by: Laura

Help Your Students Find Book Series They Will Love!

Do you have students who find a favorite book series and then want to read all of the books in order?  On any given day in my library, students come in asking questions like: “What’s Magic Tree House number 17?” “Which book is after Rodrick Rules?” “What’s the first book in the Underland series?” Now, I know it is relatively easy to look up the

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October 24, 2015 by: Laura

TRICK or TREAT!

Hello Friends! I’m teaming up with Rachael from The Classroom Game Nook for another fun Blog Hop!  I hope you’ll join us for some Trick or Treat fun! One trick that has helped me in recent years is to color code my class materials and supplies. I teach 4 classes each of K – 2nd grades and 3 classes each of 3rd – 5th.  To

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October 1, 2015 by: Laura

Do You BITMOJI??!!

If you don’t, you should.  Just for a giggle.  And some fun.  And to impress your friends.  AND to have a ridiculous Bitmoji-filled text message conversation with your loved ones! I’ll be honest, my Bitmoji has gotten me through some tough times. It’s helped me say the things I couldn’t really put into words. Bitmoji is a free app that comes from the creators of

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thetrappedlibrarian

📚 Elementary School Librarian
🌟 NBCT 2011
👩🏻‍🏫 Teacher Author
Blog: trappedlibrarian.org

⭐ GET YOUR FREE MONTH-BY-MONTH LIBRARY LESSONS GUI ⭐ GET YOUR FREE MONTH-BY-MONTH LIBRARY LESSONS GUIDE! ⭐

Get ready to feel organized and prepared for the month ahead. No more giving up your nights and weekends for lesson planning! This free resource will help you plan your lessons for the month, quarter, semester, or year!

✅ Take the guesswork out of what to teach and when
✅ Get idea for engaging interactive lessons
✅ Grab links to helpful products for every month of the school year

⭐ Grab this free guide today and make your library the center of your school! ⭐
➡ Link in Smart.Bio @thetrappedlibrarian 💜
https://the-trapped-librarian.myflodesk.com/3f88ae34-9844-4298-8238-66aa8a25836a

 #thetrappedlibrarian #elementarylibrary #elementarylibrarian #schoollibrarians #elementarylibrarylessons #schoollibrarian #schoollibrary #librarymediaspecialist #teacherlibrarian #librariansofinstagram
Need inspiration for your October lessons? 🍁 🔥 Fir Need inspiration for your October lessons? 🍁
🔥 Fire Safety Week activities
👻 Spooktacular Halloween Storytime
📚 Seasonal book displays kids can’t resist
I’ve pulled together ideas you can use right away to make October memorable in your library!
➡️ Click to see my favorite October library lessons! https://trappedlibrarian.org/2021/10/25/october-library-lessons-2/
🍽️ What’s on the menu in your library? BOOKS! 📚 A 🍽️ What’s on the menu in your library? BOOKS! 📚

A Book Tasting event is such a fun way to help students explore your shelves and discover books they might otherwise pass right by!

Set out a variety of books, add the menus, table signs, and a little restaurant flair, and let your students start “tasting.” It’s a great beginning-of-the-year activity for getting kids excited about reading AND helping them add some new titles to their reading lists. ❤️

This Book Tasting Kit includes lesson plans for K–5, editable menus, bookmarks for younger students, genre and category table signs, posters, and more.

📚 Help your students discover their next great read!

⭐️ BONUS: It’s also included in my September Library Bundle, where you can save over 20%!

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Book-Tasting-Activities-2082366?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=TL%20Book%20Tasting%20FB
📚 September is flying by! If you’re looking at you 📚 September is flying by! If you’re looking at your library lesson plans and wondering how you’re going to fit everything in, I’ve got some help for you. 💜

The September Library Bundle brings together some of my preferred activities and resources for this time of year, so you don’t have to spend hours searching and planning.

You’ll have resources to help you:
⭐️ Teach and practice important library skills
⭐️ Introduce digital citizenship
⭐️ Get students excited about books with a Book Tasting
⭐️ Organize your library and get your Library Helpers started

Best of all, you’ll save over 30% compared to purchasing the resources separately!

➡️ Take a look at the preview and see how this bundle can make the rest of the month go smoothly!

>>>>> https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/September-Library-BUNDLE-7141462?utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=TL%20September%20Bundle%20FB
📚 “Where can I find a book about…?” Helping stude 📚 “Where can I find a book about…?”

Helping students learn to answer that question for themselves is such an important library skill!

My Library Catalog Practice for K–5 gives you scaffolded lessons and activities to help students build their catalog skills year after year. They’ll practice searching by:

🔎 Subject
🔎 Series
🔎 Title
🔎 Author
🔎 Keyword

The goal? Give students the skills and confidence they need to independently search for the books and information they want! 💜

➡️ Take a look at the preview and see how you can build library catalog skills from Kindergarten th#teacherlibrarian 

>>>>> https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Library-Catalog-Practice-for-K-5-Library-Lessons-968419?utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=TL%20Library%20Catalog%20K5%20FB

#SchoolLibrarian #LibrarySkills #LibraryLessons #ElementaryLibrary #SchoolLibrary #LibraryCatalog #TeacherLibrarian
📚 New to the school library this year? Welcome! 💜 📚 New to the school library this year? Welcome! 💜

Maybe you're a brand-new librarian. Maybe you're a teacher or paraeducator who has stepped into the library role and you're figuring things out as you go.

💜Here's something I want you to remember: You don't have to learn everything at once!

In our FREE Back-to-School Library Helpers Newsletter, I'm sharing 4 tips for new school librarians that I would share with you over a cup of coffee. ☕️

⭐️ You'll also find practical back-to-school ideas, book recommendations, freebies, National Days, and plenty of encouragement from Julie and me.

And if you've been a librarian for years, take a look too! You might agree with my advice, and you may even find a new idea or two inside. 😊

⬇️ Head to the blog to download your FREE copy! >>>>> https://trappedlibrarian.org/elementary-library-newsletter/
🩵 Need a few more ideas for your September lessons 🩵 Need a few more ideas for your September lessons? 

This month goes by so fast, but it's not too late! 

Check out these engaging activities and lessons that will set the stage for a year full of active learning for all students. 

⭐️ Get ideas for your September library lessons over on the blog >>>> https://trappedlibrarian.org/2021/09/22/september-library-lessons/
📚 Looking for a fun way to get your students excit 📚 Looking for a fun way to get your students excited about books at the beginning of the school year?

Try a Book Tasting Event! 🍽️📚

A Book Tasting gives students a chance to sample books they might normally pass right by, while adding a little fun and excitement to your library lessons.

I’ve hosted these events with my own students, and I’m sharing 5 of my favorite tips on the blog, from building excitement and setting the stage to organizing your books and giving students plenty of choice.

➡️ Head over to the blog for all 5 tips and start planning your own Book Tasting!

>>>>> https://trappedlibrarian.org/2017/10/08/5-tips-for-a-fun-book-tasting/
One little way to spread some kindness and fun wit One little way to spread some kindness and fun with your staff…all year long! 💜

My Staff Morale Booster Bundle gives you a different themed activity for every month from September through May, so you can have your staff appreciation ideas planned and ready to go for the entire school year.

Each activity is low-prep, budget-friendly, and includes everything you need to get started. Just print, add an optional treat or note, and start spreading some encouragement!

And when you grab the whole bundle, you’ll save over 25% compared to purchasing each month separately. ⭐️

➡️ Take a look at the preview and get ready for a year of kindness, connection, and a little extra fun with your colleagues!

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Staff-Morale-Booster-Bundle-for-Staff-Teacher-Appreciation-Youve-Been-Booed-16669185?utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=TL%20Staff%20Morale%20Booster%20Bundle
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