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
Hour of Code: Future Computer Scientists in the Making!
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
9 Picture Books for Christmas with Free Resources
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! It can be a challenge to make sure your December library lessons are meaningful and engaging. I do love this time of year, especially now that I make sure I have extra Christmas picture
Engage Your Readers with the 2019 Young Reader’s Choice Nominees (Junior Division)
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
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
New Year Reading Resolutions
Happy New Year! Students and teachers will be flooding back to school next week, excited to see what 2016 will bring! Set the stage for an exciting new year of reading by helping your students make some “Reading Resolutions!” Make a display of new books and/or some that may have been forgotten and let your students browse to find titles for their “To-Read” list.
November Picture Books and FREE Teaching Resources
Gather a pile of November picture books and be ready for anything this month! I don’t know about your school, but at mine the holiday craziness begins creeping in around mid-November! I absolutely love the holiday program rehearsals, assemblies and special events. But it means I need to be *FLEXIBLE* with my lesson plans and have some activities ready to “fill in” when time is
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
Make Your Bulletin Board a Source of Inspiration!
Are you looking for an easy, fun, inspirational bulletin board? A few years ago, I was trying to shake the “Back to School Blues,” looking for some FUN Bulletin Board Inspiration, and found a cute idea on Pinterest! If you’ve been online searching for bulletin board ideas, you might have seen it too – a Be Yourself Bulletin Board. Bulletin Board Inspiration What an uplifting
A Back to School Gift for Teacher Librarians!
As you are getting ready to head back to your school library this fall, take a look at this terrific resource made just for you! The Teacher Librarian Stores eBook Catalog showcases several TpT stores that sell materials specifically designed for school library or media center instruction and management. I am excited to be included in this year’s back to school edition! Mrs. J.