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November 9, 2019 by: Laura

Have a Spooktacular Time with Halloween Storytime!

Halloween Storytime The Trapped Librarian

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

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March 18, 2018 by: Laura

Tech Tip: Get More Mileage Out of Your Poster Sets!

Printing tip for posters and task cards

Have you bought or created a set of posters for a bulletin board or a display in your library or classroom?  Here’s a time saving tip for getting more use out of the same resource:  print the posters at a reduced size and make sets for each group of students.  You can easily plan an active learning lesson to reinforce the concepts in the posters.

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March 30, 2017 by: Laura

Library + Music + Physical Education = A Winning Team!

Irish Culture Collaboration

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

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January 16, 2017 by: Laura

Is Digital Citizenship Important in Elementary School?

I am passionate about students connecting with other students, near and far.  We are so fortunate to live in a time when the Internet makes that not just possible, but downright easy!  Along with all of the wonderful possibilities, of course, come some downfalls, or dangers, that the World Wide Web brings.  Because of both the pros and cons, I give a resounding YES to

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October 13, 2015 by: Laura

Learn About Smoke Alarms from the Fire Marshal

Fire Prevention Week Information

Fire Prevention Week is always the first full week in October.  This is a great time for you to include some fire safety lessons in your elementary school library or classroom.  In other posts I’ve shared some great books to read aloud to your classes and some ideas for lessons that you can use as you are planning your Fire Prevention Week lessons and activities.

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August 10, 2015 by: Laura

Ten on 10: Back to School Edition!

I’m linking up with Rachael over at The Classroom Game Nook to give you 10 peeks into my crazy life as August rears its wild head! I’ve been spending a couple of hours at school everyday to get organized.  Thank goodness I just updated my Library Back to School Tool Kit with some new clipart!  Fun labels and new school supplies always get me in

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July 31, 2015 by: Laura

It’s Back to School Time!

It’s that time of year when dedicated educators everywhere start flocking to their classrooms to decorate and plan and get ready for a promising new year!  To celebrate and reward your hard work, Teachers Pay Teachers is hosting it’s annual Back to School Sale!  This Monday and Tuesday, August 3-4, you can get up to 28% off by using the promo code BTS15. I’m linking

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July 29, 2015 by: Laura

Features Added to the Demo

The Genesis User Profile uses an image associated with a Gravatar account. You can get one for free at gravatar.com. You can choose to use “custom text” or display your author profile in the Genesis User Profile; it can be connected to any page on your site. The Simple Social icons have been added. You will need to add links to your own social media

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July 10, 2015 by: Laura

Ten on 10 with The Classroom Game Nook

Hello Friends!  I’m linking up with The Classroom Game Nook for a fun new feature! Here are 10 snapshots from my summertime life… I’ve been spending weekends at my new Heaven on Earth near the river!  This little place is a project in the works, but it’s comfy enough to be our getaway right now! On my morning walks, I get to take in this

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June 1, 2015 by: Laura

And… We have a winner!

Congratulations to Lori R., the winner of the Animal Research Bundle giveaway! Thanks to all of you who stopped by during the Summertime Blog Bash!  It was fun to hear about your summer plans!

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thetrappedlibrarian

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

📚 Don't miss the Back-to-School issue of the Libra 📚 Don't miss the Back-to-School issue of the Library Helpers Newsletter!

Some of you are heading back to school THIS WEEK (how is that possible?!), while others still have a few precious weeks of summer left. 💜

No matter where you are in the countdown, Julie and I put together this special Back-to-School issue with YOU in mind!

Inside you’ll find:
✨ Practical ideas for starting the year
📚 Book recommendations and read-aloud ideas
🎁 FREE resources
💡 Tips for new and experienced librarians
🗓️ 10 National Days with ideas you can use in your library
💜 Lots of encouragement from two retired librarians who remember just how busy this time of year can be!

We hope you’ll grab a cup of coffee (or your favorite cold drink!), download your FREE copy, and find a few ideas that make your back-to-school season a little easier.

⬇️ Head to the blog to get your copy! >>>>>> https://trappedlibrarian.org/elementary-library-newsletter/
Have you downloaded the free Library Lesson Guide? Have you downloaded the free Library Lesson Guide?

Get ready to feel organized and prepared for each month of the school year. 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! ⭐
https://the-trapped-librarian.myflodesk.com/3f88ae34-9844-4298-8238-66aa8a25836a
💜 Back to school is a great time to start building 💜 Back to school is a great time to start building positive connections with your colleagues!

A little encouragement, a fun surprise, or a simple act of appreciation can go a long way toward helping staff feel connected and valued. And it’s even better when you have those ideas ready to go before the busy school year gets rolling!

✅ My Staff Morale Booster Bundle includes 9 low-prep activities, one for each month from September through May. Each one includes signs, poems, instructions, and inexpensive treat ideas to make it easy to spread a little kindness and fun throughout your school.

⭐️ Start with You’ve Been Schooled! in September, then you’ll be ready with a new theme every month for the rest of the school year.

And you’ll save over 25% by purchasing the bundle instead of the individual resources!

➡️ Take a look at the preview and get your whole year of staff appreciation ready to go! >>>>> 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

#SchoolLibrarian #ElementaryLibrarian #SchoolLibrary #TeacherLibrarian #StaffMorale #StaffAppreciation #TeacherAppreciation #SchoolCulture #BackToSchool #TeachersOfInstagram
📚 September is here! If you’re looking at your lib 📚 September is here! 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. 💜

My 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 if this bundle can save you some time this September.

#SchoolLibrarian #ElementaryLibrary #SchoolLibrary #LibraryLessons #TeacherLibrarian #SeptemberActivities #thetrappedlibrarian
🍽️ What’s on the menu in your library? BOOKS! 📚 A 🍽️ What’s on the menu in your library? BOOKS! 📚

A Book Tasting 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
🩵 Hello library friends... Need help planning your 🩵 Hello library friends... Need help planning your lessons for September?

🎒The beginning of a new school year is always full of excitement! 

It’s important to start with 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/
💜 If you're just heading back to school, this one' 💜 If you're just heading back to school, this one's for you.

There will always be lessons to plan, books to process, displays to finish, and a hundred other things calling for your attention.

But here's the reminder Julie and I are sharing in our Back-to-School Library Helpers Newsletter:

🩵Focus on people first.

Get to know your students. Connect with your staff. Find your library people. And give yourself permission to grow slowly.

You don't have to have everything figured out on the first day. 💜

⭐️ Our FREE Back-to-School issue is full of ideas, resources, book recommendations, freebies, and encouragement to help you get started.

We hope it feels a little like having two librarian friends cheering you on!

⬇️ Download your free copy on the blog. >>>>> https://trappedlibrarian.org/elementary-library-newsletter/
Kindergarten is coming at 9:00. Fourth grade at 9: Kindergarten is coming at 9:00. Fourth grade at 9:30. Then second grade…and somehow you need a meaningful lesson ready for EVERYONE. 😅📚

Sound familiar?

One of the best things I learned as an elementary librarian was that I didn’t need to reinvent the wheel for every single grade level.

In this blog post, I’m sharing some of the strategies that helped me plan more efficiently, including grouping lessons into grade bands, building skills from year to year, planning ahead in batches, and keeping students actively involved.

➡️ If you’re working on your library lesson plans, I hope these 6 practical tips give you an idea or two that you can put to use right away! 💜

>>>>> https://trappedlibrarian.org/2024/02/08/library-lesson-plans/

#SchoolLibrarian #ElementaryLibrarian #LibraryLessonPlans #LibraryLessons #SchoolLibrary #ElementaryLibrary
📚 Getting your library organized for back to schoo 📚 Getting your library organized for back to school?

Over the years, I found a few simple systems that made a BIG difference in keeping my library lessons and supplies organized, especially when classes were coming in one right after another!

In this blog post, I’m sharing 4 of my favorite back-to-school organization tips, including:

💜 Color-coding by grade level
💜 Organizing supplies for small groups
💜 Keeping lesson plans organized from year to year
💜 An easy way to communicate Library Day information with families

Nothing complicated. Just practical ideas that helped me save time and stay organized throughout the school year!

➡️ Take a look and see if one of these ideas might work in your library!

https://trappedlibrarian.org/2021/08/27/get-organized-for-back-to-school-in-the-library/
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