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The 10 Best Professional Development Books for Librarians

Well it’s ALMOST sweet summertime here in Virginia (school ends June 19 to be exact!) and that means a couple of things for me: I think as librarians it’s really important to make sure that we are always at the “top” of our game. I like to use summer to read 1 or 2 professional development books to refresh and reset before the new school year. It helps me feel energized and excited about going back to school (Keep in mind that I never start doing this until after 4th of July!) It also gives me new tips and ideas to try in the library, as things are always changing. In case you want to up your professional development game as well, I have created a list of the 10 BEST professional development books for librarians below. (All of the Amazon links are affiliate links). Hacking School Libraries 10

Poetry Unit Ideas for the Library

When you tell your students that you are going to write poetry, do you typically have a few that are excited, but the majority let out an audible sigh? Students often have the misconception that poetry is about following a lot of rules and using words that they don’t understand. They’re more open and excited when the focus shifts toward sharing their ideas and feelings with others in a creative format. Many students have a favorite type of poetry that they are drawn to. I have some different poetry unit ideas for elementary students to show you today. Digital Poetry Activities I especially like to use these Digital Poetry Activities this year because they are perfect to use for a poetry unit with students who are either learning virtually or in-person. This digital poetry unit will have your students writing and enjoying poetry in no time! In this unit,

10 Read Alouds to Welcome Spring

Spring is here and I could not be more excited for warm weather, sunshine and birds chirping! Spring is one of my favorite seasons and it is a good excuse to read and teach students about the weather changes that happen with the new season and get them learning outside as much as possible! Here are 10 read alouds to welcome spring to your students: *Links to purchase the books are all affiliate links which means that if you purchase from that link I make a small commission for recommending it to you. Thank you! Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring Grade Level: Preschool- 3rd Grade Summary: In a simple, cheerful conversation with nature, a young boy observes how the season changes from winter to spring in Kenard Pak’s Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring. As days stretch longer, animals creep out from their warm dens, and green begins to grow again, everyone

The Day the Crayons Quit

Who loves to read digital stories with their students and use digital choice boards? If your hand is up, this post is for you. The best part? If you are teaching virtually, keep reading because this post has everything you need for a lesson about the story, “The Day the Crayons Quit” including a link to listen to the story being read online! No paper copy needed! (unless you want it!) I love the story “The Day the Crayons Quit” by Drew Daywalt (affiliate link) because it focuses on teaching students about point of view, which can be a difficult reading trait to teach as well as thinking outside the box which is a good lesson for all students to learn. Students also find it humorous that the crayons write letters to their owner and get upset about being used too much! Story Summary Poor Duncan, the main character,

16 Favorite Folktales of All Time

Who loves to read folktales to their class?! Folktales are great because you can learn about different cultures and traditions. Most folktales teach some type of lesson that can be discussed with students. They make great interactive read-aloud stories for library time as well as in-class read-alouds. Typically in folktales, the main characters are animals or objects instead of people. The exact definition of a folktale is a tale or legend originating and traditional among a people or folk, especially one forming part of the oral tradition of the common people. any belief or story passed on traditionally, especially one considered to be false or based on superstition. I made a list of my 16 favorite folktales of all time for you to check out for spring: *Links to purchase the books are all affiliate links which means that if you purchase from that link I make a small

Using Picture Books to Teach Reading Strategies

Do you have a plan for teaching reading strategies to your K-2 learners? I’m talking reading strategies like these: You might be thinking “that is a lot!” How can I teach them ALL of those strategies at such a young age?! The point of teaching K-2 students about reading strategies is to equip them with strategies to help them understand the books they read tomorrow and the day after that. With consistent modeling and guided practice, our students will make these strategies their own. We can absolutely address teaching many of these reading strategies using picture books for this age of students. Is it shocking to you that students can learn advanced reading strategies through a basic picture book? They absolutely can, especially when you find the best of children’s literature! Here are some picture books you can use to teach different reading strategies (affiliate links included): Teaching Main

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The 10 Best Professional Development Books for Librarians

Poetry Unit Ideas for the Library

10 Read Alouds to Welcome Spring

The Day the Crayons Quit

16 Favorite Folktales of All Time

Using Picture Books to Teach Reading Strategies

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