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10 Ideas for a Successful Open House in the School Library

What are your plans for back to school night or open house? I have often struggled with this over the years. Most families spend their time meeting their teacher, gathering forms and information and chatting with their friends. For years I was lucky to have 10 families stop in. This was always discouraging because open house is the perfect time to introduce the library to parents and students and begin to showcase all the library has to offer, besides just checking out books. Below are 10 ideas you can implement to help you have a successful open house. 1. Hand out informational bookmarks Because parents receive so many papers at open house, I like to give out bookmarks instead. The bookmarks can have a variety of information on them. You can include check-out policies, an overview of some of the lessons or standards taught or a few recommended books.

The Ultimate School Librarian Survival Kit

While sometimes it feels like there aren’t enough hours in the day to tackle everything on our to-do list, being an elementary or middle school librarian is such a rewarding gig! From cataloging new books to organizing reading programs and helping students find their next favorite read, there’s a lot of variety in this job! If you love what you do, but need some systems to help make it more efficient, I’ve got your back! Let’s talk about my school librarian survival kit and how it will be a total game-changer for you. What’s Included in This School Librarian Survival Kit My school librarian survival kit has EVERYTHING you need to rock the new school year. It includes lesson plans, activity ideas, library management tips, and even some fun decorations to brighten up your space. With these resources, you’ll have all the tools to keep your library running smoothly

School Library Planners

When I first became a school librarian, I bought a teacher planner at a teacher store. I loved the bright colors and cute graphics and thought it would keep me organized all year. Unfortunately, I quickly found out that the planner was not what I needed. It was made for classroom teachers, not librarians. I tried a few others over the years, but nothing worked for my specific needs. I do not need to keep track of student data or their IEP information or their test scores. So that’s when I decided to make my own school library planner. I could customize it any way I wanted and only include pages that would help me. Once I realized how much I loved the planner and how useful it was, I wanted to share it with other librarians. So I added it to my TpT store and it quickly became

Back to School Checklist for School Librarians

Can you believe it’s that time again? The back-to-school hustle is upon us, and if you’re anything like me, you’re feeling a whirlwind of emotions. There’s excitement bubbling up as we gear up for another school year, but there’s also a healthy dose of nerves mixed in there. It’s a rollercoaster ride of anticipation and anxiety, am I right? The neverending back to school checklist for school librarians can be overwhelming. But after years of experience, I have learned that it doesn’t have to be. As I sit down to think about all the things I need to check off my list before that first bell rings, it’s hard not to feel the pressure mounting. But then I remember that I have prepared a checklist that will guide me through all.the.things that must be done. So, stick with me as I lay out my ultimate back-to-school checklist for school

End of the Year Memory Books for the School Library

I have always loved the memory books and keepsakes that classroom teachers make at the end of the school year. It is so much fun to read about the students year and see what special memories they had. I decided that I wanted to do this with my own classes, through and create end of the year memory books just for the school library. There are 3 different memory books for different grade levels: K/1, 2/3 and 4/5. Google Slides Memory Books The digital versions are almost identical to the print, except they are in color. You will receive three Google Slides files as well as a folder of images. The images will allow you to upload the memory books to SeeSaw or other learning platform more easily. You can still upload the Google Slides file to SeeSaw, but you will have to delete the text boxes from each

My 9 Favorite End of School Read Alouds

As the school year winds down I wanted to share with you some of my favorite end of the year read alouds. As we all know it can be extra challenging keeping our students’ engaged during the end of the year excitement. Summer break is calling and kids definitely have some ants in their pants! You are Ready! The World is Waiting by Eric Carle This book has easy-to-read text encourage children who are going out into the world to spread their wings, knowing they have everything they need inside them Do Not Bring Your Dragon to the Last Day of School by Julie Gassman A teacher points out many things that could go wrong if she were to grant permission for a student to bring a dragon to school on the last day. Summer Vacation, Here I Come by D. J. Steinberg It’s summer time, and what better

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10 Ideas for a Successful Open House in the School Library

The Ultimate School Librarian Survival Kit

School Library Planners

Back to School Checklist for School Librarians

End of the Year Memory Books for the School Library

My 9 Favorite End of School Read Alouds

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