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Improve Library Efficiency with Student Library Helpers

As school librarians, we juggle so much – circulation, shelving, displays, and helping our students find the perfect book to spark their curiosity. It’s a lot to handle and, some days, it can feel like you need an extra set of hands (or five). That’s where library helpers come in! They’re the secret to keeping your library running smoothly while giving students a sense of ownership and responsibility. Whether it’s shelving books or organizing supplies, library helpers can transform your space into a more efficient and welcoming environment. Today, I’m sharing some tips and guidance for how to get library helpers started in your library! Why Library Helpers Are a Game-Changer Having library helpers has completely changed how I manage my library. They don’t just take a load off my plate. They also make the library feel like a shared space where everyone contributes. These student volunteers bring so

Teaching Types of Genres to Elementary Students

If you’ve ever watched your kiddos light up when they connect with a story, you know how powerful books can be. When I introduce different types of genres in the school library, it’s a chance to open the door to new worlds, big ideas, and unforgettable adventures. Picture and chapter books are great for lessons because they’re perfect for breaking down genre elements while keeping children engaged. Whether you’re working with primary students or upper elementary readers, there’s something magical about finding just the right book to bring a genre to life. Today, I’m sharing some favorites that I use when teaching the different types of genres to my students. Breaking Down the Types of Genres Before diving into book recommendations, let’s take a moment to break down what makes up each genre. Understanding the key features of each genre helps our students recognize patterns and appreciate the storytelling

Graphic Organizers Spark Clarity and Comprehension for Students

Navigating the writing process can be a common challenge, both for me personally and for my students. From deciding where to start to organizing thoughts, the struggle is real. Whether assisting my students in their writing journeys or diving deep into reading comprehension, helping students work through all the thoughts and ideas can be challenging. That’s where the magic of graphic organizers comes in! Today, I’ll walk you through why graphic organizers are a must-have in your toolbox, what exactly they are, and throw in a few examples that you can use with your students! What Are Graphic Organizers? Have you ever been lost? Maybe you’ve been lost literally in a new place, or maybe you have felt lost in a school subject. Both scenarios create an icky feeling of being overwhelmed and hopeless. When students feel like this they have racing thoughts overpowering each other in their heads,

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

Must- Have Biography Series for Elementary Students

My students love reading biographies. Usually, they ask for a biography on a sports star or music performer. They might ask for a biography of someone they learned about in class. And for some reason, they all want to read biographies on Michael Jackson! It can be tough keeping current biographies on the library shelves. Biographies can be expensive and they are outdated as soon as they are printed. Also when it comes to current biographies it’s very possible that students won’t want to read about the person two years from now. So it can be hard to justify the purchase, especially a biography series for elementary students. When choosing biographies I like to stay with the same series for several reasons. I have already determined that the series meets my needs. I know the format of the books in the series. For example, I know what kinds of text

Christmas Ornament Book Recommendation Freebie

The holiday season is upon us! Do you decorate your library or classroom for Christmas? I decorate for every season and Christmas is my favorite. I always put up a tree and string lights around the door. (Don’t tell the fire marshal!) A few years ago I started having the students make ornaments to put on the tree: Christmas ornament book recommendations! This is such a fun and engaging activity. You can use it with students in any grade level, the kids love to make them and they make your library look so festive! What could be better? Making the Christmas Ornament Book Recommendation This is a simple activity to prepare, which is always a bonus during this hectic and chaotic time. All you need are copies of the Christmas ornament book recommendation template, scissors, pencils, and crayons. If possible print them out on card stock or a thicker

Making the Dewey Decimal System Fun: Engaging Ideas to Liven Up Your Library Lessons

Let’s be honest—teaching the Dewey Decimal System isn’t always the most thrilling part of being a school librarian. While it’s essential for helping students navigate nonfiction books and keeping the library organized, it’s not exactly a topic that sparks instant excitement. Over the years, I’ve experimented with countless ways to teach Dewey – from interactive games to hands-on activities, with mixed results. Some methods became instant hits with my students… and others didn’t make the cut! In my TpT store, you’ll find a variety of Dewey Decimal resources, including editable PowerPoint and Google slies presentations, engaging bingo games, printable worksheets, and my best-selling Dewey Decimal Task Cards. But today, I want to focus on sharing a few free and fun ideas (minus a few basic supplies) to help you spice up your Dewey Decimal lessons – no extra purchase required. I’ll be totally transparent—some of these ideas are gems

Digital and Print Activities to Teach Author’s Purpose

I have always enjoyed teaching author’s purpose to my students. It is so easy to incorporate in any of the lessons I teach across all grade levels. Several years ago I even used it as my professional goal. This is when I developed more in-depth lessons and activities for the subject. And for some reason, I usually teach author’s purpose in November. I”m not sure why maybe just because the PIE acronym that we all use fits so well with Thanksgiving! Read below to see some of the ways I teach my students the different reasons authors write. Digital Activities for Teaching Author’s Purpose These activities can be used with Google Slides. I like using these for two main reasons. One is their paperless. I’m really trying to cut back on the number of copies I do each week. And of course, my school encourages this as well. Second, the

Cyberbullying Resources for Elementary Students

October is National Bullying Prevention Month. One type of bullying is cyberbullying. With technology becoming more enmeshed in every aspect of our lives it is more important than ever to teach our students what cyberbullying is and what to do if you are a victim of a cyberbully or witness this type of behavior. In this post I want to share with you some cyberbullying resources that you can use to help teach about this difficult topic. Educational Videos Videos can be a very effective tool in introducing a topic to students in an engaging way. There are several cyberbullying videos that I have used before. I like them because they are the perfect way to begin a conversation and open up communication with students. My school subscribes to BrainPop and there are several different videos on there about digital safety. But if your school does not have BrainPop, there

Using Plickers in the School Library

How do you assess student learning in the library? It is challenging for a number of reasons, mostly due to time constraints. We have to teach a lesson or do story time, do book check-in and check-out and take care of a hundred other tasks, often with little or no assistance. And we have to do all this in around 40 minutes (give or take). This leaves little time for any kind of assessment. So when I heard about Plickers I was very excited. Plickers is a free online assessment tool that can easily be used in the school library. Even though it has been around for a while, I somehow just discovered it. It is easy to set-up and requires only one mobile device (for teacher use). And best of all – it’s free! You create the questions and the students respond by holding up their paper clicker

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