Top

Staying Cool in the Library

A place for school librarians to learn and grow together

Back to School Free Resources for School Librarians

Back to school season is right around the corner. This is always an exciting and exhausting time of year! Over the years I have created quite a few free resources to help make the transition back to school just a little bit easier. They include first day of school lesson plans, posters and bookmarks and a few ideas for back to school night. All of these resources can be downloaded for free from either my store or my free resource library. Back to School Free Resources From My Store Book ... Read the Post

Distance Learning – Back to School Checklist for School Librarians

I have updated my library back-to-school checklist with a hybrid or virtual learning option. You can read my full post on how to get ready for a new school year here. In this post I am only going to provide information about some of the (many) changes we are facing. I have no idea if these ideas and suggestions will be effective. Just about everything we try will be trial and error. And what works for one person or school could be a disaster for another. I know how isolating it can feel being ... Read the Post

Back to School Picture Book Digital Choice Boards – All Are Welcome

Have you been feeling a bit overwhelmed with the idea of online instruction? With some form of distance learning inevitably upon us, there are many resources available to help ease the transition of this new way of planning. Today, I am going to share with you a digital resource that can be used in Google slides or any other online learning platform. This resource aligns with the book All Are Welcome by Suzanne Kaufman and Alexandria Penfold. If you do not have this book, you can find this ... Read the Post

Story Time Videos and Brain Breaks

Asking students to sit still for too long can leave you feeling like you want to pull your hair out! Even as adults, we can struggle to focus on one thing for too long. That’s why it is important to add some variation into your lessons and implement some strategies to help your students get rid of some of their extra energy to be able to focus. One way to do this is utilizing story time videos and brain breaks. Research shows that scheduling breaks into your lessons helps students learn ... Read the Post

Summer Reading Ideas and Free Resources

Summertime is here! It is time for some much needed fun in the sun. However, it is important to make sure to keep our students reading throughout the summer. One of the biggest setbacks we see when school starts back up in August is what we call the “summer slide.” Your student has worked so hard throughout the school year and it is vital to minimize any set back on our two month break. The key to preventing the summer slide...is summer reading! I have gathered a list of my favorite summer ... Read the Post

Virtual Professional Development for School Librarians

Summer is always a chance for educators to relax and re-charge after a long school year. It also is a time to attend professional development conferences and trainings. However most of these have been canceled due to coronavirus (just like everything else in our lives.) So, how do we grow our skills during this summer? Virtual professional development. Just because we can't have these trainings in-person doesn't mean you have to miss out. There are so many opportunities you can take ... Read the Post