I’m a public librarian, but I’ve worked in what I like to think of as librarian “adjacent” roles over the years, including teaching in higher education and managing adult education programs. These “adventures” away from the reference desk have taught me a lot about adult learning, and I’ve found several lessons to be particularly useful. If you lead a workshop or focus group at your school,...
Previously, I shared a blog on 10 ways to make inquiry work in the ELA classroom where I reflected on my frustrations as a 10th-grade English and speech teacher. Too often, students passively engaged with literature—turning to shortcuts like SparkNotes—while lacking genuine excitement for reading, writing, and speaking. I wanted them to become curious thinkers, eager to explore texts...
With spring semester in full swing, now is a great time for a reading refresh! Here are four strategies that can be used in the library or in the classroom to help readers refresh their current reading habits. Rethink Your Shelves You don’t need to completely overhaul your collection to keep it feeling fresh and relevant. Small changes can have a big impact on how your students...
In K-12 education, students often learn structured processes like writing a five-paragraph essay or applying the scientific method in labs. With the rise of creative, project-based learning, another valuable framework deserves attention: the Design Thinking method. Widely taught in design schools and used across creative industries, this five-step process—empathize, define, ideate,...