Fellow New Jerseyan Meredith and I randomly crossed paths on Bluesky, and I'm glad we did! Meredith's lesson is great, and our conversation blew my mind in about five different dimensions. Guest: Meredith Butts, Library and Information Scientist Grade(s) Taught: 5, 6, 7, 8 Resources: Information Organization Lesson: https://edushare.ing/organizingi…

Sarah joins us all the way from Mumbai, India! And she brings some great ideas for building reading culture with active and engaged students. Guest: Sarah Ducharme, Head of Secondary Library Grade(s) Taught: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 Resources: Creating a Culture of Reading: Booktalks & more Lesson: Various activities: https://oberoi-is.libguides.com/…

When I saw Bernadette's post on Bluesky featuring a video of her students serving as bowling alley bumpers, I had to know more! I'm so glad Bernadette was willing to share about this hands-on learning activity she does with her students to teach about, and then reinforce, library materials organization. Guest: Bernadette Roche Grade(s) Taught: K, 1…

My new friend Rachael Welsh shared a great idea on Bluesky, and I had to learn more! Thanks to her generosity, we can now all learn along with her and her students as she shares her interactive history lesson. Guest: Rachael Welsh Grade(s) Taught: 5, 6 Resources: Interactive History Lesson: https://www.canva.com/design/DAGVAMqSWxc/vUSYg5HVNeki2Ys0p…

First-year school libarian Gwen and I stumbled across each other on Bluesky, and I'm glad we did! We had a great time chatting about being new school librarians, and Gwen shared some of her methods for engaging her students with the library space. Guest: Gwen Blumberg Grade(s) Taught: K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 Resources: Strengthening Library Skill…

I had heard Christina discussing her passion for getting publishers to focus on books for our 12-15 year olds on Amy Hermon's School Librarians United podcast, and was completely on board with her message. Months later, I happened to come across Christina on Bluesky, where we were able to connect and share some ideas. And now she's here to share so…

This episode was originally recorded for the second season of School Library Connection's "One Lesson at a Time" podcast. Ryan has so many great ideas on collaborating with teachers and bringing writing into the library to complement the reading and reasearch students do. Here he shares how he teaches students how to use research skills to add dept…

My friend Mike is back to chat about our different strategies for finding our next reads and keeping track of our TBR lists!By Steve Tetreault

Lindsey is a new friend I made on Bluesky. After years as a school librarian, she moved into school library administration. While our conversation isn't about a specific activity, Lindsey shares some great ideas for making our school libraries and resources more readily available; because it doesn't matter how great our libraries are if no one is u…

This episode was originally recorded for the second season of School Library Connection's "One Lesson at a Time" podcast. Barbara Johnson blew me away with this amazing program that encourages student engagement and increases their technological literacy. It is also a great opportunity to highlight the many ways school libraries support students be…

This episode was originally recorded for the second season of School Library Connection's "One Lesson at a Time" podcast. The always-amazing Melissa Thom was kind enough to share her lesson plan for a student podcasting lesson. This lesson engages students with research and offers them creativity in presenting their findings. View Melissa's lesson …

Texan-by-way-of-the-Pacific-Northwest Heather is a Library Coordinator for a 52-school district, after having moved over to admin from the library. She now supports the school librarians in her district through a variety of means, several of which focus on the librarians' self-collected data. They use the data for quarterly reports. Unlike so much …

I made a new friend, and she is awesome! Illinois school librarian Jennifer Fox Eberle shared some pictures of an amazing "Library of Things" program and a super-cool cardboard haunted house activity her students did. When we started chatting, she mentioned an AMAZING program she does that kinda blew my mind. And she was kind enough to come share i…

Ryan and I first chatted a while back on the One Lesson at a Time podcast (which will be a Throwback episode here in the near future), and I was immediately struck by how Ryan managed to connect writing with the school library. In this episode, Ryan shares more suggestions to help school librarians support student writing. Guest: Ryan Bani Tahmaseb…

I had seen the amazing things Andrea was doing with her students online, and when I first met her in person at TXLA in April 2024, I was absolutely blown away by her energy and enthusiasm. I'm excited to have her share with us some important ideas for working with ALL our students! Guest: Andrea Keller Grade(s) Taught: 9, 10, 11, 12 Resources: Add’…

This week, we're doing something a little different. I'm chatting with a life-long friend who is not a school librarian, nor is he an educator. I think it's always a good idea to get some outside perspectives, and I feel this conversation does a great job showing why that outside perspective can be so important. I hope you enjoy and take from this …

While we've had a "previously recorded" episode with the amazing K.C. Boyd, we have the Boss Librarian herself back with a new program to share! While looking to her copy of Kristina Holzweiss's DEMCO School Librarian Planner, K.C. was inspired by Gratitude Month. She marshalled her Maker Club to create items for the staff and teachers across her s…

This episode was originally recorded for the second season of School Library Connection's "One Lesson at a Time" podcast. I listen to quite a few podcasts, but I hadn't heard of Smash Boom Best before LaDawna Harrington, a recently retired school librarian from New Jersey, introduced me to it. Now I'm hooked! And you'll be hooked on this month's On…

I first met Andrea at our state school librarian conference. She was wearing rainbow colored sneakers, and I had to compliment her on them. We struck up a conversation, and became fast friends. Andrea is a school librarian passionate about providing her students a safe, welcoming space and making sure they feel connected and respected. This lesson …

**This episode was originally recorded for the second season of School Library Connection's "One Lesson at a Time" podcast.** I have been fortunate enough to know K.C. for several years now, and she is always doing amazing things with her students - and this lesson is no exception! View K.C.'s lesson plan, catch the original version of the episode,…

Ashley is one of my first stops when I am trying to expand my knowledge of manga, and I was very excited when she shared out this lesson on social media. She is also one of the authors of a book for educators on incorporating manga into schools! This lesson has my brain buzzing with all the possibilities - I hope you enjoy learning about it! Guest:…

Friends, I may have earned a doctorate, but Dr. Andrea Trudeau EARNED her doctorate! In addition to all her coursework, she's published several studies on her area of interest, virtual and augmented reality and its effects on students. She is an amazing resource, and I'm so glad she offered to share with us! Guest: Dr. Andrea Trudeau Grade(s) Taugh…

I was fortunate enough to work with Wendy on the AASL Member Engagement Committee. There, I learned she is a dedicated, hard-working individual who gets stuff done. And on top of that, she does amazing things for her students! Check out her materials on getting an origami program going in her library! Guest: Wendy Garland, Librarian Grade(s) Taught…

Tim Smyth is a school-librarian-by-association. We've known each other since I met him at a school librarian conference where Tim was presenting on the importance of having comics and graphic novels in classrooms and school libraries. He and I are definintely on the same page! Here, Tim shares a lesson that is near and dear to his heart, and his wo…

Tennessee school librarian Katie Capshaw is one of those people who feels like a friend after you've just met. She's here to share how she introduces her 8th graders to AI. This lesson has lots of adaptability, and could easily spin off some additional lessons. Settle in and enjoy the final episode of Season 1! Guest: Katie Capshaw Grade(s) Taught:…

It's me again! In the penultimate episode of Season 1, I'm sharing a lesson on information literacy that helped my students start to wrap their minds around two key concepts when it comes to considering any information: Context and Perspective. Guest: Steve Tetreault Grade(s) Taught: 7-8 Resources: Information Literacy & Reliable Sources Lesson: ht…

Your intrepid host shares a lesson he's found helpful in preparing students (and teachers) to do better research in less time. Guest: Steve Tetreault Grade(s) Taught: 7-8, 9-12 Resources: Planning & Visualizing Lesson: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1NBBdpOoktZ66HbodRXfpWF5WaHzuWaWEz7zQb4OJi40/edit#slide=id.p Add’l Links: See all the lesson…

Virginia school librarian Maura Madigan has taken the idea of reading to pets to a whole new level as a way to support her school's literacy efforts. Guest: Maura Magigan Grade(s) Taught: K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Resources: Reading Rescue Pet Adoption Program Lesson: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1MidinPgjzMl25QmKJwlwA-jDjxWYv47G?usp=sharing Book …

Melissa Corey shares so much of her work and so many ideas - and here she's sharing an amazing exhibit, along with ideas for her process of creating museum-like exhibits in her library! Guest: Melissa Corey Grade(s) Taught: 6, 7, 8 Resources: Holocaust Memorial Exhibit Lesson: https://fb.watch/rXxGavabSy/ Book Break: Free Lunch by Rex Ogle - My goa…

I was fortunate enough to befriend Todd online, and his energy and enthusiasm were always a ray of sunshine on my day! Here, the 2016 SLJ School Librarian of the Year shares a great lesson that ticks so many boxes! While Todd does this with his upper elementary students, this could easily become a great lesson for upper grades as well! Guest: Todd …

Texas high school librarian Kaitlyn Carpenter shares this great lesson that connects her students' academic work to their yearbooks! Guest: Kaitlyn Carpenter (aka Carpe_Librarian) Grade(s) Taught: 9, 10, 11, 12 Resources: Sociology - School Culture Case Study Lesson: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/15czk9bmM4vPI3MWsKbD5ughYFeZAt-mN?usp=shari…

I'm back - this time, with an actual lesson! Check out how you can build your own custom search engines that will only search within the sources you select - handy for you, handy for students, handy for staff! Guest: Steve Tetreault Grade(s) Taught: 7, 8 Resources: Build Your Own Search Engine! Lesson: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX…

This week is a special episode of the podcast. I’ve been travelling, and haven’t been able to record one of our usual episodes with a guest. But I didn’t want to leave you hanging, either, so we’re doing something different this week. We’re going to start with the book break, followed by a special surprise.…

This week, the SLLN Podcast goes international as Canadian school librarian Christopher Hunt joins us to share his science-focused "Makery Bakery" lesson, where second graders make bread and butter! Guest: Christopher Hunt, Chris (he/him) Grade(s) Taught: K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Resources: #MakeryBakery : States of Matter via Bread- and Butter-Making Less…

Miss Jean Darnell, known online as Awaken Librarian, is a careful thinker and diligent researcher. In this episode, she shares some lessons and thoughts about AI in education. Guest: Ms. Jean Darnell Grade(s) Taught: 6, 7, 8 Resources: Using AI for Literacy Lesson: https://www.awakenlibrarian.com/2023/04/using-ai-for-literacy-exciting-prompts.html …

Kelly Hincks has been sharing wonderful lessons over on the Knowledge Quest blog for years - if you've been missing them, be sure to check them out! In this episode, she shares how she has students use hexagonal thinking to get to know each other in a fun and creative way. This lesson can be adapted in many ways to get students thinking creatively …

"Everything's bigger in Texas" is not just a saying, as school librarian Deb Zeman will prove in this episode! The lesson is big, the resources are big, the Book Break is big - and the implications for our students are big! Guest: Deb Zeman/MS Librarian Grades taught: 6-8 Resources: Wakelet Student Ambassador Program: https://wakelet.com/wake/z7FWz…

Tennessee school librarian (and generally wonderful human) Laurie Stansbury shares the lesson she does with the book The Arabic Quilt: An Immigrant Story by Aya Khalil and Anait Semirdzhyan (Illustrator) - and both the book and the lesson are lovely! Guest: Laurie Stansbury Grades: K-5 Resources: "The Arabic Quilt: An Immigrant Story" (same name as…

The ever-delightful Katie McNamara shares how she uses "Game of Quotes" as a lesson in collaboration with her teachers, and gets requests from both students and staff for more! Guest: Katie McNamara, High School Teacher Librarian & Fresno Pacific University Program Director, Teacher Librarian Program Resources: Game of Quotes Lesson: https://www.ca…

New Jersey is in the house! 4-6 school librarian Gab Casieri shares how she gets research skills and critical thinking embedded in her "Curiosity Project" lesson! Resources: Curiosity Project Lesson: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1B8ePsu1vzo_4tdwUKO0sXG-j_GQO98s4tK-WhelOI6U/edit?usp=sharing Add’l Links: https://www.noodletools.com/ Book Break:…

Friends, if you haven't gotten to know school librarian Erika Long, what have you been doing with yourself? She is an amazing practitioner, and we're lucky to get to learn from her this week! She's bringing her middle grades "Renaissance Art Tour" to us, and I have no doubt you'll find the lesson - and Ericka - as engaging as I do! Resources: Renai…

Ya'll, we've got Dustin Hensley in the house! This Tennessee high school librarian is all about experiential, authentic learning, as his "Community Improvement" lesson clearly demonstrates. (On a completely unrelated note, Dustin is also the KING of grant writing - if you're looking for tips, he's the man!) Learn along with me from this font of kno…

Tom's online handle is "Captain Library" because that's his school, but it's also a fitting title, because Tom is THE MAN when it comes to all things library - particularly primary sources! (If you haven't checked out The Primary Source Podcast, you are missing out.) He has collaborated with author Melissa Stewart in the past, and here he shares hi…

Resources: MISSION MARS Lesson: https://wakelet.com/wake/r571cioBoL8vU9KHLVAU- Book Break: We Dream of Space by Erin Entrada Kelly Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library: The Graphic Novel by Chris Grabenstein Where to find Ali Schilpp : Website: https://linktr.ee/AliSchilpp Handle: @AliSchilpp Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/alischilpp.bsky.social…

While she's known in some circles as "That Librarian", she'll always be the amazing Amanda Jones! The lesson she's sharing was directly inspired by her own experience with facing harassment online. It's a wonderful opportunity to give students space to share their own experiences and consider their own online behavior. Resources: The Dangers in The…

Fallon Farokhi brings such a wide array of experience and skills to the school library - it's no wonder her students love coming to the library! In this episode, Fallon shares a lesson that encourages students to engage in authentic inquiry driven by their own curiosity - and she makes the library the star of the show along the way! Resources: Ever…

If you aren't familiar with Amanda Hunt, you're missing out! "The Next Gen Librarian" is such a wonderful font of shared book reviews, school library ideas - and lessons! Although she calls this lesson "Turkey Bingo", it's not just limited to use around Thanksgiving - this is a fun book bingo activity that encourages students to share what they kno…

We have SO MANY great school librarians volunteering their lessons that our usual 2 week release schedule doesn't make sense. So for the foreseeable future, we're bringing you a new episode every week! Stay tuned for more great episodes coming your way soon! Check in with us, and check us out! Have an idea, a question, or a lesson you want to share…

If you’re seeing this, you are at least passingly familiar with podcasts. I’ve been a fan of podcasts for quite a while now; I’m a daily listener to a variety of podcasts. It’s fair to say I get a large percent of my information about the world from podcasts. And I know I’m not the only one learning by listening. I hadn’t given too much thought to …

Jersey in the house! I'm excited to introduce you to my friend Lisa Manganello, a high school librarian in New Jersey. Lisa is an incredible teacher-librarian, emphasis on the “teacher” part, as she demonstrates with her explanation of how she approaches this media literacy lesson with her staff and students. Lisa refreshes the lesson each year wit…