Middle School Social

I put up a very dramatic display for Banned Books Week, which the students really got into. All week there was a display/graffiti wall outside the library with some of the most popular banned books along with the reasons for their censorship, along with the question: Should you be allowed to read these books? During Advisory that week teachers led discussions with students about censorship, choices, parental rights, etc., then students could write their thoughts on the graffiti wall. They were incredibly insightful and positive and I was proud of them - and the graffiti wall was an incredible motivator to read a lot of those

The Middle School students go on week-long extended field trips each spring, and I joined the grade 7 students and teachers to visit the Jurassic Coast in southern England. The students hunted for fossils, measured sand dune erosion, or studied rock formations each morning and then participated in a ropes course, obstacle course or other team building activities each afternoon. At night we had fun group activities, awards, storytelling and sharing time. It was an incredibly positive experience, and it was great to see the kids outside of the traditional classroom roles.

Books on Screen

I began an after school book club for middle schoolers called "Books on Screen". We read books that have been made into movies, talk about them extensively, then watch the movies together. This is usually followed by heavy critisizm of the movie, as the book is almost always better! It's been a fun chance to talk books with other book lovers - and to be movie critics.