School Librarian in Action: 2025 in Review

Revisiting the year through the posts I wrote on the first day of each month. And, I just want to say, that the blog turned 20 years old in April 2025. I may not be blogging the same way since, but I am too sentimental to give up SLIA. 

May 2026 be kind to all of us! Happy New Year!

December 2025 - Zine Making with Teens: I got invited last week for an Author Visit and Zine Making Workshop at Jubilee Christian Academy.

November 2025 - The Lighthouse Diary #80: Inquiry and the Library : The 2nd term is the shortest of the four terms in a school year.

October 2025 - Back in Bangkok. Again. 2025 Version: Our welcome dinner: Thai Hainanese Chicken. (Not in photo: sticky rice with mango.)

September 2025 - BTS A Little Golden Book Biography Part 3 Expanding the Reading Experience: In Part 1, I reflected on the cultural significance of BTS A Little Golden Book Biography and

what it means to BTS'

August 2025 - New Book Planting a Tree of Hope: One of the coolest things that happened on National Children’s Book Day (NCBD) last July 15, was meeting Tin Javier in person!

July 2025- Book Blog Tour Grandma Yogini by Raven Howell: I signed up once again for a book blog tour with Women Writing (US) that will kickstart in August.

June 2025 - When Parents Listen to Their Children: Today is the Feast of the Lord’s Ascension unto Heaven, a Sunday we spent with our marriage and family life community, the Magis Deo Community.

May 2025 -

The Lighthouse Diary #73: Exploratory Essay: Working on Feedback & Creating a Research Pathway: This is an update on the Exploratory Essay I wrote as model text for our grade 11 students.

April 2025 - The Disaster Ready Kids in Books Philippines Catalog, Bologna Children's Book Fair : Our books, “Disaster Ready Kids: Earthquake and Volcanic Eruption” (Lampara Books, 2024) are off to the Bologna Children’s Book Fair!

March 2025 - Kuwentong Bangtan: The Breadth and Depth of BTS' Discography & Hope On the Stage Seoul: J-Hope’s 3 day concert #HopeontheStage in Seoul finally ends.

February 2025 - The Lighthouse Diary #67: Expanding Our World: Reflections on World Languages and Literature Week 2025: During this year’s World Languages and Literature Week, we, at the BA Library had the privilege of hosting three remarkable authors namely, Joel Donato Ching Jacob, Robin Sebilono and Artie Cabezas who shared not only their books but also their writing journeys and the literary works that have shaped their thinking.

January 2025 - 2024 In Retrospect: Books Read and Reviewed: Before I begin making a new reading list for 2025, here is a rundown of books I read and posted reviews on in the blog and in my IG. 

2024 In Retrospect: Books Read and Reviewed

Before I begin making a new reading list for 2025, here is a rundown of books I read and posted reviews on in the blog and in my IG.

Human Acts  by Han Kang

Cliffton Strengths Finder by Gallup

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

Who Saved Who by Roslyn Cohn

Ipis Man by SKAIT Comics

Trese 8 by Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo

The Miracles of the Namiya General Store by Keigo Higashino

Firefly by Augie Rivera

Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less by Alex Soojung Kim-Pang

Holding On by Sophia Lee

Essays After Eighty by Donald Hall

Inquiry Based Learning by Teresa Cofman

Collaborating for Inquiry-Based Learning by Virginia L. Wallace and Whitney Norwood Husid

Getting Personal with Inquiry Learning by Kath Murdoch

The Courage to Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga

Pretty Peach by Reni Roxas

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

Demian by Herman Hesse

Ferdinand Magellan by Candy Gourlay

Excluding the books I re-read, I finished 19 books this year! YAY! 6 of them are books read and recommended by members of BTS. Can you hazard a guess?

2022 Blog Review: My Monthly 1st Posts of 2022

Keeping a blog tradition, here's my monthly first posts of 2022.

January - My Reading Inventory 2021 

Things have been tough at the homestead with COVID scare and news of infection from friends and relatives. It is hitting us so close to home. Needless to say, the pandemic is challenging each and everyone of us to respond in the most proactive and graceful manner. Tells self: bring out your inner Ms. Universe. Or rather, bring out your inner Dora, as in, Kimmy Dora! 

February - BA Library Pop Talk: : Heroism in Anime, DC and the Marvel Universe

So, the library is hosting another event this month, February. Sharing the proposed activity here in the blog.

DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVE:

The People Power Revolution of 1986 took place on EDSA in the month of February. It was an age populated by different political and religious personalities that turned the tide of Philippine politics and social life. It has been 37 years since. Many things have changed including the way we perceive and define heroes and heroism, villains and villainy and the characters and personalities that exist in between the spectrums. It is but appropriate to revisit this place where heroes and villains trod but from the lens of pop culture and literature, particularly comic books, graphic novels and popular superhero movies and films. The goal is to find parallels to the current political climate while exploring these relevant but controversial issues in a safe space, though masked and mirrored through art and literature.

March - Direct Instruction and Explicit Teaching

One of the things I have been busy with since recovering from COVID-19 was co-facilitating a DepEd Teacher Training organized by Center for Educational Measurement, Inc. The past four session leaned heavily on theories on language and literacy teaching, especially the psychology and nature of reading. Tonight, we had a session on Direct and Explicit Instruction. I have a group of teachers I monitor, supervise and learn from. Most of them are very new to the ideas we are discussing in the training. Speaking for myself, I am also learning new things and re-learning strategies to teach literacy for students in the K-12 levels.

April - The Philosopher's Path

I have walked / The way of the wise / I have trodden on / Philosopher’s ground

A path strewn with / flowers all in bloom / A moment / Of awakening / Gone too soon

Kyoto, 2015

ZarahG 4.1.22

May - A New Book Project: Philippine Folktales Remiganed

In April, I began a new adventure. 

June - Can you teach me how to make a book?

 Let's begin June with a question from a young reader, Ryannah. She loves books and from my observations, her taste and reading choices are varied and diverse!

July - National Children's Book Day is Children's Day

A friend from work, Mayen Lopez sent me a photo of a newspaper clipping from the Inquirer circa 2006. It is an article written by Neni Sta. Romana Cruz on the 2006 National Children's Book Day (NCBD). 

August - Book Launch: Sulatan sa Panahon ng Pandemya

I was down with very bad diarrhea on Saturday last week I thought I would miss the book launch of Sulatan sa Panahon ng Pandemya (Gantala Press, 2022). It is a book project that took a year to complete. Edited by Merlinda Bobis, Joi Barrios LeBlanc and Mailin Paterno, it is a collection of letters by women and of women living through and surviving with grace and wonder during the pandemic.

September - PPT: Focus and Method

A slide deck on Research Skills: Focus and Method, a session I had with our high school seniors.

October - The Lighthouse Diary Entry #44: Research Month at the Academy (2 of 2)

Taking note of three wonderful things that happened last September regarding research skills instruction.

November - Movie Review on Ghost (An Intergenerational Review)

On Hallow's Eve, we decided to watch Ghost, the 1990 smash hit movie that defined my generation. A genXer, I was proud telling my kids about it. How it spawned the pixie haircut among girls my age because Demi Moore looked so androgynously charming. The soundtrack and the movie theme song marked an era too. Even the visual effects and the chemistry of the cast were points I bragged to my kids since it was perfect. 

December - Notes and Letters of Thanks from Grade 2 Students of the UP Integrated School

I received a host of messages from grade 2 students of the University of the Philippines Integrated School. I visited their class last month for an Author Visit. It was fun. As always, the teachers of the class sent me the students' letters and messaged. 

My Top 9 on Instagram

 

Tingnan ang post na ito sa Instagram

Isang post na ibinahagi ni Zarah Gagatiga (@zarah815)