Sponsor a club. Or two. Or three.

High school can be the most awkward time, or it can be the most memorable. And while we would love to think that our dear students will remember that perfect lesson on symbolism in The Giver, it is more plausible that they will only remember how you made them feel. They will remember if you cared, if you believed in them, and if you shared some joy with them. Over the years, I found the best way to build relationships with students in my class and outside of my class is to sponsor a club. I was recruited to sponsor the my first club by two freshmen girls who wanted a Sci-Fi club. We developed some theme days, and eventually worked our way into becoming the largest non-service club on campus (we were 100+ strong). The library was the perfect home for the club. We played games, we watched anime, we made art, we danced, we had talent shows, and we even played kickball on occasion. Funny thing…I was able to build more relationships with readers in Sci-fi club, than I was able to do in Book Club. Nevertheless, Sci-Fi brought me and the students so much joy. Here is some of that joy: