Education at Antioch University

06/06/2026

For over 20 years, Christie led the charge to make Antioch’s endorsement in school library media an outstanding, well regarded, and thoughtful program. From its beginning with 3 students to today, with 50 students enrolled, the program has thrived under her leadership. Along with Deb Kachel, Christie expanded the program from Seattle to Oregon and beyond. Throughout her tenure, Christie has served as an editor of a prominent library journal, penned numerous articles, presented at conferences, served on legislative committees,
leadership roles, and most notably has just published a textbook on Children’s Literature.

Christie Kaaland obtained her Masters in Educational Administration and Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Washington here in Seattle. She has taught Drama and English in middle and high school in the Tacoma school district for 16 years. She has also been the Associate Editor of Teacher Librarian: The Journal for School Library Professional since 2015.

School library legislative advocacy work and diverse children’s literature books are two areas about which Christie is particularly passionate. She has also published two journal articles. Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Recovery in the School Library: Creating a Safe Haven as a solo author. Activism and the School Librarian: Tools for Advocacy and Survival as the lead author. In her work at Antioch Christie is the Chair of the Teacher Librarian Endorsement Program.

In her free time, she loves spending time in the snow and cold weather. Christie used to be an avid skier but has had to hang them up. She still enjoys getting out and snowshoeing though. Gardening (raising exotic lilies) and daily walks with her partner Bud and her dog Bella are part of her day to day. As is reading historical fiction and diverse children’s literature.

Christie’s family fills her life with joy as well. She has two children Luke and Natalie and her partner Bud came into her life James, Rachel, Nick, Emily as well as two grandkids Jasper and Barrett.

Christie supports the charity "We Need Diverse Books"
https://buff.ly/tARP7QZ

06/05/2026

Have you been noticing your students attention spans getting shorter? You are not alone. Check out this article from Edutopia for six strategies to boost attention.

Teachers can use these six strategies to boost students’ ability to work with sustained focus for increasing amounts of time.

06/05/2026

Summer vacation is just around the corner! With all of the chaos and emotions during this time of year, we want to remind you to be proud of everything you accomplished this school year. You have made a positive impact on so many students, families, and coworkers. Give yourself some time to rest and regroup, but don't forget to have fun! We would love to hear about your summer plans in the comments!

06/04/2026

A lot of you are clearing out classrooms right now. You may be packing up for summer (because nothing beats that freshly waxed August floor) or you may be moving to a new classroom or position. Maybe you’re wrapping up your classroom career, moving into retirement or a different professional chapter. No matter what, you’re probably doing the same thing- sorting and reminiscing and reflecting on the year or years gone by.

Who we are at our core isn’t represented by any single item. It’s not about the puppets or the student artwork or the faculty publications. Our core beliefs— that people (including children) matter, that play and work magnify one another, that authentic relationships are the foundation of powerful learning, and that teacher education should be inspiring, joyful, and (most importantly) embody the kinds of practices that we want to see in classrooms.

To help you with packing up, we curated a Spotify playlist just for you. Some of our favorite songs for laughing, crying, and schlepping.

Playlist · brielle.salles · 92 items · 7.1K saves

06/03/2026

Check out this eye-opening video from Edutopia. What do you think about students using AI?

What opportunities could a generation of students potentially lose when technology does the hard work for them? The celebrated author shares his thoughts on the hidden price of convenience.

06/02/2026

Are you looking for tools to transform your classroom in the upcoming school year? Our Critical Skills Classroom Immersion may be exactly what you need!

This hybrid course runs from June 12th to June 17th. If you want to grow your teacher toolbox, feel less overwhelmed and overworked in the next school year, and earn graduate-level course credit - this is the course for you!

This course is designed to be an introduction to and immersion in the Critical Skills Classroom approach. Participants will explore the foundations of the Critical Skills Classroom, the creation and maintenance of the Collaborative Learning Community, and the integration of problem-based learning, experiential learning, collaborative learning, and standards-based learning.

This course is designed to be an introduction to and immersion in the Critical Skills Classroom approach. Participants will explore the foundations of the Critical Skills Classroom, the creation and maintenance of the Collaborative Learning Community, and the integration of problem-based learning, e...

06/01/2026

Ecology of Imagination is still open for enrollment!

This course investigates ways in which children’s nature play can be used to invigorate the writing process. Making forts, hunting and gathering, constructing small worlds, going on adventures, and fantasy play are children’s instinctive ways of being in the natural world and these activities can be used as the basis for curriculum. We’ll use the surrounding neighborhood and hills to reconnect with childhood play. Out of these natural world experiences, each participant will craft a finished piece of writing by the end of the week.

🗓️ June 12th
🖥️ Hybrid
📖 1 Credit

Ask about the Try Us Out rate!

This course investigates ways in which children’s nature play can be used to invigorate the writing process. Making forts, hunting and gathering, constructing small worlds, going on adventures, and fantasy play are children’s instinctive ways of being in the natural world and these activities ca...

05/30/2026

Thank you so much to those who joined us in Vermont for this year's In Bloom conference! We had so much fun learning with you!

05/30/2026

We moved! We hope you like our attempt at the Wes Anderson trend. We couldn't resist giving it a try!

05/30/2026

Happy Friday! We have a new free tool for you. This discussion checklist is perfect to help guide your students in meaningful conversation. Thanks to Alyson Bull for sharing your checklist with us!

Click the link below to download!

https://buff.ly/MjSmbKp