By Jenn Brown
As we consider the importance of sustainability in the school library learning commons, we must consider discussions about managing the pressures of maintaining a thriving LLC. Intersecting with this reflection, is how we support student wellness and stress in our LLC programming.
- How are we considering the impact of grind culture on both school library professionals and the students we serve?
- How are we offering programming that supports student wellness while remaining sustainable for school library professionals to manage?
In her book, Rest Is Resistance, Tricia Hersey looks at grind culture as the intersection of capitalism and white supremacy. She shares the power of rest as a form of resistance to the expectations in society that result in feelings of being overworked, overwhelmed and ineffective. The physical and mental impacts of grind culture on students and staff alike are evident in our K to 12 schools today.
In 2025, as part of my submission to TMC 8, I shared how considering grind culture’s impact on student well-being influenced two of our weekly extracurricular offerings in the LLC. The excerpts below are portions of that paper entitled Exploring Participatory Learning Through LLC Extracurricular Programming:
Beyond the Timetable
Before diving into this section of our LLC programming, I feel compelled to address the fact that extracurriculars are voluntary and not a requirement of the teacher librarian role. While I choose to centre them as part of my daily practice and as an extension of the participatory learning culture we are working to foster through the LLC programming, I do not want to make other school library professionals feel as if this is the only way to create these opportunities. As per our Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario governance policy statement 37.1, there is a “fundamental belief” that “extra-curricular activities by members are strictly voluntary”. A structure of support from administration, colleagues, students and the broader school community is essential to creating and maintaining a sustainable schedule outside of instructional time. The examples highlighted below are those currently running through our LLC each week.
The above graphic is posted on our LLC social media account, at our library doors, our “This Month in the LLC” hallway bulletin board and throughout the school to support students and staff in knowing the extracurricular schedule.
Rest Zone
Inspired by the work of Tricia Hersey and The Nap Ministry, our weekly Rest Zone came about after listening to feedback from students of all ages who told us that they were tired. Many students expressed a desire for a moment in their day when they could just rest, even nap, for a short period. They identified pressures at school, friendships, sports and arts extracurriculars, parent/caregiver expectations and more as causes of stress and fatigue. Of course, if a student needs a rest at any time we will make space for that to happen, but after reading Hersey’s first book, Rest Is Resistance, I could not help but wonder if offering a weekly rest time in the LLC during a nutrition break would appeal to a small percentage of students. As it turns out it appeals to many students! On average, we have between 40 and 60 students from grades 1 to 8 who come during the recess portion of 2nd nutrition break each Monday to rest. The majority are grades 1 to 6. We have blankets, pillows, mats and bean bags available, though sometimes we do not have enough for everyone who drops in. We turn off all the overhead lights in the LLC, project moving stars and galaxy lights on the ceiling and play calming sleep supportive music. Certainly, not all the children fall asleep, but they are engage in the “practice of rest”. I give a gentle verbal warning before turning a light back on to tidy up together in time for the students to return to class for the last period of the day. If a student does happen to fall fully asleep, I ask the other students to let them rest and I quietly wake them up myself.
Quiet Work Zone
After ongoing conversations and feedback from students in our older grades, we started a weekly nutrition break time when students can spend up to 40 minutes in a nearly silent LLC completing independent school work. While students have embraced the multipurpose, active participatory nature of the space, it is more challenging to provide a more traditional “study hall” type environment. A handful of intermediate students shared that they often feel overwhelmed on the weekends by the amount of homework they face. Some indicated that their evenings and weekends are jam packed with adult expectations, extracurriculars and family obligations. Certainly, a staff wide reflection on workload is an important next step but while that process is occurring, the LLC can offer a way to support students feeling this stress. Based on the student discussions, we chose Friday afternoons for this quiet work opportunity to help reduce the potential pressures of weekend time management.
As we continue to listen to the feedback from students and consider ways that we can support rest and well-being, the following questions remain:
- How are we making rest available and sustainable in the LLC?
- What systems and structures within our schools should be disrupted and dismantled to reduce the need for rest-based extracurriculars?
- How are we, as school library professionals, managing our own stress and creating sustainable library programming?
Hersey, T. (2024, November 9). We will rest: The art of escape [Blog post]. WordPress. https://thenapministry.wordpress.com/
Hersey, T. (2022). Rest Is Resistance. Little Brown Spark.
Jennifer Brown is an elementary teacher in the Peel District School Board in Caledon, Ontario. In her current position she is privileged to be in the combined role of teacher librarian and guidance educator at an established K to 8 school in rural Caledon. Since beginning her teaching career in the late 1990s, Jennifer has been committed to social justice & equity in education. Jenn strives to create a learning environment based on student voice, trust and believing in children to guide their learning. As a Librarianship, ESL, Special Education, and Guidance and Career Education specialist, she actively engages in the ongoing study & implementation of innovative pedagogical practices through the school library learning commons to support & mentor fellow educators & foster student success throughout the entire learning community. Jenn has served as the Ontario School Library Association president, and as a contributor to Canadian School Library publications, OSLA’s The Teaching Librarian Magazine and OLA’s online magazine, Open Shelf. Jenn has extensive experience presenting at various library conferences and workshops throughout Ontario and Quebec, including ETFO Summer Academy, guest speaking at York University Librarianship AQs and much more. Jenn was a recipient of the 2025 Canadian School Libraries Angela Thacker Memorial Award.
Feel free to connect with her and learn more via email jennmacbrown@gmail.com
Social Media accounts for her current school library learning commons can be found on Instagram at @CalCentralLLC