11 Jun A Few of My (Current) Favorite Books

Summer of 2020.

That one statement should say everything.   Boy, it’s been a rough go.  Although it has been a rough half of a year for our world, nation, industry, etc., I believe with everything I am that challenging us, changes us.  Change is good.  Change is hard.  Change forces action, and to be truthful, I think action has been needed in not only our industry of education but also in our world in terms of race and injustice.

Without a soapbox, I decided to just share some of the books that I’m reading or have read that are helping me in my change journey.  Every summer I put out my recommended summer booklist, and this summer is no different.

So, here is my list  I’d love to hear yours or your thoughts on mine.

May our hearts and our minds be open so that we can thrive through change and come out stronger and better on the other side.

I really appreciate this book, Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain.  I specifically love the emphasis on dependent and independent learners and how we can help our dependent learners become independent.  The title might be intimidating and make you feel like it will be like a college text, but I found it to be a simple and engaging read.  We must strive to keep the rigor high for all students in our classrooms, regardless of race, language, socioeconomics, etc., and I find that in order to protect our more vulnerable learners, we do the exact opposite.  Zaretta Hammond does a powerful job of convincing us that in lowering our standards and our rigor, we are not only not helping we are hurting students and continuing the systemic issues in our society today. She does this work in a way that honors and sees diversity.

Motivated, by Illana Horn, was right up my alley.  If you have ever seen me teach, you know I believe wholeheartedly in motivating students and creating environments and communities in which every child has access to learning and feels safe to participate and engage– and actually do!  Although this book would be an asset to any teacher library, I do think it is aimed more for upper elementary and beyond.  I think the strategies for building a community of motivated learners apply to all grades, but be aware that many of the examples are in the higher grades.  I found the book to be a simple read.  She addresses cultural differences in the math classroom and how those can impact how and why students participate.  Illana highlights these five factors that can lower the risks and raise the benefits of students participating :

• Belongingness
• Meaningfulness
• Competence
• Accountability
• Autonomy

This book fits really well with my first pick above in the sense that it emphasizes the need to create independent learners, something I am extremely passionate about and that we need starting in kindergarten.  Illana uses this quote towards the end of the book:

“What is the greatest sign of success for a teacher{…}?  It is to be able to say, “The children are now working as if I did not exist?” – Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind.

If that resonates with you, as much as it did me, I think you’ll enjoy this book.

First, I love Marian Small, so of course, I love this book— I love all of her books.  Asking a good question is an art.  It is probably what sets the good from the great teacher in terms of skills. A good question opens up a lesson, keeps the learning going, and provides differentiation at all levels.  In this book, Marian walks readers through the power of open questions and how they allow for this differentiation.  It is a very practical book– it outlines the standards for grade level bans (k-2, 3-5, 6-8) and then gives examples of the typical questions we ask students for those standards, and how we can change our wording to provide better, richer, thinking and learning, while reaching all learners.  If you want someone to ‘show’ you how to ask a good question, I think Marian’s book will help you to get started. Her first chapter sets the stage for how to differentiate with questions but then the remainder of the book is more a reference tool to lookup standards /questions.

So, there are my current top three.  I have about 7 on the bookshelf to get through this summer, so once I read those, I’ll offer up some more suggestions!  I’d love

My shameless plug:  If you are planning on investing more in your learning and will be taking my workshop: Transformed Lesson Planning, I think you will find all three of these books great companions that compliment that workshop nicely.  Of course, if you’ve already taken my workshop, then grab these to dive further in and continue to work on your practice.  Go here to be added to the waitlist when this course opens back up in August 2020. A link for the waitlist is at the top of the linked page.

Happy Reading!  What is on your list?

I truly did enjoy each of these books and have included affiliate links above if you’d like to add them to your library.