TeacherSays: What to Read This Summer

Every teacher has heard this joke:  


What are three reasons why teachers teach?

Answer: June, July, and August

There is no doubt that summer is an important time for teachers—it’s a time to recharge, to reconnect with family, and to have some fun.  But that doesn’t mean that teachers stop working.  In fact, many teachers continue some form of work during the summer, whether it’s summer school, designing lessons for the upcoming school year, or spending time catching up on professional reading through book studies.  In fact, according to The Brookings Institute, “teachers work 21.5 hours per week during the summer.”  That’s heavy--especially considering that these hours are entirely off the clock.  And yet, clearly, as educators, we love learning just as much or more as our students do--it can be hard to turn it off.  

During the summer, I like to engage in some “light” reading on pedagogy—I enjoy having time to reflect and chew on the ideas for a while, having a buffer of time available before anything would need to be put into practice.  Some years, I'll join or help form a book group; other years, I’ll find a few books on my own that complement and drive my work in the coming year.

And who better to find a great set of books to pull from than other educators?  So, seeking some fresh titles on current topics, I decided to ask the experts: teachers.

I put this question out to my teacher-friends, near and far: Teacher-friends, what is the most helpful book you’ve read for your personal professional development?  

And I received tons of input—thank you to everyone who suggested a title!  (We are such an awesome community, aren’t we?)  I’ve taken the expansive list, and curated a top ten, just for you.  I’ve tried to include either a review, a video of the author, or something else related to each title for you to look at as you make your choice.  If you decide to go for it with any of these titles (or a pile of them, if you’re like me—I just bought two of these books and I’m considering a third!), please consider buying from a local, independent bookseller.  Yes, it may take a week or so for them to get it, but meanwhile you can go hang out in the shade with your beverage of choice and decompress—you deserve it!  

Here’s the curated list, straight from educators, just like you, who are always striving to get better at their practice:

1. Mindset  by Carol Dweck. From A Life of Productivity: “In her research, Carol Dweck found that the only thing that separates people who succeed from those who don’t is whether or not they have a growth mindset. This book is about that mindset, and how you can learn it and use it.”  There’s been a lot of talk about growth vs fixed mindsets since this book has come out, and even though it’s been around for a few years, it is all still highly relevant and definitely worth your time.  You’ll find yourself not only thinking about how to apply this concept in the classroom, but also to your own thinking.  
   
2. The Knowledge Gap by Natalie Wexler From Chalkbeat: “[Wexler] builds her case with cognitive science that suggests that once students have learned to sound out words — ‘decode’ — the key to understanding a text is having solid background knowledge on the subject.”  Several teachers put this title forward as being highly influential on their teaching practice.  It is definitely something to peruse if you’re looking for ways to help all students achieve success.
   
3. Better than Carrots or Sticks by Smith, Fisher, and Frey  This book focuses on integrating restorative practices into the classroom.  While I have not read this book (yet), it is going on my “to read” list.  To get an idea of Dr. Dominique Smith’s approach to discipline, watch the short TEDx video linked to the title.  His thinking is powerful and provides a much needed check-yourself, when it comes to discipline.  Are you a teacher who builds students up or tears them down?  He advocates for teachers being champions of students, rather than labeling them.
   
4. Heart! Fully Forming Your Professional Life as a Teacher and Leader  by Timothy Kanold is a book that could use a fresh title, as honestly, this one’s a little cheezy (and every English teacher is now thinking back to an Emily Dickinson poem on the head vs the heart).  Even so, it’s a valuable read.  From Educational Leadership: “Looking deeply at aspects such as happiness, engagement, and risk taking, Kanold presents a textured picture of what it means to be fulfilled as a teacher and constantly growing and learning as a professional. His personal, candid storytelling encourages readers to examine their path and discover the "heartprint" they are leaving on their students, colleagues, and community.”  We’re all looking to be fulfilled by our work, aren’t we?  If that’s what you’re seeking, check this book out.
   
5. White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo is a book that was first published in 2018 and became a top read for many Americans in the wake of George Floyd’s murder.  This book is not designed to make the reader comfortable, but to make the reader think and reflect on racism in America and how to become an antiracist.  It’s a book that is on my “to read” list--and actually is currently on my shelf waiting its turn after I finish a couple of others that are currently underway.  If we want all of our students to feel comfortable in our classrooms, it’s important to be willing to read something that may make you a bit uncomfortable to think about.  
   
6. These Six Things: How to Focus Your Teaching on What Matters Most by Dave Stuart, Jr. is a book that is all about prioritizing and focusing on what’s most important.  In this age of “one more thing” it sounds like a relief.  One of the highlights of the book is: “No-nonsense talk about and strategies for drastically reducing the amount of time we spend grading written student work.”  Tell me more!  If you’re interested in a free chapter to download, check out the linked title above.
   
7. How to Talk So Kids Can Learn by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish has been around awhile--since 1996--and it’s still widely read.  Why?  It’s extremely useful information for life.  It’s a book that serves both teachers and parents alike, in that it teaches us how to make subtle shifts in the language we use to improve relationships with students and outcomes in the classroom.  One review of this book is found on one of my favorite blogs, Cult of Pedagogy.  In the very first line of her review, Jennifer Gonzalez writes, “If I could only choose one book to put into the hands of teachers, it would be this one.”  To me, just about anything and everything on Cult is pure teacher-gold, so I’m hooked. She goes on to say, “the book [is] an easy, absorbing read, and the principles can be applied immediately.”  Check out the linked book title to read the rest of the review and a fuller flavor of what the book has to offer.
   
8. Onward by Elena Aguilar is a book about not just surviving, but learning how to thrive through tough times.  Greater Good Magazine has this to say:  “If thriving is your goal, Onward is worth reading. Although Aguilar acknowledges how our neurobiology can influence resilience, she reminds us that we can ultimately become much more emotionally resilient by simply changing our daily habits.”  They also add that Onward is “a practical, user-friendly resource for change—a daily guide for teachers’ personal growth and professional development.”  They had me at “practical.”  Isn’t that we all want: ideas we can actually use?  I’m in.
   
9. Poor Students, Rich Teaching by Eric Jensen is a book that “should be on all educators’ summer reading lists since the focus is on achieving success for students and their teachers,” according to Anne Anderson, from Middleweb.  Everything I’ve ever seen from Eric Jensen is engaging and useful--as well as thought-provoking.  I’ve spent many a drive home thinking about a passage from one of his books and how it could be applied to a situation that popped up during that day of teaching and learning.  Anderson writes, “You do not need to teach in a high poverty school to read this book; more well-to-do students need rich teaching too.”  
   
10. Make Just One Change by Dan Rothstein and Luz Santana is a book that I gleefully added to this list.  It’s a book that totally changed my approach in the classroom when I first read it back in 2014.  It is based on work that emerged from The Right Question Institute, which is a thriving group--it’s definitely worth it to check out their work and resources that are available online.  The book is quality--and provides a how-to of a key technique in a methodical way that is not complicated.  The power, and the change, lies in students learning how to generate questions.  I promise you, if you give this book a whirl and implement the protocol in your own classroom, you will gain discussions that are much richer and thinking that dives much deeper.  To hear directly from the authors, click on the link to listen to a short podcast.  And if you decide to go with this book for your summer reading pile, you won’t regret it.  

As educators, it’s important to recognize that we all have different needs at different times--and each one of us is on our own path towards pedagogical growth.  I’ve got a small pile of books on my nightstand that I intend to spend some time with this summer, and many of them are related to teaching--because I love the art of  teaching.  However, if you need to turn it off for a while, you should!  One teacher unabashedly recommended The Professional Bartender’s Handbook.  

But consider this: what if you found a teacher-friend to read a book with and then also learned how to make a few impressive cocktails to share during your book chat meetings?  Sounds like a win-win to me.  

Teacher-friends, enjoy your summer--you deserve it!  And I hope that you’ll take what you need this summer to be ready to head back into the classroom with gusto this coming fall.