Happy New Year! As with most people, the new year is a time for me to pause and reflect as well as set goals for the future. Since I am a bibliophile and lifelong reader, one major area of reflection and goal setting for me is my literacy habits. (The other major area is my weight/health, but we are going to steer clear of that topic for obvious reasons – LOL!)
My reading goal for the past few years has been to read at least one book a week and to try to read widely. I don’t want to read more (quantity), I want to read more deeply (quality). To accomplish this goal, I “read” (on Audible) adult books for enjoyment while driving to and from work every day. Mysteries are by far my favorite genre. At home, I alternate between reading books that go into my fifth-grade classroom library and professional books. Since I work too many hours a day during the week (that is a whole other conversation), the bulk of my reading at home occurs on the weekends when I have a little more flexibility and can relax in a quiet house with a book and a cup of coffee. I have also tried to set goals, unsuccessfully I might add, to finish some of my “to be read” piles around the house—there are a lot. I start to dig in and then get distracted by a new book that as just been released or a book recommendation from a friend. I firmly believe that part of my job as a classroom teacher is to know books that are available for kids and read as many as I can with my kids—it helps me to responsibility match a book with a reader. For the most part, I have been successful at achieving my reading goal over the years.
Another goal of mine is to write more consistently. This is a goal that I have had a lot of trouble reaching. It is a goal that I have set with two reasons in mind. First, I firmly believe that teachers of reading and writing need to be readers and writers themselves. If I cannot accomplish what I am asking my kids to do in the classroom, then I need to rethink how I am teaching readers and writers. I want my kids to read; when appropriate, annotate or take notes (research suggestions sketch notes are the best); and then synthesize what they learned by sharing their thinking to others (can be in any modality – writing, discussion, podcast, presentation, etc.). Not with every book of course, sometimes we all need to read just for enjoyment with no strings attached. But much of what we read, fiction and nonfiction, should move us, change us, inspire us, and call us to action.
Second, even though I have read so many powerful professional books (this list is just a fraction of my professional reading), I am reflecting on how well I have put the knowledge I have gleaned from those books into practice—and isn’t that the point? How have I processed that knowledge? How can I use what I know to help and inspire others? To that end, I have selected the “Top 12 Professional Books That Have Profoundly Changed My Thinking and Teaching.” I want to reread them, and make sure that I am implementing at least one nugget from each into my practice. I invite you to join me in reading and reflecting upon these books. I challenge you to also try to implement one nugget from each into your practice.
Here is my list (and it was not easy to choose):
Top 12 Professional Books that have Profoundly Changed My Thinking and Teaching
- 1. Cultivating Genius, An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy by Gholdy Muhammad (Scholastic, 2020)
- 2. Read the World: Rethinking Literacy for Empathy and Action in a Digital Age by Kristin Ziemke & Katie Muhtaris (Heinemann, 2020)
- 3. Igniting a Passion for Reading: Successful Strategies for Building Lifetime Readers by Steven Layne (Stenhouse, 2009)
- 4. Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer’s Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits by Donalyn Miller with Susan Kelley (Jossey-Bass, 2014)
- 5. Beyond Leveled Books: Supporting Early and Transitional Readers in Grades K-5 by Karen Szymusiak, Frani Sibberson, & Lisa Koch (Stenhouse, 2008)
- 6. DIY Literacy: Teaching Tools for Differentiation, Rigor, and Independence by Kate Roberts and Maggie Beattie Roberts (Heinemann, 2016)
- 7. This Book is Anti-Racist: 20 Lessons on How to Wake Up, Take Action, and Do the Work by Tiffany Jewell (Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, 2020)
- 8. Engaging Children: Igniting a Drive for Deeper Learning K-8 by Ellin Oliver Keene (Heinemann, 2018)
- 9. Unlocking the Power of Classroom Talk: Teaching Kids to Talk with Clarity and Purpose by Shana Frazin & Katy Wischow (Heinemann, 2020)
- 10Punish by Rewards: The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A’s Praise, and Other Bribes by Alfie Kohn (Houghton Mifflin Company, 1993
- 11Permission to Feel: Unlocking the Power of Emotions to Help Our Kids, Ourselves, and Our Society Thrive by Marc Brackett, Ph.D. Celadon Books, 2019)
- 12Start Here, Start Now: A Guide to Antibias and Antiracist Work in Your School Community by Liz Kleinrock (Heinemann, 2021)
I look forward to reading (or rereading) and learning alongside of you this year. Happy Reading!
