Books for Educators
These are books that have changed the way I look at learning and teaching.
This book was the most important book for me when I began teaching high school in Houston, Texas. I had been successful when working with younger children but felt completely lost and out of control when teaching high school. I finished most days feeling like a failure. I've always believed that there is a solution to every problem, so I kept looking for solutions. I talked to other teachers, hoping they had the answers. They had given up on motivating their students and expressed anger and despair. I kept praying for help, testing out different ideas I would get, and looking for solutions. Things got better over the years, but it wasn't until I found this book, that I got step by step instructions for classroom management that worked.
Fred Jones Tools for Teaching |
I think it's important to do things to make learning fun. Both these books had great ideas! The Laughing Classroom and Games that Teach.
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This was an excellent resource for learning how to do literature circles. Some of my most exciting moments as a teacher have come from training my students to do literature circles and then watching them work together on what they were reading.
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I've found that when I learn about how small children think and learn, I improve my praxis with older learners as well. I also love working with small children! Constructivism across the Curriculum in Early Childhood Classrooms: Big Ideas as Inspiration and Tools of the Mind: The Vygotskian Approach to Early Childhood Education
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This is a classic that helps you see yourself and your students in a new light. Multiple Intelligences
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The world has changed tremendously and technology has a huge role in what we do on a daily basis. This book takes a look at how technology is disrupting education but not in the way you might think. Disrupting Class
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Burro Genius is a wonderful book for understanding the feelings of a child having your language and your culture devalued in school. Victor Villasenor is one of my favorite authors and this is his personal story of the difficulties he had learning to read and being punished for using Spanish instead of English at school.
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I first read Understanding by Design when I worked on my Master's in Administration. Imagine my delight at getting to meet and work with Jay while working for the North Slope Borough School District!
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This is a great book to remind you of the most important things to do as a teacher.
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This is the story of the Quest to Learn schools. They are funded by the Institute of Play and are designing and developing teaching that focuses on games and play. My dream is to go and see them in action someday.
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