Summer Reading Ideas
Here are some books on my list for summer.
Culturally Responsive Teaching by Zaretta Hammond
A bold, brain based teaching approach to culturally responsive instruction
To close the achievement gap, diverse classrooms need a proven framework for optimizing student engagement. Culturally responsive instruction has shown promise, but many teachers have struggled with its implementation―until now.
In this book, Zaretta Hammond draws on cutting edge neuroscience research to offer an innovative approach for designing and implementing brain compatible culturally responsive instruction.
The book includes:
- Information on how one’s culture programs the brain to process data and affects learning relationships
- Ten "key moves" to build students’ learner operating systems and prepare them to become independent learners
- Prompts for action and valuable self reflection
Define Your Why by Barbara Bray
Learning that Lasts by Ron Berger
For schools to meet ambitious new standards and prepare all students for college, careers, and life, research has shown unequivocally that nothing is more important that the quality of daily instruction. Learning That Lasts presents a new vision for classroom instruction that sharpens and deepens the quality of lessons in all subject areas. It is the opposite of a 'teacher-proof' solution. Instead, it is predicated on a model of instruction that honors teachers as creative and expert planners of learning experiences for their students and who wish to continuously grow in their instructional and content knowledge. It is not a theoretical vision. It is a model of instruction refined in some of the nation's most successful public schools—schools that are beating the odds to create remarkable achievement—sited primarily in urban and rural low-income communities.
Using case studies and examples of powerful learning at all grade levels and in all disciplines, Learning That Lasts is a guide to creating classrooms that promote deeper understanding, higher order thinking, and student independence. Through text and companion videos, readers will enter inspiring classrooms where students go beyond basics to become innovators, collaborators, and creators. Learning That Lasts embraces a three-dimensional view of student achievement that includes mastery of knowledge and skills, character, and high-quality work. It is a guide for teachers who wish to make learning more meaningful, memorable, and connected to life, and inspire students to do more than they think possible.
Mindfulness for Teachers
Teaching for Deeper Learning
Far too often, our students attain only a superficial level of knowledge that fails to prepare them for deeper challenges in school and beyond. In Teaching for Deeper Learning, renowned educators and best-selling authors Jay McTighe and Harvey F. Silver propose a solution: teaching students to make meaning for themselves.
Contending that the ability to "earn" understanding will equip students to thrive in school, at work, and in life, the authors highlight seven higher-order thinking skills that facilitate students' acquisition of information for greater retention, retrieval, and transfer. These skills, which cut across content areas and grade levels and are deeply embedded in current academic standards, separate high achievers from their low-performing peers.
Drawing on their deep well of research and experience, the authors
- Explore what kind of content is worth having students make meaning about.
- Provide practical tools and strategies to help teachers target each of the seven thinking skills in the classroom.
- Explain how teachers can incorporate the thinking skills and tools into lesson and unit design.
- Show how teachers can build students' capacity to use the strategies independently.
If our goal is to prepare students to meet the rigorous demands of school, college, and career, then we must foster their ability to respond to such challenges. This comprehensive, practical guide will enable teachers to engage students in the kind of learning that yields enduring understanding and valuable skills that they can use throughout their lives.
What Great Teachers Do Differently
What are the beliefs and behaviors that set great teachers apart? In this internationally renowned bestseller, Todd Whitaker reveals 19 keys to becoming more effective in the classroom.
This essential third edition features new sections on why it’s about more than relationships, how to focus on a consistent, engaging learning environment, and the importance of choosing the right mode―business, parent, child―to improve your classroom management.
Perfect for educators at any level of experience, for independent reading or for schoolwide book studies, this practical book will leave you feeling inspired and ready to do the things that matter most for the people who matter most―your students.