We can’t do our best work in a vacuum.

 

Looking for some new perspectives? Here are contributions from the world of education, business, and young adult fiction.

 

The Hidden Lives of Learners

by Graham Nuthall

Over the years, some of the most insightful authors and presenters I know have recommended this book. As its premise, researchers pinned microphones onto students and listened in to their conversations at school. The results contributed to some valuable insights about what is really going on while we’re busy teaching. This book’s beginning and ending chapters are rich with profound, straightforward conclusions about teaching and learning; Chapter 1, “What do we know about effective teaching?” could be its own masterclass. Its middle chapters reveal many of the student-to-student conversations that informed the research. (Classroom teachers will notice peer dynamics, profanity, and wandering conversations that are all too familiar.) This book is concise and worth revisiting with multiple colleagues.

Visible Learning Feedback

By John Hattie and Shirley Clarke

I have revisited this book over and over again since its release in 2019. Feedback presents an educational conundrum: it can double the rate of learning, but its effects can also be extremely variable. For secondary teachers who see over 150 students a day, even suggesting that they give timely, accurate feedback on a regular basis might be enough to get you kicked out of the staff lounge for life. However, when feedback is effective- and students know how to use it- it’s almost too good not to do. Moreover, feedback- in Hattie’s words- “dominates” other factors that we know increase learning. Clarity, formative assessment, and learning from peers all go hand in hand with feedback. Hattie and Clarke include copious examples of feedback strategies that work for teachers and students.

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking

By Susan Cain

Studies indicate that one third to one half of us are introverts, yet we live in a society that rewards the extroverted ideal. In her bestseller, Susan Cain explores the research and behaviors of introverted people. Significant findings include the need for downtime, independent work, and the profound strengths that introverts bring to their personal and professional relationships. As someone who thrives on collaboration and movement, this was a pivotal read. It has changed the way I think about structuring professional development and meetings for teachers, as well as class activities for students.

How to Raise a Reader

By Pamela Paul and Maria Russo

I wish I’d had this book to give to parents when I taught middle school Language Arts. It is approachable, concise, and comes with book lists for young readers of all ages and interests. They pass the kid test too: the titles these two editors recommend have indeed passed muster with the children and teenagers I know. Their gentle explanation of the “advanced” content of many wonderful young adult books on the market today was especially spot-on: lots of great books for teenagers are likely to tread lightly upon racy content. My 8th graders loved a sprinkling of grit in their reading (Win!), but parents should decide what they’re comfortable with. This is a terrific resource for parents and teachers.

What Doesn’t Work in Education: The Politics of Distraction

By John Hattie

This one might need to come with a warning label. If you’ve ever asked, “Why is my school paying for x, when what my students really need is...” this scholarly white paper will be fuel to your fire. The bottom line: Shiny, look-good-in-the-newspaper investments don’t cause learning. Teachers do. I’m betting you’ll like this free publication so much, you’ll gobble it right up and ask for seconds. Good thing its antidote, The Politics of Collaborative Expertise, is also an accessible freebie from Pearson.

Other titles I love…

There are so many great minds out there. Here are some titles at the top of my list: