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8 Books Written by Thought Leaders Every Educator Should Read

May 30, 2020 by Eva Keiffenheim


“The skill I was learning was a crucial one, the patience to read things I could not yet understand.” — Tara Westover

Photo by Joyce McCown on Unsplash

In early 2018, I started asking every educator I met for book recommendations. It’s one of the habits that has changed my mind. Since March 2018, I’ve read 116 books.

This list portraits my eight favorite education books. For each book, I included my favorite quote, a one-sentence summary, three key lessons, and reasons why you might be interested in reading each book.

Table of Contents
Inspiring Stories
1. Educated by Tara Westover
2. I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
Rethinking Education
3. Prepared: What Kids need for a fulfilled Life by Diane Tavenner
4. Creative Schools by Ken Robinson and Lou Aronica
5. Mindset by Carol Dweck
6. How Children Succeed by Paul Tough
For Educators 
7. Teach Like a Champion by Doug Lemov
8. Mathematical Mindsets by Joe Boaler

1. Educated by Tara Westover

“The skill I was learning was a crucial one, the patience to read things I could not yet understand.”

— Tara Westover

The Book in One Sentence

An unforgettable memoir about a woman who was seventeen the first time she set foot in a classroom and, despite her extremely difficult family circumstances, managed to earn a Ph.D. from an elite university.

Key Takeaways

  1. Education can be a way out of the most difficult situations
  2. Whatever learning challenge you face, you can do it
  3. Life is a quest for learning; one is never done with it.

Why should you read it?

This book is not only beautifully written, but it’s also one of the most powerful success stories about higher education. You’ll peek inside a Mormon family and off-grit Idaho life. Tara’s story will motivate and stick with you long after reading.


2. I am Mala by Malala Yousafzai

“One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.”
― Malala Yousafzai

The Book in One Sentence

I Am Malala celebrates the importance of girl’s education and portraits of brave parents who fight for their daughter’s rights in a society that favors men.

Key Takeaways

  1. The more you learn, the more you recognize the value of learning
  2. Education empowers people to have confidence in themselves
  3. All of us should stand up for the importance of education

Why should you read it?

This is one of the books that might end up changing the way you think and feel. Malala will put your life into perspective and will make you feel grateful for the rights you already have. Moreover, you’ll feel the importance of global (women) education from the first to the last scene.


3. Prepared: What Kids Need for a Fulfilled Life by Diane Tavenner

“Mastery is when you become good at something, autonomy is when you have some measure of control, and purpose is when you’re doing something for a reason that is authentic to you.”

— Diane Tavenner

The Book in One Sentence

This book is Diane’s story about designing innovative charter schools, so-called Summit schools, that focus on the ambitious goal to teach kids what they need to live a good life.

Key Takeaways

  1. Summit schools build on the three key elements: Self-directed learning, project-based learning and mentoring
  2. Summit schools make use of technology to enable personalized-learning experiences
  3. Besides reading, writing, and maths, the school teaches skills like self-confidence, the ability to learn, ability to manage their time, and a sense of direction

Why should you read it?

Diane dares to rethink our current education model by asking questions like “What is best for our kids?” and “What should I be doing now for my kids?”. Exploring these questions, she draws on stories of her troubled childhood. With hands-on advice, this story has the power to inspire teachers, parents, and decision-makers.


4. Creative Schools by Ken Robinson and Lou Aronica

“Education thrives on partnership and collaboration — within schools, between schools, and with other groups and organizations.”

— Ken Robinson

The Book in One Sentence

A guide for transforming education so that kids receive state-of-the-art training and develop the skills they need to excel in our transforming world.

Key Takeaways

  1. Several elements of our education system are based in the industrial period, like batching children by age group, fixed teaching periods, sharp subject divisions, and linear assessment methods
  2. Creative schools cultivate curiosity, creativity, criticism, communication, collaboration, compassion, composure, and citizenship.
  3. In a new environment, expert teachers fulfill four roles: engage, enable, expect, and empower.

Why should you read it?

This book highlights not only current flaws in our education systems but also provides concrete solutions, like child-centered learning and real-world curricula. After reading, you’ll know what parents, teachers, administrators, and policy-makers can do to change our outdated system.

Pictured by Author

5. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck

“No matter what your ability is, effort is what ignites that ability and turns it into accomplishment.”
― Carol S. Dweck

The Book in One Sentence

By distinguishing between a fixed and a growth mindset, the author demonstrates how success in school, work, sports, the arts, and almost every area of human endeavor is influenced by how we think about our talents and abilities.

Key Takeaways

  1. Mindsets shape whether we believe we can or can’t learn, change and grow
  2. People with a fixed mindset seek approval while those with a growth mindset seek development
  3. Role models from our childhood strongly influence our attitudes and ideas, yet we can change our mindset even in adulthood

Why should you read it?

This book is a must-read for every person looking for growth. After reading this book, you’ll be able to integrate a growth mindset into your life. For example, you’ll see mistakes as valuable learning opportunities. Studying this book can empower any educator to make positive changes in the classroom environment.


6. How Children Succeed by Paul Tough

““What matters, instead (of cognitive intelligence), is whether we are able to help her develop a very different set of qualities, a list that includes persistence, self-control, curiosity, conscientiousness, grit, and self-confidence. Economists refer to these as noncognitive skills, psychologists call them personality traits, and the rest of us sometimes think of them as character.”
― Paul Tough

The Book in One Sentence

Based on scientific studies and data from existing schools, this book explores factors that affect the success of children and proposes a new way of thinking about how children learn.

Key Takeaways

  1. “Executive Function” is a set of cognitive processes that drive and develop persistence, self-control, curiosity, motivation, determination, and confidence
  2. Executive Function Matters More To Academic Achievement as it begets character and character begets success
  3. Stress, in the form of a traumatic childhood experience, has a bigger impact on education than poverty

Why should you read it?

How children succeed has been described as “essential reading for anyone who cares about childhood in America.” It’s not only great for educators, but also parents as it explores traits like perseverance, conscientiousness, and self-discipline as ways to succeed in life. After reading this book, you’ll critically question the “intelligence theory” and understand why some people struggle in school and later in life while others thrive and prosper.


7. Teach Like a Champion by Doug Lemov

“Teach students how to do things right, don’t just establish consequences for doing them wrong.”
― Doug Lemov

The Book in One Sentence

A hands-on description of actual techniques and tools teachers can use for classroom management and attention encouragement.

Key Takeaways

  1. Effective educators have a large variety of techniques at their disposal
  2. Structure and deliver lessons with hooks, check for understandings, exit tickets, and reflection
  3. Create strong classroom cultures with entry routines, do now’s and non-verbal signaling

Why should you read it?

While this book is rather classic in terms of endorsing teaching to the test, the techniques work. In my first year of teaching, many tools helped me creating a constructive learning environment and designing engaging lessons. Doug Lemov gives countless useful, concrete tips for beginning teachers in elementary and middle-school classes. If you want to get a glimpse of the content, take a look at this well-structured summary.


8. Mathematical Mindsets: Unleashing Student’s Potential Through Creative Math, Inspiring Messages and Innovative Teaching by Jo Boaler

““Mathematics is at the center of thinking about how to spend the day, how many events and jobs can fit into the day, what size of space can be used to fit equipment or turn a car around, how likely events are to happen, knowing how tweets are amplified and how many people they reach.”
― Jo Boaler

The Book in One Sentence

Mathematical Mindsets puts Dweck’s mindset research into practice by offering strategies and activities that show every child can enjoy and succeed in math.

Key Takeaways

  1. Quality questions, described as low floor — heigh ceiling activities, are a simple and effective tool for self-differentiation
  2. Encourage students to make and learn from mistakes, as errors are a necessary precondition for learning.
  3. Focus on progress instead of performance, place effort before talent.

Why should you read it?

This book is great for pre-service teachers, as well as experienced educators who want to encourage their student’s growth mindsets. I read many book books on teaching maths, but this actionable advice has affected my teaching in the most profound way. Jo Boaler offers more practical information than Dweck’s “mindest” and is explicitly focused on teaching and learning.


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Filed Under: đź§±Transforming Education Tagged With: Books, education, teaching

6 Simple Ways To Find Joy in Remote Teaching

April 26, 2020 by Eva Keiffenheim


#5 Empower your students by appointing technical assistants

Photo by Anthony Tran on Unsplash

Intro

All over the globe, educators work remotely. Through remote teaching, many schoolteachers don’t enjoy their job anymore.

Joyless lessons are a dramatic problem for student’s learning success. If teachers aren’t fond of teaching, students aren’t fond of learning either.

“Teachers who love teaching teach children to love learning.”

— Robert John Meehan

Hence, as an educator, it’s your responsibility to relish online teaching as much as possible.

Here are four actionable steps for making your remote teaching fun.

1. Close your device and allow digital time-off

Be okay with not being accessible 24/7. Set your boundaries. Be clear about when you are not reachable.

Before remote schooling, you set your natural boundaries by leaving the school building.

Working from home, you are responsible for creating those boundaries. If you do not create barriers, your students can neither see nor accept them.

Even if you’re not physically in the same building with your students, teaching is still emotional work.

For example, if you correct assignments on google classroom, you put yourself in the eyes of each of your students. That’s tiring.

Allow yourself to take digital breaks during the day. Award your eyes with unfocused glances into the distance. Slow down your speed of thought.

Put on your favorite music and dance for some minutes. Take the time to prepare your meal.

Here’s a list of things you can do in your home while taking a break:

  • Meditate for a few minutes. If you don’t know how to start, consider trying Calm or Headspace.
  • Breathe deeply or become versed in the breath of fire.
  • Take a nap — take a look at this TED Talk by Matthew Walker in case you think resting is a waste of time.

Only if you feel rested and in balance, you can revel in teaching.

Remember to take digital time-off and close your devices, even for some minutes during the morning.

2. Schedule digital breaks with your students

Do you remember your student, that regularly asked whether you like the new __________ (haircut /outfit /ruler)?

Don’t you miss the casual, comical conversations in the hallway? Many of your students do miss the break time with you.

You were and still are, a critical person of reference for your kids.

Stay this person of reference for students. Give them time to talk to you outside of task assignments.

A “google meets” every other day can do the job. Label this 10–15 minutes meeting as collective recess.

Your students determine what to talk about. In my class, I implemented the “we do not talk about assignments during the break” rule.

You’ll be surprised how much you learn by seeing your students in their homes.

Soon you’ll realize that these playful moments lighten up your days. Joint breaks make your teaching more joyous.

3. Make one cheerful call for every negative call you make

Sounds like extra work? From a time-wise perspective, I’d agree. But you will soon appreciate the energy generated by those appreciation calls.

Your student’s parents do struggle theses days: short-time working, cut paychecks, cramped living conditions, or sick relatives. The list of burdens is endless.

An unexpected encouraging call from your kid’s teacher will bring a smile on their faces. And on yours, too.

You will realize that positive feedback calls bring joy into your days. You will soon realize your motivation hits peaks after such a dialog.

Use this motivation to enjoy your teaching. You deserve to have fun during remote schooling!

4. Stay in touch with colleagues you love talking to

During a precorona week of school, conversations with colleagues happened naturally (sometimes even too much).

Now, the natural exchange with your colleagues is gone. Unless your school hosts online conferences with networking time, you don’t chat with your co-workers.

The lack of natural chatter offers an opportunity for you:

Schooling remotely, you decide whom you want to call. Probably your choice does not fall on the negative, gossiping co-teacher.

You can selectively pick the persons you want to chat with. Call the ones you admire. Text the teammate you miss — Check-in with your humourous companion. Laugh together, gossip together, and share your worries.

“All problems exist in the absence of a good conversation.”

— Thomas Leonard

These conversations will wash away any humdrum and make your remote teaching more fun.

5. Empower your kids by appointing technical assistants

Technical support is your newest job requirement. Fixing your student’s technical issues can be time-consuming.

“My smartphone can’t upload my homework in this Google Classroom” is a prompt you might be hearing from time to time.

If you do the technical fixes on top of your daily schedule, you will soon feel exhausted.

Put your students in charge of technical issues and create a win-win solution to this dilemma.

A promotion interview between you and your student could flow like:

“Julia, I realized you always deliver your homework on time and never had any technical issues. I’m impressed. How do you do that?”

“I don’t know. I guess I’m good at using my smartphone.”

“Technical proficiency is a skill giving you multiple job opportunities in the future. Would you support me as a technical assistant? It’s a job of high responsibility as I’d rely on you to fix technical issues of other children.”

Some of my students even managed to record their screens. Julia shared a tutorial for the entire class. She learned autodidactically and strengthened the class community.

By transferring your responsibility for technical matters to your students, you create more space for other activities. Like self-care:

6. Take good care of your self-care

Eat and exercise. Get plenty of sleep. Treat yourself with self-care time. You are a role model for your students.

If you take good care of yourself, you can inspire students to take good care of them as well.

Your students can tell whether you are teaching from a position of exhaustion or satisfaction.

The better you take care of yourself, the better your interaction with your students. The more joyful your teaching — the more joyful your children’s learning.


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Filed Under: ✍🏽 Online Creators Tagged With: teaching

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