18 Top Notch Books for Teachers' Summer Reading Lists Education World

18 Top Notch Books for Teachers' Summer Reading Lists

Hey, teachers. We've got you covered on some of the most relevant and peer-favored books for your 2016 summer reading list.

Learning the Best Classroom Practices for 21st Century Education

The Highly Effective Teacher by Jeff Marshall

An introduction to Teacher Intentionality Practice Scale (TIPS) with specific tips to help teachers develop better lessons, create a more productive learning environment, and deliver feedback to best supplement learning among other things.

Says ASCD of the book:

"Written for teachers and leaders at all levels and in all content areas, The Highly Effective Teacher is a guidebook for thoughtful, intentional teaching with one goal: success for all students, in every classroom.”

The World Becomes What We Teach: Educating a Generation of Solutionaries (Lantern Books) by Zoe Weil.

Learn about solutionary-focused education practices and how teaching students to develop practical solutions to real-world problems can help form well-rounded leaders of the world.

Better Than Carrots or Sticks: Restorative Practices for Positive Classroom Management by Dominique Smith, Douglas B. Fisher and Nancy E. Frey

A great book especially for teachers working in districts that are moving away from harsh disciplinary measures to restorative justice systems. As many studies have revealed, restorative justice is becoming a more and more believed-in approach to disciplining students but many districts lack the resources to provide ample training to facilitate the transition.

This book provides teachers with ways to build positive relationship while establishing rules, procedures and expectations through a restorative approach to discipline.

Common Core Mathematics in a PLC at Work TM, High School by Timothy Kanold

Common Core mathematics is one of the most controversial part of the new standards as it differs greatly from math standards of the past.

This teachers’ guide helps an educator looking to refine teaching practices by providing ways to "assess student demonstrations of deep conceptual understanding and procedural fluency.”

The Way of Mindful Education by Daniel Rechtschaffen

Mindfulness in the classroom is an increasingly interesting topic to educators looking to help reduce the high levels of stress both educators and students feel on a daily basis.

"The Way of Mindful Education is a practical guide for cultivating attention, compassion, and well-being not only in these students, but also in teachers themselves.”

It includes lesson plans and age-specific guides to help apply mindfulness in the classroom, a perfect summer development tool.

LGBTQ Youth and Education by Cris Mayo

A perfect read for the summer after one of the biggest federal rulings on transgender student rights in schools.

This book helps an educator understand how schools can be a safe- not dangerous place- for students who identify with any part of the LGBT community.

Race, Empire, and English Language Teaching by Suhanthie Motha

Published in 2014, this award-winning book teaches anti-racist pedagogical practices for the increasingly diverse student populations teachers educate.

”This book will help pre- and inservice teachers to think about such challenges as differential achievement between language learners and “native-speakers;” hierarchies of languages and language varieties; the difference between an accent identity and an incorrect pronunciation; and the use of students’ first languages in English classes,” says The Teachers College Press.

Global Climate Change: Resources for Environmental Literacy by Environmental Literacy Council and National Science Teachers Association (NSTA)

Though teachers understand the importance of teaching climate change in the classroom, many have reported not having the resources to teach it appropriately.

Books such as this comprehensive guide to teaching environmental literacy will help you inspire your students to make sound decisions on climate change in the future.

Books to Supplement Classroom EdTech

Invent To Learn: Making, Tinkering, and Engineering in the Classroom by Sylvia Libow Martinez

Join the maker movement with this well-reviewed book on the subject.

50 Things You Can Do with Google Classroom by Alice Keeler and Libbi Miller

Google for Education is a solidified classroom resource, but many educators are missing opportunities by not understanding the tool’s full potential.

Learn some things about Google Classroom through this extensive and peer-favored book.

Ditch That Textbook: Free Your Teaching and Revolutionize Your Classroom by Matt Miller

Throughout the year, Education World wrote about lots of districts that have put emphasis on making the switch from paperback learning tools to digital resources.

One district banned traditional textbooks completely. In another district, a group of teachers got together to convince their district to solve budget problems by no longer investing in textbooks.

This book helps educators weaning off traditional resources to become tech-savvy individuals capable of making the switch.

Emerging Tools and Applications of Virtual Reality in Education (Advances in Educational Technologies and Instructional Design) 1st Edition by Dong Hwa Choi

You’ve likely heard a lot about how Google Expeditions and its virtual reality kits are being tested in classrooms across the country. Last week, Education World reported on how wearable tech thanks to virtual reality devices will increase by almost fifty percent in just four years.

In other words, learning about virtual reality as a tool in the classroom is a great topic to read up on in in this recently-published resource.