Why Read Teacher Professional Development Books
Why should you read teacher professional development books? Especially since you will read them on your own time without them being required readings. Well, if you are dedicated to your career, enjoy teaching, and want to be your best, professional development books can help guide you! Early in my career, when I first started teaching my classroom management skills were my weakest area. I also struggled with multitasking while teaching. I learned quickly that teaching was not just about teaching content.
My First Year of Teaching
My first year of teaching was horrible and my classroom management made the job feel impossible. But over the summers of my first few years, I slowly read books, made changes, and grew more confident in classroom management. Now 18-plus years later, classroom management is one of my strongest areas. People are surprised when I tell them my first year was horrible due to my classroom management.
One thing about teaching is you can “start over” each year. You need to make sure you focus on what you want to change. Be conscious of not doing the things you did in previous years that sabotaged your progress. But you must be willing to change, get out of your comfort zone, and stop doing habits that are not working.
I personally love to read and am frequently at the library getting books to read. So reading teacher professional development books is enjoyable for me and has helped me in many areas I struggled with in the classroom! It has also introduced me to new ideas and concepts!
Over the years I have developed a habit of reading a professional development book or two over the summer. I make notes on changes I would like to make to help me become successful in the areas I want to improve. At the end of the school year, I reflect on what worked that year, and what didn’t work. I also take into consideration my teaching evaluation comments. Then I think about the upcoming school year and what I would like it to look like in my classroom. This summer my focus will be to read about using data to guide instruction. I also want to read up on how to use checklists and rubrics with students to provide feedback.
My Favorite Teacher Professional Development Books
44 Routines That Make A Difference: Strategies for the Effective Classroom by The Institute For Academic Excellence
This is a short mini-book that has lots of useful tips to use in the classroom. My cooperating teacher gave me a copy at the end of my student teaching. I still reference this book frequently!
The Cafe Book by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser
I like this book because it focuses on habits that develop proficient readers. It focuses on comprehension, accuracy, fluency, and expanded vocabulary.
Differentiating Instruction in the Regular Classroom by Diane Heacox, Ed.D
As teachers, we know the importance of differentiating instruction in the classroom. This book walks you through how to differentiate in your classroom and give students choices.
Making the Most of Small Groups: Differentiation for All by Debbie Diller
Are you looking to have small groups in your classroom? This book gives you valuable information on how to run small groups. It also focuses on differentiating instruction. It includes information on five essential reading elements: comprehension, fluency, phonemic awareness, phonics, and vocabulary. This book is for the primary grades. But as a 6th-grade teacher who incorporates small groups during my study hall/ intervention class period, it has helpful information I use to help guide instruction.
-Practice With Purpose: Literacy Work Stations for Grades 3-6
-Literacy Work Stations: Making Centers Work (K-2)
-Math Work Stations: Independent Learning You Can Count On, K-2
All by Debbie Diller
These books work well for elementary teachers when doing small groups. These books can help you set up workstations and centers for students who are not meeting in your small group.
Understanding By Design by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe
This book was one of my textbooks during a class I took while earning my technology endorsement. It helps you look at the curriculum as a whole and uses backward design in curriculum planning. In backward design, you begin considering what the learner will need in order to accomplish the learning goal. The stages of backward design are (1) identify desired results, (2) determine acceptable evidence, and (3) plan learning experience and instruction. With this method, the desired results and assessments are planned first. Once this is planned, lesson activities can be chosen.
Never Work Harder Than Your Students and Other Great Principles of Teaching by Robyn R. Jackson
In this book, the author focuses on teachers becoming master teachers. She gives tips and strategies for teachers to use to make sure their students are doing the work. She focuses on quality work vs. quantity. I like this book because it makes me think about the current habits I have in the classroom. It helps me to question what I am currently doing and if I should modify or change my habits. I also learned new tips and ideas to use in my classroom!
Classrooms That Work: They Can All Read and Write (second edition) by Patricia M. Cunningham and Richard L. Allington
This is a favorite of mine that I got at the beginning of my teaching career when I taught first grade. This is a great book for Kindergarten through second-grade classrooms. This book talks about incorporating reading and writing into everything you do in the classroom. In the back of the book, it gives you example schedules from the beginning of a day, till the end of a day. This way you can see what it looks like to incorporate reading and writing throughout the day.
Teaching Children to Care: Management in the Responsive Classroom by Ruth Sidney Charney
Another favorite teacher professional development book of mine that I read at the beginning of my teaching career. This book talks about teaching children to care, which is great for classroom management. It helps the teacher teach students how to interact in the classroom. How to care about their learning as well as caring about others. This is a great book for helping to build classroom community!
How To Be An Effective Teacher: The First Days of School by Harry K. Wong and Rosemary T. Wong
My all-time favorite teacher professional development book is The First Days of School by Harry K. Wong and Rosemary T. Wong! I have the second edition but other editions are available now. This book gives practical and straight-to-the-point timeless ideas to use in the classroom. This book tells the reader how teaching is and gives teachers pointers on how to respond to various situations that come up in the day. In my opinion, this is hands down one of the best books on classroom management and classroom organization!
Conclusion
Reading teacher professional development books can help you become a better teacher! Take some time and reflect on your current school year as you think about the next school year. What is working for you and what is not working for you? Can you make changes? Is there anything you want to keep the same? Identify areas of growth to help you attain your ideal classroom. Then search out teacher professional development books that can help you reach your goals. Start today with a book or two from my list of favorite teacher professional development books!
