Knowledge
The 10 books every teacher should read
Whether you’re a newbie looking for advice or a seasoned teacher seeking inspiration, These books bring together ideas to help teachers ignite (or rekindle!) the love of teaching & learning and consequently a great impact on student learning. Here is a list of our favourites
Whether you're a newbie looking for advice or a seasoned teacher seeking inspiration, These books bring together ideas to help teachers ignite (or rekindle!) the love of teaching & learning and consequently a great impact on student learning. Here is a list of our favourites:
The Hidden Lives of Learners by Graham Nuthall
This book is the culmination of Professor Graham Nuthall’s forty years of research on learning and teaching. It is written with classroom teachers and teachers of teachers in mind. But realising time was short and that his life’s work was laid out in learned papers for fellow researchers, he wrote this brief but powerful book for a much wider audience as well: for all those who seek a better understanding of classroom learning.
Seven Myths About Education by Daisy Christodoulou
In each accessible and engaging chapter, Christodoulou sets out the theory of each myth, considers its practical implications and shows the worrying prevalence of such practice. Then, she explains exactly why it is a myth, with reference to the principles of modern cognitive science. This blisteringly incisive and urgent text is essential reading for all teachers, teacher training students, policy makers, head teachers, researchers and academics around the world.
Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire: The Methods and Madness Inside Room 56 by Rafe Esquith
In Teach Like Your Hair’s on Fire!, Rafe Esquith reveals the techniques that have made him one of the most acclaimed educators of our time. The two mottoes in Esquith’s classroom are “Be Nice, Work Hard,” and “There Are No Shortcuts.” His students voluntarily come to school at 6:30 in the morning and work until 5:00 in the afternoon. Teach Like Your Hair’s on Fire! is a brilliant and inspiring road map for parents, teachers, and anyone who cares about the future success of our children.
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
How to Win Friends and Influence People is just as useful today as it was when it was first published, because Dale Carnegie had an understanding of human nature that will never be outdated. Since its release in 1936, How to Win Friends and Influence People has sold more than 15 million copies.
Teaching Outside the Box: How to Grab Their Students by Their Brains by LouAnne Johnson
Teaching Outside the Box offers practical strategies that will help both new teachers and seasoned veterans create dynamic classroom environments where students enjoy learning and teachers enjoy teaching. This indispensable book is filled with no-nonsense advice, checklists, and handouts as well as a step-by-step plan to make the first week of school a success.
Teach Like a Pirate: Increase Student Engagement, Boost Your Creativity, and Transform Your Life as an Educator by Dave Burgess
Based on Dave Burgess's popular "Outrageous Teaching" and "Teach Like a PIRATE" seminars, this book offers inspiration, practical techniques, and innovative ideas that will help you to increase student engagement, boost your creativity, and transform your life as an educator.
Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel H. Pink
Daniel H. Pink demonstrates that while the old-fashioned carrot-and-stick approach worked successfully in the 20th century, it's precisely the wrong way to motivate people for today's challenges. In Drive, he reveals the three elements of true motivation and also shares the secret to high performance and satisfaction in today's world – the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world.
Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change the World by Tony Wagner
In Creating Innovators, education expert Tony Wagner provides a powerful rationale for developing an innovation-driven economy. He explores what parents, teachers, and employers must do to develop the capacities of young people to become innovators. This is a timely, provocative, and inspiring manifesto that will change how we look at our schools and workplaces, and provide us with a road map for creating the change makers of tomorrow.
The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child by Donalyn Miller
Known for her popular blog, "The Book Whisperer," Donalyn Miller is a dedicated teacher who says she has yet to meet a child she couldn't turn into a reader. Her approach, however, is not conventional. this book will help teachers support students of all levels on their path to reading success and points a way out of the current literacy crisis. The book also includes an invaluable list of books that students most enjoy reading.
The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher by Harry K. Wong & Rosemary T. Wong
Dr. Wong draws on his background as a well-known presenter at workshops and conferences for teachers, as well as his own classroom experience as a science teacher. The book is acclaimed for being both a theoretical and practical guide and Wong presents an integrated philosophy based on three characteristics of effective teachers: classroom management, teaching for mastery, and creating positive expectations. It also includes everyday, practical, classroom tested techniques.