This information comes from our friend and partner Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea. As an AWSP member benefit, AWSP members are able to access resources from The Main Idea, including book summaries, workshops, planning guides, and more. Below, Jenn shares some resources for summer reading for your teachers.
This is a busy time of the year, so I thought I’d help you plan some summer reading for your teachers. I love summer reading as a way for teachers to engage in professional learning at their own pace, on a topic of their choosing.
Your role can be to provide them with a curated list (below), get the books, and present a simple plan for self-guided professional learning.
By providing them with a structure, the time to discuss the book (in the fall), and the colleagues to share takeaways with, you support teachers’ learning and impact their practice.
Then keep the professional learning plan simple. Things are busy enough right now!
A Simple Plan for Summer Reading
- CHOOSE A BOOK: Let teachers choose a book. Share The Main Idea’s 4 recommended summer books for teachers — as a teacher handout. All 4 books apply to teachers K-12 as well as across subject areas.Â
- READ THE BOOK:Â Get teachers their book of choice so they can read it over the summer and take notes.Â
- DISCUSS THE BOOK: In the fall, provide teachers with time to meet with colleagues who chose the same book. Either empower teacher leaders to plan discussions or use a discussion protocol like this.
Below are four suggested books for teacher summer reading, and you can share this list as a teacher handout, too.
The Illustrated Guide to Visible Learning: An Introduction to What Works Best in Schools
by John Hattie, Douglas Fisher, et al.
READ THIS IF…
…you want to study the teaching strategies that do the most to accelerate student learning in classrooms.
WHAT YOU’LL FIND
- A clear, highly visual, illustrated reference guide
- Thermometer graphics telling you what research says about each technique’s effectiveness
Brick by Brick: Setting the Foundation for a Stable and Joyful Classroom
by Kjell Fenn
READ THIS IF…
…you want to feel less overwhelmed by teaching. Great for newer teachers as well as anyone mentoring new teachers or looking to strengthen the foundations of their classroom.
WHAT YOU’LL FIND
“Why It Works” & “How to Do It”for essential strategies in…
- Behavior management  Â
- Student engagementÂ
- Lesson planning            Â
- Teacher confidence
From Behaving to Belonging: The Inclusive Art of Supporting Students Who Challenge Us
by Julie Causton and Kate MacLeod
READ THIS IF…
…you want to better handle challenging behaviorlike outbursts, fighting, or shutting down in class. This book offers compassionate strategies, not just “behavior management.”
WHAT YOU’LL FIND
A collaborative 4-step plan to decrease difficult behavior:
- Uncover Strengths                    Â
- Uncover Challenges
- Dream & Design for BelongingÂ
- Create a Success Plan
Elevating Educational Design with AI: Making Learning Accessible, Inclusive, and Equitable
by Catlin R. Tucker and Katie Novak
READ THIS IF…
…you want to become an expert at asking AI to help you reshape lessons using pedagogical approaches you aspire to (such as Universal Design for Learning, UbD, etc.)
WHAT YOU’LL FIND
- sample AI prompts to help you reach big pedagogical goalsÂ
- guidance for using AI to improve your instruction one lesson and one small step at a time
Here are My Resources this Month:
- This list of 4 summer reading books I recommend for teachers — as a handout
- A short slide deck you can use to introduce these 4 books at a staff meeting
- An overview of this simple summer reading plan for your teachers
Good luck with the busy end of school, and I’ll be back in your inbox on June 15.
The Main Idea Password
Looking for the password? Here it is: springread (lowercase)
