As
we transition into summer mode, below are two lists of the best books on
education.
I’ve
read a bunch of them, heard about others, and am unfamiliar with some.
Summer
is a great time for educators to relax and re-energize. But it’s also a great
time to reflect on our educational beliefs and practices.
At
last week’s end-of-year faculty/staff meeting, I talked about where Trinity
places itself on the innovative—traditional continuum. I neglected to mention
that the key word is continuum—in other words, there is no school that is
completely innovative or traditional. Our challenge as teachers is to
constantly evaluate where we are on the continuum and to frequently re-adjust
when we find ourselves moving too far in either direction.
I
know we all have selected summer reads from our list and will discuss and share
their contents at pre-planning, yet take a look at these lists—maybe you will
be inspired to read a couple of them, and they, in turn, will influence you and
your educational philosophy and teaching.
Two
books on the lists that have influenced me and my educational philosophy are Daniel
Willingham’s Why Students Don’t Like School and Diane
Ravitch’s The Death and Life of the Great American School System. The
first one provides evidence from cognitive science of basic questions and
issues we all grapple with as teachers. The second is how Ravitich moved from
being an educational conservative, e.g., data driven, standardized test
supporter, to a more whole-child advocate who now rails against the “rigor”
wrought by No Child Left Behind legislation.
A
book not on the list but one I recommend is The Good School by
Peg Tyre which focuses on qualities parents need to look for in a great school.
I
hope all of you have a wonderful summer. Thank you for a great school year!
Joe
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