Professional Books That Are By My Side -- Some New and Some Tried and True
While I am always reading professionally, right now there are some books that are by my side as I am shifting how I teach, how I support teachers, and how I develop professional learning experiences in this time of uncertainty and change. There are some books I am turning to again and again to problem solve, to experiment, and to think about how to navigate the journey ahead of us in the most equitable, constructivist, engaging, and developmentally appropriate manner possible. Here’s what I am (re)reading professionally and WHY they are my co-teachers in this work.
DIY Literacy - Let’s face it; everything we are doing right now is DIY! We need to think outside of the box and be creative to figure out how to achieve what we envision for our students. There is no proven practice or set roadmap for remote learning with elementary students. Right now, more than ever, our young students need tools to scaffold and support independent learning. We cannot be right next to them - in a socially-distanced in-person, hybrid, or remote model - so we need to teach them how to create tools that support organization, motivation, memory, and strategic thinking. The sooner we involve our students in creating tools, the sooner they will start using them purposefully and designing their own. This book will guide you through the process of teaching your students how to take learning into their own hands.
Amplify - The quote on the back cover says it all: “It’s not the tools - it’s what we do with them that counts.” As elementary educators, we need to be picky about which tools we introduce and use with our students. I love how Muhtaris and Ziemke apply constructive, child-centered pedagogy to technology. They highlight digital tools that encourage students to create, communicate, and learn. They use the workshop model to scaffold students learning digital tools and explain how to use formative assessment to guide how to nudge our students to use digital tools to enhance learning. From getting started to developing digital citizens, this book will support you in integrating digital tools into your existing classroom practice.
Being the Change - Teachers are thinking deeply about how to begin the upcoming school year given how last year ended. The pandemic has deeply impacted our students’ lives, and we need to think about how to support both their social-emotional and academic growth. Traditionally, elementary educators use the initial weeks of school to create a learning community. This still needs to happen regardless of the instructional model being used - socially-distanced in-person, hybrid, or remote. Being the Change is based on the idea that our students can develop skills and habits to serve them in social and academic comprehension. Sara provides hands-on, practical lessons that are transferrable to any classroom setting in-person or remote. We need to create a learning community - a community learning how to say what they are thinking, how to listen with a stance towards understanding, and how to consider multiple points of view - whether we are six feet apart or remote. Being the Change helps teachers set the stage for our readers to have critical, interpretative conversations about text and the world around them.
Cultivating Genius - As I plan and think about what is essential instructionally in the upcoming year, I am keeping Dr. Muhammad’s HRL Framework at the forefront of my thinking. We must engage our learners, especially given the circumstances we face at the beginning of this year. Even if we are teaching in-person, it will not be the same with the social-distancing requirements in place. We will need to work harder to connect our students and get to know our students. Dr. Muhammad reminds us that, “Before getting to literacy skill development such as decoding, fluency, comprehension, writing, or any other content-learning standards, students must authentically see themselves in the learning.” She provides a framework that will invite us to problematize our practice and think about how to center on our students so we can reach all kids.
Strategic Classroom Design - Has there ever been a time when we needed to be more flexible in terms of our learning environment? Teachers face redesigning their physical classroom space to meet the rules and regulations of social distancing. What will stay in the room? What is essential in terms of layout and organization? How will this connect in a hybrid or remote model? If students are learning remotely what tools must we send home? We know how important it is to set up predictable systems, structures, and spaces for our elementary students. The environment supports and scaffolds learners. Jessica supports you in identifying what matters and bringing your vision to life with your students in mind. This book will help you create spaces that promote student agency, engagement, and critical thinking at a time when we need it most.
Breathing New Life into Book Clubs - For me, social connection and interaction helped me rebuild my reading life during the pandemic. I needed to talk my way into, through, and beyond books. The students I taught throughout the spring, and this summer, wanted the same social connection in their reading lives. Whether you are new to book clubs or have been using this structure for years, this book will support you in transitioning to using this structure in a socially-distanced in-person setting, hybrid-setting, and remote setting. We need to create a community of readers - readers who have agency, opinions, and ideas to impact the world around them. Even though this text is not explicitly about digital book clubs, the ideas shared supported me as I shifted to on-line book clubs with students. When to meet synchronously versus asynchronously? How to organize them in a digital space? How to get them talking with each other? How to create book club bins? There are tips, suggestions, lessons, and resources to support you in getting book clubs launched right away this year.
Layers of Learning - This book came into the world at the exact moment we need it most. We all know we cannot choose between the social-emotional and academic development of our students. Our students need and deserve both. Jo Ellen shows us how we can view read aloud as “an invitation to learn more about literacy and ourselves.” She provides a framework that demonstrates how you can layer literacy standards and life lessons in your read-aloud. Her Heartprint Framework includes methods and mindsets to support Community, Agency, Respect, and Empowerment. She includes detailed read-aloud based lessons and extensions for sixty different texts. I was thrilled to find at least ten of these texts in the free digital bookroom I created. This book is new to me, but I have already tried several lessons in a hybrid and remote model - they transferred beautifully. This book will be by your side, regardless of where and how you teach this year.
Read the World - Rethinking Literacy for Empathy and Action in a Digital Age - Right now, we need to be working smarter, not harder. Time is limited, and we know we need to think about how we support the social-emotional and academic needs of our students at the same time. We also need to do this in an instructional setting, unlike anything we have ever known before. This book integrates technology, digital learning, social-emotional development, and critical reading. The ideas and sample lessons promote student agency, empathy, and strategies to teach students to thrive as readers in today’s digital world. Kristin and Katie show teachers how to incorporate these ideas in a workshop structure, allowing opportunities for explicit instruction, practice, scaffolding, and feedback to enhance student growth.
Teachers, I know you have more than a full plate right now. I will continue to share what I am learning, what is working, and what I am struggling to figure out. These texts are saving me time and pushing me to think in innovate ways while still speaking to my pedagogical beliefs. These authors are active, generous, and available online to support you as well. If you are looking for some texts and authors to inspire, confirm, and get you excited about the possibilities ahead, these will not dissappoint.
