ENGAGING STUDENTS WITH POVERTY IN MIND

Author:  Erik Jensen

Genre:  Non-Fiction, Standalone

Published:  2013

Personal Rating:  4.25/5 (very good +)

Format:  Book

Yearly Count:  15

From Goodreads:

Drawing from research, experience, and real school success stories, this galvanizing book explores engagement as the key factor in the academic success of economically disadvantaged students.

Another successful read by Jenkins. It was very practical and succinct. It can be a good reminder or maybe a new strategy or two can be discovered through the reading.

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IMPROVING COMPREHENSION

Author:  Wilhelm

Genre:  Non-Fiction, Standalone

Published:  2001

Personal Rating:  3/5 (just okay)

Format:  Book

Yearly Count:  10

This book contains detailed strategies for a classroom teacher to assist students into getting the most out of what they read through thinking aloud.

Wilhelm breaks every little nuance of a book down into bite-sized pieces.  Nothing new.  It's also 17 years old!  😝

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POOR STUDENTS, RICH TEACHING

Author:  Eric Jensen

Genre:  Non-Fiction, Standalone

Published:  2016

Personal Rating:  4/5 (very good)

Format:  Book

Yearly Count:  3

From Goodreads:

Discover practical and research-based strategies to ensure all students, regardless of circumstance, are college and career ready. This thorough resource details the necessary but difficult work that teachers must do to establish the foundational changes essential to positively impact students in poverty. Organized tools and resources are provided to help teachers effectively implement these essential changes.

This was read as a Book Study over the last several months.  It was an encouraging read, but nothing new.  It's always nice to dust off and be refreshed, though.  The ultimate goal is to get students to graduate high school and be job or college ready.

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READING IN THE WILD

Author:  Donalyn Miller 

Genre:  Professional, Companion Book

Published:  2013

Personal Rating:  4/5 (very good)

Format:  Book

Yearly Count:  24

From Goodreads:

Reading in the Wild offers solid advice and strategies on how to develop, encourage and assess key lifelong reading habits,  including dedicating time for reading, planning for future reading, and defining oneself as a reader.  It contains accessible strategies, ideas, tips, lesson plans and management tools along with lists of recommended books.

This a companion book to The Book Whisperer.  It contains all the details needed to run a reading classroom.  It's filled with Miller's experience and has much value for a novice.  

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THE BOOK WHISPERER

Author:  Donalyn Miller

Genre:  Non-Fiction, Standalone

Published:  2009

Personal Rating:  4.25/5 (very good +)

Format:  Book

Yearly Count:  19

A sixth grade reading teacher shares her philosophy of teaching reading.

Another book that did not shed any new light on the topic; however, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.  It has reawakened the desire in me to tweak a thing or two, and for that, I'm grateful.  Miller's writing is very genuine.  Together we share the love of books (not genres, though!), so I feel a bit of a kinship with her.  :)

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HOW WE LEARN

Author:  Benedict Carey

Genre:  Non-Fiction, Standalone

Published:  2014

Personal Rating:  2/5 (not enjoyable)

Format:  eBook

Yearly Count:  48

From NetGalley:

From an early age, it is drilled into our heads: Laziness, distraction, and ignorance are the enemies of success. We’re told that learning is all self-discipline, that we must confine ourselves to designated study areas, turn off the music, and maintain a strict ritual if we want to ace that test, memorize that presentation, or nail that piano recital.

But what if almost everything we were told about learning is wrong?

And what if there was a way to achieve more with less effort?

In How We Learn, award-winning science reporter Benedict Carey sifts through decades of education research and landmark studies to uncover the truth about how our brains absorb and retain information. What he discovers is that, from the moment we are born, we are all learning quickly, efficiently, and automatically; but in our zeal to systematize the process we have ignored valuable, naturally enjoyable learning tools like forgetting, sleeping, and daydreaming. Is a dedicated desk in a quiet room really the best way to study? Can altering your routine improve your memory? Are there times when distraction is good? Is ignorance always bad? Is repetition necessary? Carey’s search for answers to these questions yields cunning strategies that make learning more a part of our everyday lives—and less of a chore.

I usually love educational books, but I am incredibly sad to say I did not enjoy this one.  I suppose it's more about expectations than anything.  Reading 25 million studies, including numerous details of each, was not my thought going in.  Were there some interesting antidotes?  No.  Was there anything new?  No.  Not quite sure how this is new thinking or understanding, but with all the studies, this book can inform you how his questions are answered.  

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My thanks go to Random House & NetGalley for providing me with this eGalley.

IGNITING A PASSION FOR READING

Author:  Steven L. Layne

Genre:  Non-Fiction, Standalone

Published:  2009

Personal Rating:  4.5/5 (excellent)

Format:  Book

Yearly Count:  50

Steven Layne shares his thoughts and ideas (tried and true) on how to "ignite a passion for reading" in K-12 classrooms.  

At the moment, I don't remember anything bright and shiny NEW, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book anyway!  I loved the stories shared and the bit of humor thrown in from the author, as well.  It's not a 5/5 only because I don't buy into all his ideas 100%, but that's good!  We each have our own spin on how to teach and can make adjustments to suggestions to fit the needs of our students.  It has great reminders and is an encouraging book.

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MINDSET

Author:  Carol S. Dweck

Genre:  Non-Fiction, Standalone

Published:  2006

Personal Rating:  3.5/5 (good)

Format:  Book

Yearly Count:  31

Mindset focuses on two ways of thinking:  Fixed-Mindset and Growth-Mindset.  It delves deep into how our mindset affects parenting, business, school and relationships.

Again, this was another book that didn't offer much new information to me, but I enjoyed exploring the two mindsets (despite it being very repetitive).  For the most part, it didn't change my way of thinking; however, it helped me to understand others better (particularly students) and verbiage to use to encourage them.

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THE 7 HABITS OF HAPPY KIDS

Author:  Sean Covey

Genre:  Children, Standalone  

Published:  2011

Personal Rating:  4/5 (very good)

Format:  Book

Yearly Count:  99


This is a kid version of The 7 Habits for Highly Effective People (Stephen Covey).

I think this book's transition from adult to kids was very well done.  It demonstrates each habit through stories with the animal characters from Seven Oaks:  Pokey Porcupine, Jumper Rabbit, etc.  It also provides a Parent Section that suggests questions to prompt conversation and change in behaviors.

PRACTICE PERFECT

Author:  Doug Lemov, Erica Woolway,
Katie Yezzi

Genre:  Non-Fiction, Standalone

Published:  2012

Personal Rating:  3/5 (just okay)

Format:  Book

Yearly Count:  92

The authors provide "42 rules for getting better at getting better."

 I read this for a school district book study and found it to be just okay.  A lot of the rules are geared towards the teaching profession, but certainly not limited to.   For me, the rules are common sense.  There wasn't anything that I hadn't heard before . . . except that during a tennis match there is no coaching/teaching allowed.  :)  Okay, so there may have been other little tidbits like that that I didn't know, but in general, I found this to be not very useful.  However, it has brought some thoughts or ideas back to the forefront of my mind, and that's a positive step I suppose.

THE ART AND SCIENCE OF TEACHING

Author:  Robert Marzano

Genre:  Non-Fiction, Standalone

Published:  2007

Personal Rating:  3.5/5 (good)

Format:  Book

Yearly Count:  13


The book focuses on 10 questions that are designed to encourage teachers to have a successful plan regarding lesson plans to classroom management.  Marzano is known for his research, and this book collects a lot of it.  Therefore, it's filled with researched-based graphs, charts and a multitude of research results.  All the research was appreciated and somewhat interesting, but after a while I began skimming those parts.

I would not have read this book, if it weren't for a book study my district was providing.  I'm all for refreshing my techniques or learning new ones!  Most of this book can be applied to my current position, but would suit teachers with classrooms more effectively.  The questions and strategies are worth (re)visiting - even for experienced teachers, and afterwards you can take what works for you.

TEACHING WITH POVERTY IN MIND

Author:  Eric Jensen

Genre:  Non-Fiction, Standalone

Published: 2009

Personal Rating:  4/5 (very good)

Format:  Book

Yearly Count: 6

The subtitle does the job of sharing its actual content: What Being Poor Does to Kids' Brains and What Schools Can Do About It.

I read this for our District-Wide Book Study. It definitely had some interesting and eye-opening stats, but there wasn't any revelations regarding teaching techniques. However, revisiting this topic is never wasted time, so I'm glad I participated and will take a refreshed attitude about our students.

SPIRIT WHISPERERS

Author: Chick Moorman

Genre: Non-Fiction, Standalone

Published: 2001

Personal Rating: 5/5 (absolutely outstanding)

Yearly Count: 71

Subtitled: Teachers Who Nourish a Child's Spirit

Educators are encouraged to become "spirit whisperers." Spirit whisperers are people that gently, but purposefully help students blossom into responsible adults through the most minute to major situations. Through their specific guiding and teaching, students learn to make their own decisions and accept their consequences.

I love this book (reread). It has a wealth of wise advice and reasons to back it - every educator should be required to read it. Not everybody will "buy into it," but it would be very difficult to not take something positive from it.

TEACH LIKE YOUR HAIR'S ON FIRE
Rafe Esquith
Personal Rating: 4.5/5
Yearly Count: 35




Hooray! Another great educational reference book! Mr. Rafe Esquith is a fifth grader teacher in Los Angeles. He strongly believes in filling and stretching the minds of children with worthwhile life skills and at the same time striving for excellence in himself and his students.

I found this book to be very inspiring, yet also a little annoying. Mr. Esquith shares his thoughts and ideas in such a way that he sounds a bit arrogant. I don't know how any author can write a book about such great suggestions, that have proved to be successful, without having an air of haughtiness, but I wish he had excelled in that arena, too.

WHAT GREAT PRINCIPALS DO DIFFERENTLY

Todd Whitaker

Personal Rating: 4.75/5

Yearly Count: 31

This morning I remembered I had this tucked away, so I picked it up and read it. I think many fans of Todd Whitaker would agree with me that someone should survey his readers and write a book titled: WHAT GREAT AUTHORS DO DIFFERENTLY. He does an excellent job with citing examples and explanations. He makes you want to jump up and begin implementing the ideas shared ... very inspiring!

Even though it's a relatively short book, it is packed with very valuable and pertinent information that can serve as a reminder to current principals or as a guide for the principal wannabees. Once again, another success by Mr. Whitaker!

THE NEW PRINCIPAL'S FIELDBOOK: Strategies for Success
Pamela Robbins & Harvey Alvy
Personal Rating: 4.75/5
Yearly Count: 26


This was an assigned reading and was nicely dove-tailed to my class. Filled with researched-based strategies and practical information to assist a new principal in leading a community to success; it was certainly well worth the read.

WHAT GREAT TEACHERS DO DIFFERENTLY
Todd Whitaker
Personal Rating: 4.5/5
Yearly Count: 9



No matter how you say it...doing what's best for students is the GREAT thing to do. In this book, Mr. Whitaker shares his findings from studies that examine what effective teachers and schools look like. What I found interesting was not necessarily the results, but the point he makes about studying "effective" teachers and schools versus "ineffective". It's as simple as the results, but not always easy to do or find. Mr. Whitaker shares that...

"We often hear that we can learn from anyone. From effective people we learn what to do; from ineffective people, we learn what not to do. Although this advice contains a grain of truth, think about it: How much can we really learn from an ineffective teacher or leader? We already know plenty of what not to do. We don't need to visit an ineffective teacher's classroom to learn this. But we can always reap good ideas from successful educators."

Personally, I love to observe those that are successful; yet unfortunately, schedules, teacher preferences, accessibility, etc. are hindrances to that process.

This proved to be a very good read and I look forward to reading another book by Whitaker entitled WHAT GREAT PRINCIPALS DO DIFFERENTLY.

"S" Author-Based A ~ Z Reads (2nd)

RESULTS NOW
Mike Schmoker
Personal Rating: 4/5





This educational reference book focused on strategies to ultimately improve student learning. The majority of content revolved around the development of better literacy instruction and Professional Learning Communities, both of which can create a significant impact in getting desired results.

"P" Author-Based A ~ Z Reads

READING LIKE A WRITER
Francine Prose
Personal Rating: 3/5





Anything goes. That's what I gleaned from this book. I chose to read this as a reference book for me as a teacher, not as a writer. Therein lays the reason for my rating. Even though I understand and agree with all that Prose discussed, from the get-go, I just wasn't on the same page. Maybe I wasn't in the right frame of mind or thought it would be different, I'm not exactly sure, but my rating remains my rating.

I do believe that this book could be a useful tool for those that need to look at their personal writing from a new perspective. Reading though purposefully chosen excerpts to show different styles in word choice, sentence structure, paragraphing, narration, character development, dialogue, details, and gestures could definitely be a help to those in need. Her selections were well-chosen and depict exactly what she was trying to convey.

Prose also touches on the mentality of writers and how many feel trapped or compelled to follow the "rules" of writing, when those "rules" are consistently and effectively broken throughout literature. Here's how Prose relays that very same message:

"...literature not only breaks the rules, but makes us realize that there are none."

Ultimately, Prose believes (which I agree and teach) that the light that guides the path of writing and is the core encourager is ... reading.

"O" Title-Based A ~ Z Reads

OUR CLASSROOM: WE CAN LEARN TOGETHER
Chick Moorman
Personal Rating: 4/5

With a publishing date of 1983, you'd think that the content of this book would clearly be outdated. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Almost all of the methods, strategies, or theories are timeless suggestions; therefore, they remain current and applicable for use in the classroom today. While most of the suggestions were not new to me, they were great reminders and encouragement to do what’s best for kids, both in a classroom setting and on a personal level. The only negative was that it was a little repetitious. I do believe that Moorman really excels in reaching the core of a learner, making this a reference book that will be revisited from time to time. However, his best book yet is entitled SPIRIT WHISPERERS: TEACHERS WHO NOURISH A CHILD’S SPIRIT published in 2001. It is an excellent read for any teacher (or parent as well) who wants to build up character in the children of today.

*Clicking on this book will link you to the review at Amazon.com, not Barnes & Noble like the rest.