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Saturday, October 27, 2018

Five impactful books for educators

The Compelled Educator
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For as long as I can remember, I've always loved to read. My dad tells stories of my sitting in his lap when I was little and him reading to me every day while I quietly listened as long as he wanted to read to me. 

As I got older, I read mostly mystery and young adult (I don't think they called it YA back then!) - some of my favorites were all of the books in the Nancy Drew series. In late elementary and junior high, my mom would often take me to the library often so that I could check out books. 

I'm so thankful they laid the groundwork for a lifetime passion in me for reading. To this day, one of my favorite vacations is when I can lie on the beach with a paperback and get lost in the pages.

October is month is National Book Month, and I've been reflecting about books that have impacted me personally and professionally. I'm thrilled to share mine with you - especially because I know so many of you enjoy a good book like I do!

In no particular order, here goes...

1. The Slight Edge (@yourslightedge) by Jeff Olson. This is a book I re-read each year. In it, Jeff reminds us of the exponential power of doing small acts each day that lead to big results. 






2. Do You Know Enough about Me to Teach Me: A Student's Perspective



I was introduced to this book around 2008, and a few years after that I had the opportunity to connect with the author, Dr. Stephen Peters. Since the book had a great impact on me personally, I chose it to be a part of a summer book study on twitter with some members of our staff a few years ago. 


3.  Living, Loving, and Learning by Leo Buscaglia.




When I was in college, I was given this book by a teammate on my college volleyball team. This book was the first book of its kind that I had read, and it had a huge impact on me. As time passed and I made the decision to major in education, this book shaped my views on loving myself, my students, and my colleagues. This book also makes a great gift, especially for people who are in roles where they serve others. 


4. Handbook for Courageous Leadership (Shameless plug!) :-)

Fellow Compelled Blogger Dennis Griffin sent me a Vox recently to share his thoughts as he began reading my e-book. It's a quick read, but chock full of stories and experiences about facing fears and how to get better and finding courage. Dennis and I are planning to do a book study soon; I hope you will join us and share your reflections, too!




5. The Innovator's Mindset: Empower Learning, Unleash Talent, and Lead a Culture of Creativity    

This book by George Couros is one that I read recently with a group of teachers at our school. The book will cause you to be reflective, empathetic, and brave. George includes practical ideas and questions for reflection throughout the book. It is a book that builds on what we know works with students - relationships - and takes it to the next level as we are a part of 21st century teaching and learning.


On my bedside table:

What Every School Leader Needs to Know about RTI by Margaret Searle

I'm reading this book as an assignment for the ASCD Instructional Leadership and Coaching Design Team. While the title didn't capture me, and I thought it would be a dry book filled with theory and research, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the theory and research are supported by practical examples at all grade levels. Being an administrator in a high school, I find that when I talk with other high school educators, implementing RTI at the secondary level can be very difficult. This book will remain part of my toolbox for many years to come!


Dare to Lead by Brene Brown

This is Brene's newest book, and I have had for over a week now. I cannot wait to read it soon! I'll be traveling to Houston next week, so I think I'll savor it on the plane ride there. I'm sure there will be a blog post soon to review the book... I'm a huge fan of Brene's work, and from what I've heard from friends who have started this book already - Brene hit a homerun with it. 





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