Tag: teaching tools

The Emergency Teacher: The Inspirational Story of a New Teacher in an Inner-City School by Christina Asquith , Mark Bowden, et al.

The Emergency Teacher is a memoir of Asquith’s experience in an inner-city school. It is rich and heartfelt. I enjoyed it particularly for its honest portrayal of the teaching profession, its inspirational message, and its ability to raise awareness about the critical issues facing inner-city schools

Never Work Harder Than Your Students and Other Principles of Great Teaching, 2nd Edition by Robyn R. Jackson

I have always felt I work harder than my students … here’s a book to help change that. Never Work Harder Than Your Students and Other Principles of Great Teaching provides a clear, roadmap for teachers to make them more effective, foster student independence, and create a positive classroom environment that is sustainable.

My Posse Don’t Do Homework by Louanne Johnson

A true story of transformation, My Posse Don’t Do Homework showcases the profound impact that a dedicated, empathetic, and innovative teacher can have on their students’ lives. Johnson’s story is a powerful testament to the difference one person can make in the face of adversity. Yes, it is funny and inspiring!

Up the Down Staircase by Bel Kaufman 

Up the Down Staircase celebrates the dedication, resilience, and impact of teachers while also calling attention to the need for systemic improvements in education. Humor is blended with poignant observations to create an engaging and thought-provoking narrative that is timeless.

There Are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing Up in The Other America by Alex Kotlowitz 

Two boys growing up among crime and poverty set the stage for this powerful book. There’s no way you can put this book down without having been changed in some way. It provides a powerful, humanizing account that highlights the strength of those facing these challenges, and calls for greater empathy, understanding, and action to address systemic issues.

The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher’s Life, 20th Anniversary Edition by Parker J. Palmer 

The Courage to Teach is reflective and explores of the inner lives of teachers, encouraging authenticity, integrity, empathy, and holistic engagement in the teaching profession. Parker J. Palmer’s wisdom and insights provide a powerful guide for educators seeking to find deeper meaning and fulfillment in their work.

Teaching Outside the Box: How to Grab Your Students By Their Brains 3rd Edition by LouAnne Johnson

Teaching Outside the Box is a great book for your bookshelf. It practical, engaging strategies to enhance student engagement, build relationships, and manage classrooms effectively while inspiring creativity.

1000 Best New Teacher Survival Secrets by  Kandace Martin and Kathy Brenny 

The first years of teaching are often the most challenging, and having a book of secrets can make all the difference! This book is filled with practical, concise tips for classroom management, lesson planning, and student engagement, providing essential support and confidence for new teachers navigating their first years. It comes in handy for some veteran teachers too sometimes!

Motivating Students Who Don’t Care: Proven Strategies to Engage All Learners, Second Edition (Proven Strategies to Motivate Struggling Students and Spark an Enthusiasm for Learning) 2nd Edition by Allen N. Mendler 

One of the greatest challenges we all face is motivating students who don’t seem to care. This book is filled with practical, proven strategies to engage disengaged learners. You’ll learn how to foster enthusiasm and improve classroom participation if you’re facing motivational challenges.

Teaching Content Outrageously: How to Captivate All Students and Accelerate Learning, Grades 4-12 by Stanley Pogrow

“Outrageous” is the right word for the ideas in this book. This book provides innovative, engaging methods to captivate students and enhance learning, helping teachers make lessons exciting and effective for grades 4-12.

Reluctant Disciplinarian: Advice on Classroom Management From a Softy Who Became (Eventually) a Successful Teacher by Gary Rubinstein 

Reluctant Disciplinarian has relatable advice on classroom management from a teacher who changed from being lenient to effective. It’s filled with practical tips, humor, and personal stories that will help you improve discipline and classroom dynamics.

First-Year Teacher’s Survival Kit: Ready-to-Use Strategies, Tools & Activities for Meeting the Challenges of Each School Day by Julia G. Thompson

First-year teachers benefit from whatever tips they can get! This book has ready-to-use strategies, tools, and activities specifically designed to help manage challenges, plan lessons, and engage students, making the transition into teaching smoother.

The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher, 5th Edition by  Harry K Wong, Rosemary T Wong

The First Days of School has practical, proven strategies for classroom management, lesson planning, and establishing a positive learning environment. Its clear guidance helps ALL teachers start the school year successfully and maintain effectiveness throughout.

Empowering Underrepresented Gifted Students: Perspectives from the Field by Joy Lawson Davis and Deb Douglas

This book provides insights and strategies to support and nurture diverse gifted learners. Through it’s engaging text, it promotes equity and inclusion in gifted education and helps educators address unique needs effectively.

Living with Intensity: Understanding the Sensitivity, Excitability, and Emotional Development of Gifted Children, Adolescents, and Adults by Susan Daniels 

This is a favorite book of mine! It taught me a lot about myself and my students! It offers insights into a gifted person’s emotional and psycological sensitivities and excitabilities, aiding educators in fostering a supportive environment that nurtures their unique development.

When Gifted Kids Don’t Have All the Answers: How to Meet Their Social and Emotional Needs by Jim Delisle

Anything by Jim Delisle is worth a look! I particularly like this book though. It strategies to address the social and emotional needs of gifted students. It helps create a supportive classroom environment, fostering well-rounded development and addressing unique challenges these students face.

Why Smart Kids Worry: And What Parents Can Do to Help (15 Tools for Parenting Your Anxious Child) by Allison Edwards 

This book hits so true to home and was important as my gifted son was growing up! It provides parents with 15 practical tools to help manage their anxious children’s worries, offering clear, actionable strategies (that actually work!) to support and nurture their emotional well-being effectively.

101 Success Secrets for Gifted Kids: The Ultimate Handbook by Christine Fonseca

101 Secrets offers practical tips and strategies to help gifted children navigate challenges, build confidence, and thrive academically and socially. I have used this book for SEL classes. It is an empowering resource for young readers.

The Survival Guide for Gifted Kids: For Ages 10 & Under by Judy Galbraith 

There are two survival guides. They both provide practical advice, coping strategies, and relatable stories tailored for children both ages 10 and under and teens helping them navigate the unique challenges of being gifted effectively.

The Gifted Teen Survival Guide: Smart, Sharp, and Ready for (Almost) Anything by Judy Galbraith and Jim Delisle

There are two survival guides. They both provide practical advice, coping strategies, and relatable stories tailored for children both ages 10 and under and teens helping them navigate the unique challenges of being gifted effectively.

The Multiple Menu Model: A Practical Guide for Developing Differentiated Curriculum by Thomas S. Hays, Jann H. Leppien, Joseph S. Renzulli 

Differentiation is critical for any classroom. This book helps teachers to address diverse student needs, foster engagement, and enhance learning outcomes through flexible, student-centered instructional strategies.

Dreamers, Discoverers & Dynamos: How to Help the Child Who Is Bright, Bored and Having Problems in School by Lucy Jo Palladino

Although an older book, Dreamers provides insightful strategies to support bright yet bored children struggling in school, helping parents and educators unlock their potential and address their unique learning needs.

Make Your Worrier a Warrior: A Guide to Conquering Your Child’s Fears by Dan Peters

The title of this book is amazing in and of itself! The book provides practical tools and techniques to help parents (and school social workers) empower their children to overcome fears and anxiety, fostering resilience and confidence for a healthier emotional development.

Educating Gifted Students in Middle School: A Practical Guide by Susan Rakow 

Middle school is a challenging time for everyone! But for the gifted? This book offers practical strategies and insights for effectively the unique academic and social needs of gifted middle schoolers, promoting their growth and engagement during critical developmental years.

Differently Wired: A Parent’s Guide to Raising an Atypical Child with Confidence and Hope by Deborah Reber

This is a fantastic book! Differently Wired offers parents practical advice and strategies to support and nurture atypical children, promoting understanding, acceptance, and hope while addressing unique developmental and educational needs.

Gifted Grownups: The Mixed Blessings of Extraordinary Potential by Marylou Kelly Streznewski

As a gifted grownup, I always enjoy finding a book that speaks to me! Gifted Grownups explores the complex journey of gifted adults, offering insights into the challenges, strengths, and unique perspectives, inspiring understanding and support for gifted individuals throughout their lives.

In the Know by Russell T Warne 

In the Know is an excellent resource providing comprehensive insights into gifted education, equipping educators and parents with essential knowledge and strategies to support gifted learners effectively.

Guiding the Gifted Child: A Practical Source for Parents and Teachers by James T. Webb, Elizabeth A. Meckstroth, Stephanie S Tolan 

This book has been a mainstay for years. It offers practical guidance for parents and teachers to understand and nurture gifted children’s unique needs.

Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnoses of Gifted Children and Adults: ADHD, Bipolar, Ocd, Asperger’s, Depression, and Other Disorders by James T. Webb

Identifying gifted individuals can be a challenge – especially when there are more pieces to the puzzle. This book sheds light on the complexities of identifying and understanding gifted individuals with co-existing disorders, offering insights and strategies for accurate diagnosis and support.

Teaching Gifted Kids in the Regular Classroom: Strategies and Techniques Every Teacher Can Use to Meet the Academic Needs of the Gifted and Talented by Susan Winebrenner M.S. 

This is a staple for a regular classroom, with gifted students! It provides practical strategies for all teachers to effectively meet the academic needs of gifted students within a regular classroom setting, promoting inclusivity and challenging learning opportunities.

The Name of this Book Is Secret (The Secret Series, Book 1) by Pseudonymous Bosch 

The Name of this Book Is Secret follows two curious children unraveling a dangerous mystery. Filled with humor, puzzles, and suspense, it challenges readers to uncover secrets while embracing the unconventional storytelling of its mysterious author. Other books in the series: #2 If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late, #3 This Book is Not Good For You, #4 This Isn’t What it Looks Like, #5 You Have to Stop This

The Testing (The Testing Trilogy Book 1) by Joelle Charbonneau

The Testing is a dystopian novel where students compete for a place in the government elite through rigorous tests, uncovering dark secrets about their society. The other books in the series include: #2 Independent Study, #3 Graduation Day.

Ready Player One: A Novel by Ernest Cline 

Ready Player One is a sci-fi adventure set in a dystopian future where people escape their harsh reality by entering a virtual world for a chance at immense wealth and power. It is followed by Ready Player Two.

The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox

The Slave Dancer follows Jesse, a boy kidnapped to play music on a slave ship in the 19th century. Through his eyes, the novel explores the brutality and moral dilemmas of the slave trade, challenging readers to confront its harrowing realities.

Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman 

The Graveyard Book follows Bod, a boy raised by ghosts in a graveyard after his family is murdered. As he grows, Bod learns life lessons from the dead while evading the sinister man who still seeks to kill him.

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norman Juster

Many people confuse The Phantom Tollbooth as a book strictly for younger readers, but it’s so much more! It takes a more advanced reader to understand all the rhetorical devices that make this a truly engaging story. Bored Milo journeys through a magical land, learning valuable lessons about knowledge and imagination. With quirky characters and adventures, he discovers the importance of curiosity and learning.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

A Wrinkle in Time follows Meg Murry, her brother Charles Wallace, and friend Calvin as they travel through space and time to rescue Meg’s father from an evil force. It is part of a quintet that has Meg, her family, and friends embarking on cosmic adventures to battle dark forces, explore other dimensions, and uncover universal truths about love, faith, and the power of good over evil. Every book in the series is excellent! The other books are: #2 A Wind in the Door, #3 A Swiftly Tilting Planet, #4 Many Waters, and #5 An Acceptable Time. Personally, I enjoyed the sequels better than

January (Conspiracy 365) by Gabrielle Lord

The Conspiracy 365 series by Gabrielle Lord follows 15-year-old Cal Ormond, who is forced to go on the run for a year after discovering a deadly family secret. Pursued by criminal organizations and the law, he must uncover the mystery while evading capture and surviving dangerous situations each month. Every month has it’s on book – with 12 books in the series.

The Giver by Lois Lowry

The Giver follows Jonas, a young boy living in a seemingly perfect, controlled society devoid of pain and emotion. Selected to inherit the position of Receiver of Memories, Jonas learns about the true complexities of life, leading him to question his community’s oppressive ways. The Giver Quartet comprises three other dystopian novels: Gathering Blue, Messenger, and Son. The series explores similar themes through interconnected stories set in different communities. Each book follows characters who challenge their society’s constraints, seeking truth and freedom while uncovering their shared connections. Although The Giver has been made into a movie, the book is far superior.

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O’Brien

This book follows Mrs. Frisby, a widowed field mouse, who seeks the help of intelligent, genetically enhanced rats to save her home from destruction. The rats, who escaped from a laboratory, use their advanced skills to help her while revealing their own quest for independence. This is the first book in the NIMH series. The other books include: Racso and the Rats of NIMH, and R-T, Margaret, and the Rats of NIMH. I haven’t read the last books in the series, but if they follow the quality of the first, then they’re worth reading!

1984 by George Orwell 

1984 is a classic! It is a dystopian novel set in a totalitarian society controlled by the Party and its leader, Big Brother. The protagonist, Winston Smith, works at the Ministry of Truth, altering historical records. He becomes disillusioned with the oppressive regime and starts a forbidden love affair. As he seeks truth and freedom, he is ultimately betrayed, tortured, and brainwashed, demonstrating the terrifying power of totalitarianism.

Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

The Mysterious Benedict Society follows four gifted orphans recruited by the eccentric Mr. Benedict for a dangerous mission to uncover a secret plot threatening the world. They must use their unique abilities to outwit a cunning villain and save humanity from mind control. There are three additional books in the series as well as two other related titles. The Mysterious Benedict Society & the Riddle of Ages, The Mysterious Benedict Society & the Perilous Journey, and The Mysterious Benedict Society & the Prisoner’s Dilemma. Also included are the Extraordinary Education of Mr. Benedict and The Mr. Benedict Society Book of Perplexing Puzzles, Elusive Enigmas, & Curious Conundrums.

Orientation: The School for Gifted Potentials by Allis Wade

Orientation: School for Gifted Potentials follows fifteen-year-old Avery Vey, who is invited to a secretive school for gifted individuals. At the school, she discovers her unique abilities, faces challenges, and uncovers hidden truths about her family’s past and the school’s mysteries, all while learning to harness her potential. It is a fantastic book for learning about the inner workings of a gifted person. This is the first of the Orientation Trilogy. The other titles are Rebellion and Revelations.

The Devil’s Arithmetic by Jane Yolen

The Devil’s Arithmetic is amazing heartfelt story that follows Hannah Stern, a modern-day Jewish girl who is mysteriously transported back in time to a Polish village during the Holocaust. There, she experiences the horrors of a Nazi concentration camp firsthand, gaining a deeper understanding of her heritage and the importance of remembering history. There is also a movie, but it pales in comparison to the book.