As a teacher, whether online or in real time, there is a general expectation that you are very competent at what you do and are capable of imparting knowledge. Now the thing is, knowledge and information go hand in hand.
Information can influence the knowledge that you have and because information is constantly changing, the knowledge that you have about certain things can easily become outdated if given time. So, if you were trained as a teacher, it doesn’t matter how high profile and well rated that training was. It might not be able to serve you as well in the time to come.
An example of how much information impacts knowledge is this pandemic that the world is experiencing. With the lockdowns and social distancing rules in place, teaching has taken on a new dimension…the virtual route.
And because of this, even the most skilful teacher is having a hard time channelling the knowledge that they have into being productive at their jobs. In order to move forward, they have to relearn new ways to do the same thing that they have always done. One way to do that is through books.
There are tons of books with information on how to be better at teaching. There are books that help you maximize the opportunities that are available to you in the teaching industry and then you have books that look into areas that are equally important to you even if it is not directly related to your teaching job.
Such areas could be in finance or in stress management and how it relates to your job. In this article, we are going to explore books that will positively impact your experience as a teacher and generally improve your quality of life. These are ranked in no particular order.
1. Out of Our Minds by Ken Robinson
This is one of those books that makes you see teaching as more than just a job but as a life calling. It emphasizes your position as an influential person in a community and inspires you to be an innovative leader through creativity.
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2. The Classroom Management Book by Harry Wong
If you want something a little more technical about teaching, this is the one for you. Written by a renowned educational expert whose nickname is “Mr. Practical”, you should expect nothing less than a practical approach to formal teaching. Perfect if you are just starting out.
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3. A New Culture of Learning by Douglas Thomas and John Seely Brown
This book is nearly a decade old but it still highlights concepts that are relevant to these times especially right now. Keep an open mind if you are from the old school. They have been talking about how important it is to use technology for education and as we all know, that is about the only way to do it now. But the most important lesson is about how we should be more learning focused than teaching-centric.
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4. How Children Succeed by Paul Tough
Understand the kids that you teach better and you would be a more effective teacher. This book looks into this strategy thoroughly. While this book is targeting parents, it does reflect some ideologies on teaching reforms that could make way for better academic performance.
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5. Google Classroom by Marta Scholl
Teaching with technology is not an easy task even if you are very conversant with Tiktok. You have to learn how to combine your teaching ability with child psychology and channel that through technology while ensuring that learning is seamless and efficient. Grab a copy of this book and more than half your problems are solved.
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6. The Language of Coaching by Nick Winkelman
The role of a coach is to drive performance to attain maximum results. You can bring this mentality into your classroom with some of the techniques shared in this book. You learn how to match your teaching language to the learning needs of your students and by so doing, drive up performance levels. It is an eye opener that will highlight a lot of those areas where you might be getting it wrong.
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7. The Science Teacher’s Tool Box by Tara C. Dale
Many experts collaborated together on this one so you stand to gain perspectives and lessons from various people in the field. You would gain fresh ideas on teaching science to your students that will certainly keep their interest and raise their engagement level. The best part is how practical and easy to implement these ideas are. You can also adapt them to different educational settings.
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8. Balance with Blended Learning by Catlin R. Tucker
A lot of teachers are overworked and this is an understatement. I am sure that you are familiar with the hassles that comes with teaching. And because many teachers are overworked, they are unable to actively monitor the progress of all of their students. This book teaches you how to create a balance that enables you to handle the tasks that are assigned to you while staying on track with all your student activities. It may sound impossible until you give this book a try.
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9. Teaching Kids to Buy Stocks by JJ Wenrich
I know this book is about teaching kids to buy stocks but in reality, if you have no idea on how the stock market works, this is the best place for you to start. While it is focused on equipping children to be more than just academicians, it also highlights your role as a teacher in this process. Whether you are a parent, guardian or just someone who is interested in how this works, you’ll be getting some sound financial principles that could lay the pathway for your journey to financial freedom.
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10. The Essential Guide to Managing Teacher Stress by Bill Rogers
As a teacher, I’m sure that you saw this title and probably heaved a sigh. Teaching can be stressful whether you’re doing it from home or in a formal teaching environment. This book helps you cope without compromising the quality of work that you do. It is practical, efficient and written by someone who knows what they’re talking about.
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What is on your reading list?
