bibliophile (noun)
- a person who collects or has a great love of books
The Essential Guide for Student-Centered Coaching
by Diane Sweeney and Leanna S. Harris This book is an excellent starting point for any leader or educator who wants to learn more about student centered coaching. Instructional coaching can have an enormous impact on teaching and learning but it's also an area of professional learning and support that is not completely understood by teachers and educational leaders. Diving into this book gives the reader insight into the different kinds of instructional coaching frameworks that are being used in K-12 education today and why student centered coaching can lead to school improvement in ways that other kinds of instructional coaching cannot. This book sets the stage for how principals and coaches can work together to support teachers' professional growth and improve student outcomes. Can't wait to read Sweeney's other student centered coaching books! Favourite quote "Successful coaching programs are embedded into what we like to refer to as an ecosystem for professional learning. The definition of an ecosystem is a complex network or interconnected system, which we feel expresses the kind of aligned and connected system that schools need to have for meaningful learning to take place. When we think of coaching as an essential component of the broader system for teacher development, we avoid positioning it as one more thing that teachers have to do, but rather as something that is embedded int the existing school improvement processes." |
Positive Intelligence
by Shirzad Chamine I was introduced to Positive Intelligence and the ten Saboteurs during coaching training. The descriptions of how the brain can prevent individuals from reaching their full potential resonated with me deeply, especially the descriptions of the Judge and Stickler (my top two Saboteurs). Saboteurs are automatic and habitual mind patterns, each with its own voice, beliefs, and assumptions that work against our best interests. The premise of Positive Intelligence is that we can interrupt our Saboteurs by tapping into our Sage who has access to our wisdom. We do this by being curious, using self-compassion, thinking creatively, aligning our actions to our values and mission, and taking action without influence of the Saboteurs. Chamine provides a wide variety of tools and strategies to weaken Saboteurs and strengthen the PQ brain and the Sage. I loved the framework so much that I took the coaching foundations course. Adding the PQ framework and tools to my coaching repertoire will definitely help me and future clients. Favourite quote "Both your Saboteurs and your Sage may lead you to success, but they do so by taking very different paths. The Saboteurs push you into action and success through anger, regret, fear, guilt, anxiety, shame, obligation, etc. But the Sage pulls you into action through compassion, curiosity, creativity, the joy of self-expression, a desire to contribute and create meaning, and the excitement of action. Would you rather be pushed or pulled? Only the Sage lets you achieve success without sacrificing happiness and peace of mind." |
White Fragility
by Robin DiAngelo This was a powerful book to read, and I was happy to read it as part of a professional book club at work. It sparked a lot of uncomfortable, deep, and healthy conversations about race and white fragility, and how it shows up in the workplace and in education. There were so many parts where I was questioning my own motives and behaviour in a good way. The ways that white people fail to understand the structural nature of racism and our defensiveness during attempts to educate or discuss race allow white supremacy to continue. DiAngelo shows many of the ways that white people work to keep white equilibrium and avoid acknowledging racial conditioning. We need to do better and face these discussions and actions with humility and critical thinking. Favourite quote "White equilibrium is a cocoon of racial comfort, centrality, superiority, entitlement, racial apathy, and obliviousness, all rooted in an identity of being good people free of racism. Challenging this cocoon throws off our racial balance. Because being racially off balance is rare, we have not had to build the capacity to sustain the discomfort. Thus, whites find these challenges unbearable and want them to stop." |
Impact Therapy: The Courage to Counsel
by Ed Jacobs and Christine Schimmel This was a reread for me. As a school counsellor I was drawn to the creative techniques included in the book that helped students move toward insights and change. I wanted to revisit some of those strategies to see how I could apply them with coaching clients. I wasn't disappointed. Using multi-sensory strategies and techniques like props, visuals, movement, drawing, and metaphors can help clients explore, learn, and change in ways that just straight talking and questioning can't. I'll definitely be using a few of these in my future sessions. Favourite quote "Important sentences: 1. All behaviour is purposeful. 2. Thoughts cause feelings. 3. Get your expectations in line with reality. 4. You teach people how to treat you. 5. Life is a series of choices. 6. You can't hold on and move on." |
The Power of Fun
by Catherine Price Who doesn't want to have more fun? This book explains why we should have more of it (it's not just indulgent or frivolous...having fun is beneficial to our health and wellness) and how to do it. According to Price the secret recipe to having True Fun is to engage in activities that create playfulness, connection, and flow. When all three are present we experience True Fun and reap the benefits of what True Fun brings. Regularly making time for True Fun is good for us. It brings joy, meaning, and fulfillment into our lives...it help us to flourish. Not only does Price make a really good case for why we should be having more fun, she also provides ideas, activities, and tips for how to do it. Here's to having more fun! Favourite quote "...our lack of screen-life balance [is] steering us away from what really matters to us, making us feel dead inside, and damaging our ability to have True Fun. And that last part is much more important than you might think, because not only does True Fun feel better than nonstop work and screen time, it can actually prevent and even reverse many of their negative effects. True fun isn't a distraction from our problems, in other words. It's a solution." |
Teaching WalkThrus: Five-Step Guides to Instructional Coaching
by Tom Sherrington and Oliver Caviglioli This is book one in a series of guides that offer educators practical step-by-step instructions for a ton of teaching strategies and techniques. Each technique is simply explained in five steps and illustrated with pretty stick figures and line drawings. To have a curated list of evidence-based methods all in one place is super handy for educators to use and adapt for their classrooms. This book could be used by individuals or a group looking to improve their practice, or as a resource for instructional coaching/instructional rounds. Lots of great stuff here! Favourite quotes This one had a few nuggets that I wanted to hold onto, so I'm including two favourites: "Only learners create learning. Research shows that the better learners are able to manage their learning, the better they learn." "The phrase 'you establish what you establish' ... means that, if in practice, you tolerate mediocre work, poor punctuality and off-task talking, you have established that this is the norm so this is what you get." |
Ensouling Our Schools
by Jennifer Katz and Kevin Lamoureux I've had the great fortune of hearing Kevin Lamoureux speak a few times and he recommended this book as a framework for leaders to use to incorporate mental health, well-being, and reconciliation into all classrooms. Pulling from Universal Design for Learning (UDL), RTI, the TRC's Calls to Action, mental health literacy, and SEL and self-regulation, including mindfulness, this framework got me really excited about the possibilities in our schools. If every teacher made this a priority and worked together to make this happen what an impact this would have on our students, ourselves, and our school communities. I also loved the lesson plan resources and ideas throughout the book and thought that teams could work together to design a scope and sequence and bring in other lessons plans so teachers don't repeat the exact same lesson class to class or year to year. Favourite quote "We learn best when we are happy. Thus, when we take the time to focus on the well-being of our students, we are also priming our students' brains for the curriculum to come." |
The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership
by Jim Dethmer, Diana Chapman, and Kailey Warner Klemp This was an interesting read and one I picked up after seeing a post on LinkedIn about the drama triangle. The drama triangle, according to the Conscious Leadership Group, is fueled by blame, the desire to be right, and fear. In the drama triangle individuals take on the roles of victim, villain, and hero and they engage with each other over and over again in ways that promote a victim consciousness rather than responsibility. It allows us to point fingers, make excuses, and swoop in and rescue, not to mention the entertainment value for others around us. However, when we take full responsibility for ourselves, we step out of the drama triangle and look at situations with curiosity and learning. It requires individuals to ask themselves how they may be contributing to or benefiting from the situation or problem and to locate the cause and control of our lives in ourselves, not external events or people. It requires us to be candid with others and have what can be uncomfortable or difficult conversations, but it’s a much more authentic and genuine way to deal with issues in the long run, and way more productive. And that's just Commitment #1 for people wanting to be conscious leaders. The other 14 commitments are equally intriguing and I definitely would love to work with people who strive to live all 15 commitments. While written more for the business sector, leaders in the education sector may enjoy the 15 commitments for it’s approach to personal and professional leadership development. To be clear, this isn’t a list of strategies: the 15 commitments is a lifestyle and way of being in the world. Favourite quote "In an oversimplified way, all leaders at any moment are operating from one of two beliefs/experiences: those who believe they lack something and want it and are seeking to get it from someone or something outside of themselves, and those who believe they are already whole, perfect, and complete, and lack nothing. These leaders move in the world from a very different energy. Those who believe they lack move in the world from fear and those who believe they are already whole, perfect, and complete, lacking nothing, move in the world from love and creativity." |
Onward: Cultivating Emotional Resilience in Educators
by Elena Aguilar This book is one of those ones that I'll return to over and over and over again. So many a-ha moments, deep thoughts, reflections, and tools to use in our work as educators trying to transform our schools and help all students succeed and thrive. It was also our Book Club selection this year and my second time reading it. Being able to connect and learn with others after each chapter had things resonating even more deeply for me and I'm walking away a better educator and person because of it. Teaching and leading is a tough gig and cynicism and burnout can affect even our best teachers. Cultivating resiliency so we can remain energized and inspired to do the work is achievable. Aguilar's framework and tools create a path to get there. Favourite quote "To construct a Beloved Community, we must reckon with our past and dismantle the structures of racial, gender, and economic oppression. In this community, all people will be welcomed. The path to this community must be forged with compassion and curiosity. Let us aspire to create a Beloved Community wherever we find ourselves, but especially in our work as educators, in our schools and classrooms and playgrounds." |
Think Again
by Adam Grant I've been a fan of Adam Grant for awhile now, following his posts on LinkedIn and Twitter. He has a lot of interesting and inspiring things to say about learning, leadership, innovation, and change. His newest book, Think Again, doesn't disappoint. Grant posits that we tend to use four different mental models (preacher, prosecutor, politician, and scientist) in our daily lives when we talk about our opinions or are asked to examine our current beliefs. While each one has its advantages in certain situations, the scientist mental model is the one we should use most often if we want to truly learn and seek truth. When we think like a scientist (when we get curious, ask questions, test out hypotheses, and update our views based on new data) we are more apt to consider other alternatives and perspectives rather than committing to or doubling down on our hunches and current beliefs as facts. A great read that makes you think about thinking and I loved the visuals and graphics used throughout the book. Favourite quote "When our imposter fears crop up, the usual advice is to ignore them--give ourselves the benefit of the doubt. Instead, we might be better off embracing those fears...it can motivate us to work harder...work smarter...[and] make us better learners." |
Balance With Blended Learning
by Catlin R. Tucker I've loved Catlin Tucker ever since I read Blended Learning in Action. She regularly posts articles, ideas, resources, and tips on social media about teaching, specifically about teaching with technology. I consider her a guru of blended learning and I've learned a lot from her over the years when it comes to using technology for deep learning in classrooms. She doesn't disappoint with her latest book. This book is full of resources and strategies that are super practical for making blended learning even better in your classroom and puts students at the centre. I love that she started the book off with a discussion about the shifts happening in grading and the move from points and percentages to feedback and proficiency. Teachers who embrace the blended learning model not only provide students more time to hone their 21st century skills, they also free up more time for themselves to engage with students in more meaningful ways. A really great read! Favourite quote "If the teacher-learner partnership is grounded in the shared activity of learning, then both people in the partnership must be committed to learning." |
What is Digital Identity?
by Olivier Ertzscheid I read this little gem for a course I was taking with the Digital Pedagogy Lab 2020 and loved it for its straightforward approach to exploring the issues associated with our digital identities and reputations. In our increasingly connected world, all of us need to know the basics when it comes to creating, curating, and monitoring our digital identities. Even our most simplest clicks and transactions on the Internet can leave behind details of us for others to see, remix, and judge. Ertzscheid gives readers an accessible way to understand these issues and take action to protect ourselves. Favourite quote "Today we live in a world of hyperproximity, permanent connectivity and nomadic, ubiquitous technology. In this world, our identity is in danger if we do not put safeguards in place. Or, more precisely, our identity is likely to permanently endanger our social relations in both the physical and the digital world." |
Becoming
by Michelle Obama Wow! What a compelling and inspirational story. It's hard not to admire Michelle Obama even more than I already did after reading her memoir. Her constant desire to become a better version of herself and her dedication to building others up in whatever environment she found herself in is admirable, especially when you consider the intense scrutiny and pressure she was under during her husband's time in the White House. I loved reading about her childhood and early years at university and could relate to her descriptions of striving for more, risking criticism, and pursing big goals. I also love that she values education and mentoring and enjoyed reading more about the work she has done in these two areas. Favourite quote "Let's invite one another in. Maybe then we can begin to fear less, to make fewer wrong assumptions, to let go of the biases and stereotypes that unnecessarily divide us. Maybe we can better embrace the ways we are the same. It's not about being perfect. It's not about where you get yourself in the end. There's power in allowing yourself to be known and heard, in owning your unique story, in using your authentic voice." |
The Confidence Code
by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman I bought this for International Women's Day after a friend recommended it to me and I loved the message: women can work to improve their confidence and make changes to definitions of success and leadership at the same time. Paralyzed by self-doubt and perfectionism, some women choose not to act, but that leads to a vicious cycle of more self-doubt and inaction. Kay and Shipman explore this nature/nurture issue and urge women to act...that's how you learn, grow, and gain confidence. Favourite quote (mostly so I remember to stop doing it): "Ruminating drains the confidence from us. Those negative thoughts and nightmare scenarios masquerading as problem solving, spin on an endless loop. We render ourselves unable to be in the moment or to trust our instincts because we are captive to those distracting, destructive thoughts, which gradually squeeze all the spontaneity out of life and work. We have got to stop ruminating." |
Wolfpack
by Abby Wambach First off, I know nothing about soccer, so I truly had no idea who Abby Wambach was when I decided to read this book. It was a book that Brene Brown (yes, her again...ha ha!) recommended in one of her blog posts and so when I saw it in the bookstore I grabbed it. I'm glad I did. This super quick read has a powerful message and one that I've been really thinking about lately: we all need a pack, a "...crew of brave and honest women to support you...to hold you accountable to your greatness, remind you of who you are, and join you to change the world" (p. 84). We simply cannot do it alone and it's not a competition. It's so important to surround ourselves with people that we respect and trust, that we can learn from, and who we can celebrate with. Everyone needs a wolfpack. Favourite quote "The Wolfpack's belief is that scarcity is a lie. That power and success and joy are not pies. A bigger slice for one woman doesn't mean a smaller slice for another. We believe that love, justice, success, and power are infinite and meant to be accessible to all." |
Rising Strong
by Brene Brown I just had to read another Brene Brown book after the inspiration I got from Dare to Lead. Reading Rising Strong when I did couldn't have been more perfectly timed. Having just experienced a wee fall ("...if we are brave enough often enough, we will fall; this is the physics of vulnerability"), Rising Strong helped me get inside the process of rising and reset. Rather than stay underneath the rock of shame, where many people hide, blame, or lash out (classic fight, flight, freeze responses), I wanted to face my feelings of disappointment and insecurity and get back in the ring, hopefully, with a little more self-awareness, insight, and tenacity. Rising strong, indeed! Favourite quote "Hope is a function of struggle. If we're never allowed to fall or face adversity as children, we are denied the opportunity to develop the tenacity and sense of agency we need to be hopeful." |
Dare to Lead
by Brene Brown I've decided I want to be Brene Brown when I grow up. I've never had a book inspire me quite the way that Dare to Lead has. It's made me realize how often I reach for armour when I feel vulnerable or judged. Getting solid in my values and the kind of work I want to do and inspire requires taking off the armour and rumbling with vulnerability in order to reach my full potential and help others reach theirs. Thanks to this book, I now fully understand the kind of organizational culture I want to work in and contribute to--one where people feel safe, respected, and inspired to work together to improve and rumble together. Her ability to simplify complex behaviour into memorable statements to live by is uncanny: clear is kind, mastery requires feedback, paint it done, the story I'm telling myself, and shitty first drafts (this one made me love Brene even more for quoting one of my favourite writers, Anne Lamont). I think I'll be saying, "What would Brene do?" for some time to come. Favourite quotes...loved this book so much, it gets two "But what we [teachers] can do, and what we are ethically called to do, is create a space in our schools and classrooms where all students can walk in, and for that day or hour, take off the crushing weight of their armor, hang it in a rack, and open their heart to truly being seen." "Don't grab hurtful comments and pull them close to you by rereading them and ruminating on them. Don't play with them by rehearsing your badass comeback. And whatever you do, don't pull that hatefulness close to your heart." |
Educated
by Tara Westover Although this isn't a professional reading book per se, this deeply inspiring and captivating memoir explores the transformational power of education and the lengths some individuals need to go to attain even a basic education. Born to survivalist parents who did not trust the government (modern medicine and schools were largely avoided), Westover did not receive a formal education until her late teens when she first attended college. Watching Westover's struggle to improve and think for herself highlights the power of education and the tools they give to create new understandings, beginnings, and lives. Favourite quote "I had a thousand dollars in my bank account...A thousand dollars. Extra. That I did not immediately need. It took weeks for me to come to terms with this fact, but as I did, I began to experience the most powerful advantage of money: the ability to think of things besides money. My professors came into focus, suddenly and sharply; it was as if before the grant I'd been looking at them through a blurred lens." |
Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools
by Michael B. Horn and Heather Staker I do believe that blended learning will eventually just be referred to as learning, but we're not quite there yet. This book explores the various ways that technology is being used in blended classrooms and schools and the ways that technology can improve pedagogy and student learning. From rotation models to enriched virtual models, blended learning is a way to personalize, differentiate, and give students access to the best of both online and face-to-face learning. Favourite quote "The power of culture is that as members of an organization reach a shared paradigm about how to work together to be successful, ultimately they don't have to stop to ask each other what to do....people autonomously do what they need to do to be successful." |
Rethinking Letter Grades: A Five Step Approach to Aligning Letter Grades to Learning Standards
by Caren Cameron and Kathleen Gregory This little book was a game changer for me. After diving into how we are communicating and reporting student learning to students and parents, traditional report cards just didn't make sense to me anymore, but I didn't know what it could be replaced with. Cameron and Gregory give practical ways to replace letter grades with learning standards, something our Ministry of Education is doing right now, too. Using learning standards puts the focus on learning, not the marks, and really forces teachers to rethink how we arrive at final letter grades. Favourite quote "Something that we keep learning about our profession is that we never get there. Just when we start to think we've arrived, it is time to move forward." |
Grading Smarter Not Harder: Assessment Strategies That Motivate Kids and Help Them Learn
by Myron Dueck This book really got me thinking about how we assess learning, especially at the high school level, and how many of our practices actually decrease motivation. I've come across so many students who have either given up on the learning process due to their grades, or who do the bare minimum to achieve the mark they want. Even some of the "A" students aren't really interested in learning: they are interested in jumping through hoops to get their marks. Myron Dueck, who is a BC educator, gives teachers an alterative way to think about learning, homework, zeros, and testing. If you're looking to help your students learn for mastery and increase student engagement, this book will help you make some simple, yet impactful, changes. Favourite quote "If learning is the ultimate goal, we should allow for the possibility that every student can fully meet prescribed learning outcomes, and that this should be celebrated rather than scorned." |
Blended Learning in Action
by Catlin R. Tucker, Tiffany Wycoff, and Jason T. Green I recently had the chance to re-read Blended Learning in Action, and picked up even more tips the second time through. I also read it while lurking on the #BLinAction Twitter chat which gave me even more ideas! Written for educators wanting to know more about how blended learning can improve teaching practices, classrooms, and schools, the book gives many practical strategies for using technology to engage and empower students. With all of the changes to BC's curriculum and the shift to 21st century competencies this is a helpful book for any educator looking to make changes. Favourite quote "Projects and experiences that put real-world problems at the forefront and tap into student passion or mastery provide an intrinsic catalyst for the best outcomes." |
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
by Susan Cain Introverts unite! This book had me riveted and rethinking my introverted tendencies not as flaws, but as advantages. Susan Cain "argues that we dramatically undervalue introverts and shows how much we lose by doing so." Everyone should read this book--extroverts and introverts alike will benefit from Cain's insightful exploration of the extrovert ideal and another, quieter, option. Favourite quote "Pay attention to what you envy. Jealousy is an ugly emotion, but it tells the truth. You mostly envy those who have what you desire." |