Teachers today face more obstacles than ever before, but smart teachers learn how to deal with those obstacles through resources like blog and books about teaching. Those obstacles may include the shift to STEM classes, the growing size of classes and the use of older or outdated textbooks. These books will make you become a better teacher and a better person.
When Looking for New Teaching Methods
When looking for books about teaching that will help you learn some new methods you can use in the classroom, pick up a copy of “Teach Like a Pirate: Increase Student Engagement, Boost Your Creativity and Transform Your Life as an Educator” by Dave Burgess. Burgess uses his book as a way to connect with teachers and to show them that teaching can actually be fun. The ideas in his book became so popular that he now speaks on the lecture circuit about how teachers can rely on new and fun methods of teaching.
To Find New Lesson Plans
While there are dozens of free lesson plans that you can find online, you might find the book “The Best Lesson Series Literature: 15 Master Teachers Share What Works” from the Talk With Teachers series. This series features real lesson plans that teachers used in their own classes. This book focuses on how you can make literature fun and lesson plans that will get your kids excited about the classics. Other books in the series focus on other subjects.
Resource: Top 10 Best Online Masters in Teaching Degree Programs
When Going Beyond the Textbook
Some of the best books about teaching go beyond what you’ll find in your textbooks. History teachers should read “Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong” by James W. Loewen. This book goes into greater detail about major events in American history and focuses on the stories that publishers left out of textbooks. You’ll read about what really happened when Christopher Columbus set sail on his famous journey, some of the rumors surrounding 9/11 and how the first settlers actually treated the Native Americans. It might just change the way you approach subjects in your history classes.
For STEM Teachers
Many school districts now put an emphasis on STEM classes, which are classes in science, technology, engineering and math. That emphasis can change the way you teach and leave you facing some problems in your classes. A great book for those teaching STEM classes is “The STEM Shift: A Guide for School Leaders” by Ann Myers and Jill Berkowicz. The two women have several decades of experience teaching these classes and share what they learned. Though school administrators will find the book useful, so too will those teaching these classes.
When Working With New Students
When new students arrive at the beginning of the year, you may have problem students in your class. “Learning to Trust: Transforming Difficult Elementary Classrooms Through Developmental Discipline” by Marilyn Watson and Laura Ecken is one of the best books about teaching for anyone worried about teaching new students or retaining control in the classroom. This book is unique because it shows you how to identify the needs of specific students instead of trying to manage the entire class. Scholastic named this one of the 12 books that every teacher should read.
After a long day of teaching, you might look forward to heading home and unwinding with your favorite television show. Instead of becoming a couch potato, try sitting down with a good book at the end of the day. The top books about teaching will give you useful tips that you can use with your current students and all future students too.
