Burns, S. (2004). Move closer, stay longer. Available for ordering at: www.stephanieburns.com. (For anyone who has ever feared ANYTHING! In 110 pages, Burns talks about her own fear of learning to ride a horse and the stages she went through to overcome that fear. This is an easy "read" with lots of information for anyone who wants to move closer, stay longer and help others do the same.)
Burns, S. (2000). Great lies we live by (2nd ed.). Dural, NSW: Navybridge Pty Limited. (This book is a quick read - less than 100 pages - and full of great information about the ways in which our self-created "lies" put up barriers to our learning.). I highly recommend this book for all teachers!
Codell, E. R. (2001). Educating Esmé : diary of a teacher's first year. Chapel Hill, N.C. : Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill. (I LOVE this book! It is a true story of Esme's first year of teaching in an inner city school in Chicago. In addition to sharing both humorous and heart-wrenching stories, she provides teachers with unique teaching strategies that reach children and help them be better learners.)
England, C. M. (2003). None of our business: Why business models don't work in schools. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. (I just finished reading this short but informative book. England makes a strong case for NOT using a corporate-style management system with schools.)
England, C. M. (2004). Uphill both ways. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. (This is a wonderful book to help teachers learn to understand and accommodate students labeled "at risk".)
Haddon, M. (2003). The curious incident of the dog in the night-time. New York : Doubleday. (This fiction story is based on events in the life of an autistic boy. I learned so much about the behavior of autistic children from this book. The author is a teacher of autistic children.)
Intrator, S. M. & Scribner, M. (Eds.) (2003). Teaching with fire: Poetry that sustains the courage to teach. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. (Another recommendation by Dr. Sue Slick. This collection of poetry submitted by teachers of students at all levels and in a variety of disciplines is a must-read for those of you who find inspiration in quotes, poems, songs, and other forms of the written word!).
Kindlon, D. & Thompson, M. (2000). Raising Cain: Protecting the emotional life of boys. New York: Ballantine Books. (Dr. Upham recommended this book to me. As a mother of one son and teacher and counselor of many boys, I wish I had read this sooner! Any teacher (or parent) of even one boy will benefit from the wisdom and experience of these authors!)
Kohn, A. (2000). The case against standardized testing: Raising the scores, ruining the schools. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. (I, along with Dr. Upham, used this book last year following Alfie Kohn's visit to campus. It is only ONE of Kohn's books in which he makes a strong case against standardized testing in schools.)
Levine, M. (2002). A mind at a time. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster. (This is an EXCELLENT book to help you understand how students learn and why all students do not learn in the same way. Dr. Levine's writing is straight-forward and easy to read. He writes from his many years of working with children, their parents and their teachers. It's fascinating and informative and available in our LRC!)
Loewen, J. W. (1995). Lies my teacher told me. Everything your American history textbook got wrong. New York, NY: Touchstone. (This evocative title drew my attention although my colleagues had recommended this book a while back, too! I was AMAZED at what I thought I knew about history that Loewen has proven inaccurate or at least clarified. This is a MUST READ for every history, social studies, and social science major and highly recommended for all teacher to understand why many students are turned off to anything remotely related to history!)
MacKenzie, G. (1998). Orbiting the giant hairball. New York, NY: Viking. (Think outside the box! MacKenzie's book, including the art work provides lessons from work and life that will help you bring out your creative side!)
Ohanian, S. (1994). Who's in charge?: A teacher speaks her mind. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. (This book is not for the faint of heart nor those who are not totally committed to teaching! Ohanian offers criticisms of education and stakeholder groups, often because they have "earned" them! Although supportive of many of her thoughts, I would also like to see her write more about alternatives to the banes of the current educational system.)
Ohanian, S. (1999). One size fits few: The folly of educational standards. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. (Ohanian, like Alfie Kohn, presents strong arguments against standards and the ways in which they negatively impact education.)
Payne, R. K. (2003). A framework for understanding poverty. Highlands, Tex. : aha! Process. (A must read for all future and veteran teachers to aid in their understanding of the impact of socio-economic status on learning.)
Phelan, T. W. (2nd ed.) (1995). 1-2-3 magic: Effective discipline for children 2-12. Glen Ellyn, IL: Child Management, Inc. (This book is my #1 recommendation to teachers and parents! It is a wonderful resource for discipline strategies that can be modified for children even older than 12. Dr. Phelan's strategies are especially effective with children affected by ADD/ADHD, as is one of his own children.)
Sax, L. (2005). Why gender matters: What parents and teachers need to know about the emerging science of sex differences. New York, NY: Doubleday. (Did you know that little boys do not hear as well as little girls? Would you discipline a 12 year old girl the same as a 12 year old boy? To learn the answers to these and other questions - including those often posed by teachers - read this book! It is a MUST for parents and teachers!)
Schacter, D. L. (2001). The seven sins of memory: How the mind forgets and remembers. Boston, MS: Houghton Mifflin Company. (This book takes a while to "wade" through and is written primarily - in my opinion - to reassure us baby boomers that our memories may not be all that bad after all. However, I believe Schacter's research also sheds light on the ways we - and our students - learn and remember. Insight can be gained in understanding, for example, why students may often need to "start over" with math problems when we just "taught" them!)
Tompkins, J. (1996). A life in school: What the teacher learned. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., Inc. (Jane Tompkins book is both inspirational and instructive. Although she now teaches at the university level, what she has learned about teaching is valuable to teachers at all levels.)
Upham, D. A. & Trumbull, V. N. (1997). Making the grade: Reflections on being learning disabled. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. UWSP's own Dr. Dayle Upham and chronicles her life experiences as a learning disabled student. The book also contains numerous helpful strategies for teachers who work with students with learning disabilities.)