This is what my mom has always and I mean always preached!
Well, as I get older I have found that it is SO true.
After the end of this past school year, I remember speaking to my students about the upcoming Summer Reading Olympics! We discussed the different levels of success and how reading just a little a day and make our brains EXPAND dramatically....and if we don't, well than as one of my students said "Our smart brains will shrink!" Too cute. :)
With that in mind, I thought, "WHY aren't teachers part of this challenge? If we are encouraging our students to be reading leaders, WE should do it too!" So here is my reading progress so far this summer. I know, it's all over the place, but I tend to read several books of different kinds at a time to stay engaged. :)
What I'm Currently Reading....
1. Insurgent by Veronica Roth
Umm...can I say keep me on the edge of my seat? This is the second book in the Divergent Trilogy. The first book was AMAZING and had a Hunger Games feel, so I had to go for it. The second book so far is nothing short of thrilling and I'm reading it every free chance I get. Looking forward to the third book coming out soon! This has been my summer "non-school related" reading!
I whipped through this fantastic book right after school got out! It literally only took me a day to read it because it was so relevant to the 7 Habits Leadership philosophy that schools are implementing. Lonnie Moore lays the truth out in an honest way that makes you want to be the type of teacher he describes! I highly recommend this book for educators of all ages and grade level. It's a must read! :)
3. Lean In-Women, Work and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg
I heard about this book through the grapevine and bought it right away. Just the title itself oozes leadership! The author takes the reader through her life's journey and takes opportunities to empower women in leadership through her own struggles and success. One common theme throughout the book is that of Risk Taking, which for women is often a scary thought! I'm only about half way finished, but so far I feel encouraged to dream bigger, work harder, and leap into the unknown more often. A great refresher for sure.
4. Pathways to the Common Core-Accelerating Achievement by Lucy Calkins, Mary Ehrenworth and Christopher Lehman
I have to be honest and say that while this book is FILLED with valuable information, I only read a little bit a day. It provides a deep analysis of the Common Core Standards and really challenges teachers to move away from centers and worksheets and really TEACH students how to read, and read for long periods of time. This book validates everything I believe about Readers Workshop and proves to be a phenomenal resource to anyone looking to take that leap!
5. Teaching with the Brain in Mind by Eric Jensen
I'm going Text Book style on this one, but WOW. There are so many little nuggets of truth within these pages that educators can totally implement into their classrooms. It discusses everything from the brain and different times of the day to energy levels and when the best time is to teach certain subjects. SOOOOOO Interesting and helpful. I always learn something new after just reading a page or two.
1. The Core Six-Essential Strategies for Achieving Excellence with the Common Core
This little gem of a book was introduced to me by my previous school's literacy coach. We started this as a grade level book study, but did not finish due to end of the year craziness. I really want to try and read the rest of this before the end of summer! What we learned from the beginning of the book was so intriguing and I can't wait to learn more! Hello new strategies!!!!
2. It's Not Us Against Them-Creating the Schools We Need by Raymond McNulty
My mom returned from a Model Schools Conference in Washington D.C. and this book was the Hot Topic! It focuses on the power of relationship building with students and families and delves deeply into the work of Bill Daggett! The 3 R's (Relationship, Rigor and Relevance) are of particular interest to me and I look forward to learning more and hopefully transferring that into my classroom! Model Schools Conference is in Orlando next year...who's in??? :)))
Okay, so now that I have revealed my "nerdiness" I will leave you with a quote my husband and I always relate back to.
"A Leader can only take his/her people as deep or far as he/she is willing to go himself."
If we challenge our students to be lifelong readers, we need to lead by example and do it as well. :))
Happy Reading!
-Mrs. Hunter
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