Joyful Learning offers a student-centered vision to help teachers bring more meaning and fun into their practice. It offers a framework for considering key elements of teaching practice like relationships, curriculum, assessment, grading, assignments, writes Nicole Miller.
Whose job is it to teach students what they need to know about deceptive social media, algorithmic advertising, and deep-fake artificial intelligence? Media literacy educator Frank W. Baker offers advice, resources, and a sense of urgency “in an increasingly deep-fake world.”
Teacher Lauren Brown smiles when her history students eagerly make connections with content they’re studying in another class. Recalling a time when interdisciplinary teaching was common, she suggests ways teachers might revive a practice that emphasizes knowledge-based learning.
Dale Ripley helps readers delve into crucial methods for positively leveraging student learning, classroom behavior, and relationship development with tactics including handling bias, influence and motivation. The book offers many reflection opportunities, says Trishauna Pulos.
Whether you’re working to create more meaningful learning experiences, establish mastery of standards, or get your planning more organized, you’ll reach for this practical, ready-to-use resource again and again, writes teacher Amy Leach. A valuable companion on anyone’s teaching journey.
Natalie Wexler dives deep into the gap between academic research and classroom application, firmly supporting the Science of Reading but arguing that a content-rich curriculum is essential to build the background knowledge older students need to understand more complex texts.
Book Reviews / Executive Function / Social & Emotional Learning
by Susan Curtis · Published 09/11/2025
In The Missing Link to Help Them Think, brain research specialist Marilee Sprenger presents the integral link between SEL and executive functions, explaining how to create a bridge between the two. Katie Durkin praises the book as a quick but thorough read helpful all year.
By clearly defining language objectives and developing related sentence frames we can boost language development and impact English language learners’ reading and writing growth significantly. Alma Ortiz-Agib and Sunday Cummins share strategies developed in real classrooms.
It’s easy to keep busy in just about any job, writes former principal Matt Renwick, now a regional systems coach. What’s difficult to discern is what we should be focused on in this moment. See how Renwick is using what he calls “productive presence” to stay organized and aware.
Invest in Your Best is full of practical insights that any school leader can trust will lead to improved retention of their most effective teachers. Implementing the book’s ideas will also benefit the whole faculty and students, writes Wisconsin systems coach Matt Renwick.
