Professional books reviewed by educators
The AI Assist by Nathan Lang-Raad offers a solid starting point for using artificial intelligence in the classroom, writes teacher Ralph Covino. Raad emphasizes the need to keep the human teacher at the center of instruction and includes a framework and useful guiding questions.
In a new edition of Well Spoken, Erik Palmer stresses the subtle shift from public speaking to “all speaking” – introducing activities to practice skills needed not just in speeches but in digital environments and “any time a speaker gives thought to what they are going to say.”
The authors of Educating for Justice provide a comprehensive framework for schools looking to move beyond superficial diversity initiatives and create meaningful, school-wide change that empowers students to critically engage with social injustices, writes Melinda Stewart.
In The Writing Teacher’s Guide to Pedagogical Documentation Angela Stockman zeroes in on documenting the learning process, which consists of collecting multimodal, qualitative evidence while students work, to assess learning and adjust instruction, writes Andrew Krasnavage.
Conflict in schools isn’t abstract – it’s lived daily. Offering tools, examples, and mindset shifts, veteran school leader Jen Schwanke helps principals understand and manage conflict and lead beyond it with clarity, empathy, and a steady hand, writes principal Dennis Schug.
Deeper Competency-Based Learning provides educational leaders, teachers and policy makers both the vision and the tools necessary to move from traditional grading and assessment toward a competency model that accurately reflects student mastery, writes coach Kathee Lamberies.
Zaretta Hammond examines the cultivation of “cognitive justice” to ensure that every student, especially those from historically marginalized groups, experiences the full rigor, challenge and coaching necessary to develop as an independent, powerful learner, says Melinda Stewart.
Not Your Granny’s Grammar offers a fresh, engaging, and practical approach to grammar rooted in authentic writing practice. It’s well organized to guide teachers through the philosophy, structure, and application of a comprehensive grammar study, writes NBCT Kathie Palmieri.
Building on her previous writings redefining rigor in education, teaching coach Barbara R. Blackburn shares fresh tools, strategies, and insights to add rigor to your teaching in ways that are meaningful, engaging and appropriately challenging for all students.
“The Classroom of Choice” is perfect for teachers seeking ways to strengthen their classrooms and curriculum using Choice Theory so students thrive as learners and humans, says MS teacher and NBCT Angela Lee. Each chapter has specific, ready to use, research based strategies.
