Dear Cindi Rigsbee
José Vilson writes a book review in the form of a professional love letter to middle grades teacher Cindi Rigsbee, author of Finding Mrs. Warnecke: The Difference Teachers Make.
Category: Book Reviews
Respect for Young Writers
Beyond the Five Paragraph Essay by Kimberly Hill Campbell and Kristi Latimer provides a process, plan & writing formats “that breathe life back into student writing,” says teacher-reviewer Liz Wisniewski.
Becoming a Together Teacher
The Together Teacher™: Plan Ahead, Get Organized, and Save Time! by Maia Heyck-Merlin helps readers recognize that being organized “is a means to an end –strong student outcomes and more free time,” says reviewer Beth Fabijanic.
Unique and Necessary
In our second review of The Together Teacher, popular blogger Ariel Sacks says the organizational advice from Maia Heyck-Merlin suits her busy but Type B teacher-leader life.
Tech Basics & Beyond
Doug Johnson’s The Classroom Teacher’s Technology Survival Guide can help classroom teachers gain knowledge and perspective but some content may be heavy going for novices, says reviewer Rhonda Leduc.
Humanity’s Apprentices
Reading Opening Minds: Using Language to Change Lives, Peter H. Johnston’s wonderful book about teaching children, reviewer Kimberley Moran “felt something in my brain crack wide open.”
Raising Real-World Writers
In Write Like This: Teaching Real-World Writing Through Modeling & Mentor Texts teacher-author Kelly Gallagher shows us how to teach the real-world writing skills our students urgently need, says literacy coach Francesca LoGiudice.
Inside the Flipped Classroom
Flip Your Classroom: Reach Every Student in Every Class Every Day by Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams is a definite keeper, says reviewer Marsha Ratzel. It’s short, to-the-point, and written expressly to help teachers study a new idea.
Good but Incomplete Advice
Frank Buck’s Organization Made Easy! / Tools for Today’s Teachers has many good ideas, but reviewer Fran Lo wishes there was more about paper-grading and some secondary examples.
Exciting Students about Math
Neurologist & middle grades teacher Judy Willis hits a home run with Learning to Love Math: Teaching Strategies That Change Student Attitudes and Get Results, her book on helping students learn to love math, says teacher Cossondra George.
