Tony Frontier encourages decision makers to view artificial intelligence as a tool for both teachers and students. This tool only works when it’s used with intention. Frontier provides a framework for schools to use AI in purposeful ways, writes veteran teacher Chris Wagner.
Using Technology in a Differentiated Classroom is a well-structured, research-backed guide for educators looking to increase efficiency as they integrate technology into their instructional practices, writes Melinda Stewart, who describes the book’s core strategies as “timeless.”
Self-trust isn’t something school leaders can just turn on or off. It’s a skill they build through conscious action. Veteran educator and leadership author Jen Schwanke shares her “skill and will” model of personal trust-building with four action steps leaders can take today.
In Enhancing Instruction for Multilingual Learners, Paula Polk positions coaching as a dynamic, collaborative process using concrete strategies that not only enhance the instructional skills of educators but also directly impact the success of MLs, writes Melinda Stewart.
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.
In Prompting Deeper Discussions Matt Kay provides actionable insights on how to structure discussions, promote critical thinking, and create a safe classroom environment that encourages thoughtful debate. Reviewer Melinda Stewart found tools to refine her classroom practice.
“Life Skills for All Learners” by A.S.F. Amir and Thomas Guskey offers a comprehensive exploration into crucial life skills education and shows how to integrate the skills into lessons. Melinda Stewart says the book is both insightful and a practical guide to skill-building.
Lauren Porosoff’s Teach for Authentic Engagement seamlessly ties together the big ideas of student engagement with easy-to-follow protocols, writes Laurie Miller Hornik. The book delves into the 3 spheres in which the students can engage: the content, their work, and each other.
Baruti Kafele’s motto,”If it impacts the students, we must be willing to discuss it,” really sums up what this book covers and what equity and social justice work is all about. We cannot continue with business as usual and think we will have better outcomes, writes Claire Stein.
