Books that Every Teacher Needs to Read

Am I a teacher because I love to read or do I love to read because I am a teacher?

Reading is something that I thoroughly enjoy.  I love reading fiction books that take me to another world, and I love reading nonfiction books that help me grow and develop personally and professionally.

I have put together a list of my favorite books for teachers.

Teach Like a Champion by Doug Lemov

This book is a collection of tips and tools on how to teach like a champion.  Doug Lemov shares his teaching strategies that will make you a champion in student engagement, classroom management, and every other aspect of being in the classroom.  This book is great for getting ideas but it is also super motivating.  I found that it helped me recharge over the summer so that I was so ready to get back to school in the fall and to hit the ground running.  I have also seen it used as a book discussion in staff meetings.  At a school I worked at, the principal bought a copy for every staff member and they discussed it at meetings.

Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

This book is different from the previous one because it is a novel.  Fish in a Tree is a story about a little girl with dyslexia who can not read.  She is constantly moving from school to school and trying to hide her secret from the other kids and the teachers in her schools.  When she meets Mr. Daniels, he helps her see that there is nothing to be afraid and he helps her build her confidence.  This is a heartwarming story that makes you want to go and reach all of your students.

Happy Teachers Change the World by Thich Nhat Hanh and Katherine Weare

This book is a guide for incorporating mindfulness techniques into your classroom.  This book is great because it spans how to incorporate mindfulness at all age levels.  As a middle school teacher, I find that a lot of books focus on working with little kids or working with high school students.  Middle school is such a unique creation because the students think that they’ve grown up, but they are still little kids and it can be very challenging to get through to them.  This book has some great examples, techniques, and explanations to help you.

Dealing with Difficult Parents by Todd Whitaker and Douglas J. Fiore

Parents are the scariest part of teaching, at least I feel that way.  I try to use my skills from working in retail customer service when dealing with them (surprisingly it helps).  Because of this fear, I took a course on parent communication and this book was the text for the course.  Most parents are helpful and easy to work with, but every once in a while you come across a parent that you just don’t mesh with.  This book is for those parents.  It walks you through working with parents and understanding where they’re coming from.

When Kids Can’t Read: What Teachers Can Do by Kylene Beers

This book is a great resource for reading intervention strategies.  I am such a math person that teaching reading remediation is overwhelming for me.  Obviously I took courses on it in college but being in the classroom can be intimidating.  This book gives great, practical strategies for teaching reading to students who are struggling.  It is applicable for my middle school aged students too!

What books do you enjoy?  Leave me some recommendations in the comments!

Also, Check-Out:

The Best Books I Read in 2019

Accommodations for Students with Dyscalculia