Summer Reading

I decided to end the school year and start the summer with a list of great book recommendations for the months ahead. I invited faculty to assist in this, so here goes!

Sheryl Feinstein, Dean:

I was tempted to go with the classics, I think summer is the perfect time to read a classic that you’ve never read before, either because it wasn’t required in a Literature class or you just never found the time. One of those for me was Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austin, it’s the story of two sisters who experience love and heartbreak in the 1700’s. One of my favorite quotes from the book is “If a book is well written, I always find it too short,” a sentiment I’ve found to be very true.

Sherry Crow, Associate Dean:

Finnish Lessons 2.0: What Can the World Learn from Educational Change in Finland? (Pasi Sahlberg, 2015).

This update to the first book published in 2011 continues the true story of how Finland built a world-class educational system in four decades. An international bestseller, the first edition was translated into 16 languages and documents the transformation of a country’s educational system. This edition highlights Finland’s focus on “teacher and leader professionalism, building trust between the society and its schools, and investing in educational equity rather than competition, choice, and other market-based reforms” (from author’s description). 

Jenny Jansky, Certification Director:

How Full Is Your Bucket? by Tom Rath is a brief but powerful summer read.  The book is about our interactions with others and how we can improve our lives by making these interactions positive, rather than negative.  This book is important for anyone who interacts with others, which is everyone!  

Jane Strawhacker, Assistant Chair of Teacher Education:

STEM Lesson Essential, Grades 3-8: Integrating Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, 1st ed. (2013) by Vasquez, Comer & Sneider. What’s all the “buzz” about S-T-E-M? Put this on your “ must-read” list to stay in the know about a current educational trend!  I look forward to reading this book to more clearly understand STEM instruction and to find practical ways for integrating it into the classroom.

The ABC’s of Classroom Management: An A-Z Sampler for Designing Your Learning Community, 2nd ed. (2014) by Pamela Kramer Ertel, Madeline Kovarik (Recommended by Kappa Delta Pi)

This book will be especially beneficial for new educators in that it provides practical tips and ideas for what is often thought to be the most difficult aspect of teaching – Classroom Management. Purchasing the online version will provide the reader with links to related resources as well as useful forms and checklists to field test in their own classrooms. 

Grace Mims, Chair Counseling/School Psychology:

A Man Called Ove is an excellent read.  The author, Fredrick Backman, provides rich character development (of course a must for a counselor).  Ove’s sadness and isolation is masterfully weaved between his past and present circumstances drawing the reader in to cheer him on as he begins to heal through connecting with neighbors and a long lost friend.  

Dick Meyer:

Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis by Robert D. Putnam

The book provides an interesting overview of the societal changes that have occurred during the past 60 years or so in the United States and how this has impacted children and families.