Great Books for Teachers on Book Lovers’ Day

Bibliophiles, rejoice! Today is Book Lover’s Day, a day when you can and should flaunt your appreciation for the written word. Many of the book lovers in my life have been teachers, and they encouraged my love of literature. In celebration, I’d like to share with you some great books for teachers.

Great Books for Teachers

At the elementary school level, promoting literacy is key. Teachers need to focus on making reading fun and exciting so that even when students struggle, they don’t get discouraged and feel motivated to keep trying. Books by Shel Silverstein are perfect because his poetry is simple and silly, and his books are full of illustrations. The Giving Tree and poetry collections like A Light in the Attic and Where the Sidewalk Ends are perfect for reading aloud to the class. Louis Sachar’s Wayside School books are fun for teachers to read aloud, and also perfect for beginning readers to try on their own. Sideways Arithmetic from Wayside School reunites students with their favorite characters while also providing puzzles and brain teasers for students to solve.

Some great titles for middle school teachers include Learning to Teach Everyone’s Children by Carl Grant, The Gigantic Book of Teacher’s Wisdom by Erin Gruwell, and Chicken Soup for the Teacher’s Soul. In Learning to Teach Everyone’s Children, Carl Grant discusses the present and future of education – specifically the way education is moving away from the traditional classroom. These days many schools offer middle school and high school courses online, and Grant’s book helps to familiarize teachers with the evolution of education. While this may seem daunting, The Gigantic Book of Teacher’s Wisdom will come as a comfort and an inspiration. Gruwell’s book includes tips and quotes by such notable teachers as Socrates and Helen Keller, and is a reminder of the impact a teacher can have on a student’s life. Chicken Soup is also a good motivational book, and it’s also a book of thanks for teachers of all subjects who cannot be appreciated enough for the foundation they provide.

While fostering a relationship between student and teacher is important at every level, it is especially important in high school when adolescents need positive role models and mentors to guide them through the many changes they will face. The novel A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines tells the story of a young teacher who must impart his wisdom to a man wrongly convicted of murder before his execution, and is a reminder of the incredible power of the teacher-student relationship. For most high school teachers, preparing students for college is a big part of the job. Engaging Ideas: The Professor’s Guide to Integrating Writing, Critical Thinking, and Active Learning in the Classroom by John Bean is a great resource for educating teachers on how to engage students in discussion and elevate their thinking to the college level. No list of books for educators would be complete without The Freedom Writer’s Diary, a collection of journal entries from the at-risk students in Erin Gruwell’s class.

I’d like to conclude this list with a book that should be required reading for all teachers, regardless of grade level and subject matter. In Motivating Students Who Don’t Care: Successful Techniques for Educators, author Allen Mendler discusses five effective methods for reaching students who are unprepared and/or unmotivated. Rather than convincing, cajoling, and coercing students to do their work, Mendler shares ways for teachers to inspire, support, and excite students while building a positive teacher-student relationship. Using Mendler’s methods, teachers will be able to share their love for learning – and literature – with students.

Happy Book Lovers’ Day, and please feel free to share your favorite books for teachers (or for you!) in comments!