Studying to learn, to teach

A while ago, in the very early stages of my decision to become a teacher, I reached out to a previous art teacher of mine. Truth be told, I owe him a lot for the tremendous amount of support he has offered me from the very beginning (even when he was still just my high school art teacher). Part of his advice involved further reading materials, books that would be of particular interest to aspiring teachers.

He recommended I read them throughout this year before starting a teacher training course, so I would already have already laid the groundwork for beginning my studies. I will include these books and a short summary* of each of them below, in case anybody reading this is looking for some guidance, but also so that I can reflect and plan my reading!

1. Mindset: the new psychology of success by Carol Dweck — 'In this brilliant book, she shows how success in school, work, sports, the arts, and almost every area of human endeavour can be dramatically influenced by how we think about our talents and abilities. People with a fixed mindset--those who believe that abilities are fixed--are less likely to flourish than those with a growth mindset--those who believe that abilities can be developed. Mindset reveals how great parents, teachers, managers, and athletes can put this idea to use to foster outstanding accomplishment.'

2. Why Don't Students Like School? by Daniel T. Willingham — 'Cognitive scientist Dan Willingham focuses his acclaimed research on the biological and cognitive basis of learning. His book will help teachers improve their practice by explaining how they and their students think and learn. It reveals-the importance of story, emotion, memory, context, and routine in building knowledge and creating lasting learning experiences.'

3. How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School by the National Research Council — 'How People Learn has been expanded to show how the theories and insights from the original book can translate into actions and practice, now making a real connection between classroom activities and learning behavior. This edition includes far-reaching suggestions for research that could increase the impact that classroom teaching has on actual learning.'

4. Embedded Formative Assessment by Dylan Wiliam — 'Formative assessment plays an important role in increasing teacher quality and student learning when it’s viewed as a process rather than a tool. Emphasizing the instructional side of formative assessment, this book explores in depth the use of classroom questioning, learning intentions and success criteria, feedback, collaborative and cooperative learning, and self-regulated learning to engineer effective learning environments for students.'

5. Visible Learning and the Science of How we Learn by John Hattie — 'Visible Learning and the Science of How We Learn explains the major principles and strategies of learning, outlining why it can be so hard sometimes, and yet easy on other occasions. Aimed at teachers and students, it is written in an accessible and engaging style and can be read cover to cover, or used on a chapter-by-chapter basis for essay writing or staff development.'

6. How Children Succeed by Paul Tough — 'Paul Tough argues that the qualities that matter most have more to do with character: skills like perseverance, curiosity, conscientiousness, optimism, and self-control. How Children Succeed introduces us to a new generation of researchers and educators who, for the first time, are using the tools of science to peel back the mysteries of character. Through their stories--and the stories of the children they are trying to help--Tough traces the links between childhood stress and life success. He uncovers the surprising ways in which parents do--and do not--prepare their children for adulthood. And he provides us with new insights into how to help children growing up in poverty.'

Those are just some of the books he recommended, I plan on starting to read How Children Succeed this week, followed by Mindset. Once I begin reading these, I will make sure to post a review of them here, as well as reflecting on the concepts introduced to me through these books. It would also be particularly interesting to reflect on how these books might provide me with newfound knowledge on some of the behaviours and attitudes I have already observed in classroom environments while at work experience placements.

*all summaries were taken from the books' pages on Google Books.