Good Reads

Mrs. Stanford is having a Good Reads Linky Party - What a great idea! I love to read!

I have a couple of professional books I like. The first is:

A friend gave this to me at the end of the year last year - I read it and tried to implement some of the ideas. I'm hoping to implement more this year. They also have a website with a blog that has ideas if you don't want to buy the book - Responsive Classroom. Anyway, obviously lots of ideas for the first of the school year and creating a good classroom environment.

Another I like is:

Very short chapters with specific ideas on how to get the most from your students. It was a little overwhelming to me at first, so I picked 5 ideas and tried them over the year. They really do make a difference. The first idea he teaches is "No Opt Out." Everyone has to participate; if you ask and they don't or won't answer, find someone who will and then come back to the first kiddo. I've tried this and they know I'll come back to them, so they listen for the answer.

And last...

I went to a workshop that an associate of Debbie Diller's did and it really changed the way I had my classroom arranged. I turned it 90 degress and it has just made a world of difference. I need to reread it and see if I want to make any changes before next school year.

So those are my suggestions. What books are on your summer reading list?