The Summer Reading List for Educators
XQ Institute
XQ's mission is to transform America's high schools so every student can succeed.
By Edward Montalvo - Director, Educator Network
Summer is a special time for educators. It is a moment for many to relax, reflect, and reignite their ongoing passion for teaching. My favorite part is digging through my stack of books built up over the year.
Before you start planning the 2024-2025 academic year, we’ve curated a summer reading list that offers both professional growth and the pure joy of losing yourself in a great book. These selections will inspire you, deepen your practice, and help you create more engaging, equitable learning environments for your students. Without further ado, the Summer Reading list:
Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy by Dr. Gholdy E. Muhammad
Dr. Muhammad presents an equity framework grounded in history to restore excellence in literacy education. This four-layered framework, Historically Responsive Literacy, helps educators achieve:
Dr. Muhammad offers practical approaches and reflective questions to cultivate the genius within your students and yourself.
Design Social Change: Take Action, Work Toward Equity, and Challenge the Status Quo by Lesley-Ann Noel
This book from Stanford University's d.school guides you through design strategies for creating lasting social change. It’s a small, artful book that makes for a swift reading experience and helps educators eager to strengthen their approaches to equity and community justice. Noel emphasizes understanding your role in systems of justice and inequity and using design tools to craft relevant projects.
Although it’s only been out since April, this book focuses on how educators can approach social justice by more closely understanding how we shape our perceived identities in the current system. Through radical acts of love, even in the face of fear, Reid explores the humanity of educators and the socialization that leads to acceptance of the status quo. I think this book will help educators understand how to see their students and how they might interpret the uncertainties of our complicated world.
A fundamental pillar of my pedagogy, this is a must-read and reread. Author bell hooks writes about education as a practice of freedom, urging teachers to teach students to "transgress" against racial, sexual, and class boundaries. Full of passion and politics, this book combines practical classroom knowledge with deep emotional connection, offering transformative insights for educators.
More Than a Glitch: Confronting Race, Gender, and Ability Bias in Tech by Meredith Broussard
Broussard argues that biases in technology are not just glitches but fundamental issues that need addressing. This book is essential for understanding how to create a more equitable world through technology, especially as artificial intelligence rapidly integrates into our daily teaching practices.
Creative Schools: The Grassroots Revolution That's Transforming Education by Sir Ken Robinson
A pivotal read in my early days teaching at PSI High, an XQ School in Sanford, Florida, Sir Robinson outlines how schools across the United States can transform their learning models by breaking us away from the industrialization and standardization of education. Rethinking high school means unlearning these factory models that hamper student creativity and isolate teachers, preventing them from showcasing their individuality. This book is a must for educators eager to change their pedagogy at any point in their careers.
领英推荐
Fiction Bonus: The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler
A near-future thriller that explores themes of consciousness, environmentalism, and the ethical implications of technological advancements. Perfect for educators interested in speculative fiction that intersects with science and ethics. If you’re considering “Animal Farm”or “Brave New World,” here’s a fresh take on the future as we grapple with AI technology.
Lastly, for science and fun, The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World by Steve Brusatte
Talk about a low-key hit. I started this on a flight and couldn’t put it down. Written by paleontologist Steve Brusatte, this book is more than just a history lesson about dinosaurs. It’s a captivating narrative about falling in love with the work you do. I may not dig up bones, but it made me reflect on the joys of teaching and the work achieved in the classroom. It perfectly blends history, imagination, and the creative arts. That’s what every classroom is capable of achieving.
?? Join the Movement
Share your summer reading picks and thoughts on these books in our digital community, the XQ Xchange. Join others to collaborate on ideas, discover inspiration, and drive innovation in your school teams while rethinking the high school experience.
XQ Stories & Updates:
?? Our most recent article in The 74 describes how Thomas A. Edison High School in NYC prepares students to succeed in college and in their careers by giving them opportunities to showcase how essential skills fit into academic courses.
???? From the Barbados Government Information Service, Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley discussed the education transformation taking place in Barbados with the World Bank. She disclosed that the government was partnering with XQ to construct two schools of excellence.
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Contribute stories and insights about high school transformation with us on social @XQAmerica using #RethinkHighSchool, and we will include them in a later edition of the Xtra.
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B2B Accessibility Strategy Consultant helping businesses make accessibility second nature for their web, media, events. Published author and international speaker.
4 个月It's a must read book for educators written by a deaf female B2B accessibility consultant: https://auido-accessibility.com/book. Currently a paper version is available by Blurb at 20% discount with free shipping for a limited time through July 26.