At this time of the year, we’re all focused on giving thanks, and gratitude is my word for 2019. Personally, I’m grateful for my incredible family (hi, Mom!). Professionally, I’m grateful to work with a supportive team of teachers and administrators. But that circle of caring educators has grown in the past year as Moore English expands and I encounter more and more excellent teacher reads. So I wanted to share my favorite articles from 2019 with you. These are articles I read this year, but that doesn’t necessarily mean each was published this year. Check out previous lists here and here. I also maintain an entire Pinterest board dedicated to the professional reading I do each week.
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Best Articles for PLCs
When I was a new teacher, I knew nothing about Professional Learning Communities. But now I have enough experience to know that my PLC is invaluable because it supports data teams and promotes professional growth across the building. Here are some great articles I read this year about PLCS and professional growth mindset:
- How to Create and Maintain Effective PLCS: This article from the TpT Blog is a good introduction to PLCs. However, for teachers already invested in a PLC, this article also had some good reminders about continued best practices. I especially valued the section about norms and focus.
- Focused discussion is my favorite part of the PLC process. Hearing from teachers with different experiences and perspectives is so valuable. Some of the greatest growth comes from listening to others and hearing their truth(s). For this reason, I really valued two articles from Dave Stuart Jr.. The first is Mind the Gap in which he discusses the concept of intellectual humility, which every teacher needs to grow. And the second is Using Feedback-Rich Processes to Test Whether or Not We Know Something, in which he discusses the value of working with individuals who challenge you. In that challenge you may change your mind, but you may also be forced to dig deep to the roots of your teacher truth.
- 5 Practices that Inspire Others to Shift Practices: Sharing best practices is one of the most valuable parts of a PLC. And this article from Katie Martin provides teachers with clear steps for how to go about sharing best practices. For me at least, one of the hardest parts about making a classroom shift is the details: how do you handle x situation, what happens when y, and where does z come into play? When a presenter tells me “it’ll be okay, you’ll figure it out,” I’m done. Remember that I’m not the cool teacher, so I’m not a go-with-the-flow gal, so I really appreciated Katie’s emphasis on sharing process.
Articles About Grace
As you can probably tell, I have (as my students say) zero chill. That can lead me to all kinds of problems, and when I bring that tension into a PLC, it can also be problematic. For that reason, I also valued this post from Jennifer at Happy Teacher Mama. In this article, she discusses How to Extend Grace to Yourself and Your Kids. But I also connected this to my PLC experience and to giving everyone (myself included) the grace to grow and take productive risks.
Similarly, Movies, Word Finds, and Coloring Sheets from Teacher Habits makes the case for giving grace. Because I take my job so seriously, I can get judgmental. But this article was a good reminder about one of the unspoken rules in teaching: you don’t know what’s going on in someone else’s class, so you should always assume positive intent. As a result, when one of my kids rolls in with a gap fill, I try to take a step back: this teacher knows what she’s doing and has a purpose. In the end, judgment prevents growth.
Best Posts for Classroom Management
One of my takeaways from last year was the importance of classroom management. For this reason, I began this year focused on classroom procedures. Here are some recent reads that really helped me with creating a space for students to feel safe learning:
- 11 Things to Never Say to a Student: In this article, Alyssa from Teaching in the Fast Lane provides teachers with a list of phrases that can stymie the relationships at the heart of meaningful classroom management. I’m guilty of saying some of these phrases. So reading Alyssa’s post has made me more aware of the role language plays in my classroom.
- Tips for New Teachers: Avoiding the Siren Calls from ASCD Inservice aims to help new teachers avoid habits that can do more harm than good. While I haven’t been a new teacher in a while, this article still proved valuable. In particular, the third tips suggests that teachers “Avoid the Siren call to circulate simply to promote on-task behavior.” I am 100% guilty of circulate for the sake of managing student behavior. Now, before I start to move, I ask myself what I’m looking for. When I have “look fors,” I am able to circulate with purpose.
What other articles are you reading right now? What should I add to my reading list? Let me know in the comments!
Photo from Ivory Mix.
