Fred Luthans: Psychological Capital: Developing the Human Competitive Edge
Discusses the composite construct of "Psycap" in the business world -- combining hope, self-efficacy, optimism, and resilience. (*****)
Kim S Cameron: Positive Leadership: Strategies for Extraordinary Performance
Great book by a great management author. Distills research in positve psyhology and positive organizational studies into four strategies. Provides provides implementation and leadership development tips. (*****)
Martin E. Seligman: The Optimistic Child: Proven Program to Safeguard Children from Depression & Build Lifelong Resilience
Outstanding. Teachers, parents, and anyone concerned with children can get a lot from this book. Covers some of the same territory as The Resilience Factor, but lots of unique material. Worth your time even if you've read Learned Optimism. (*****)
Karen Reivich: The Resilience Factor: 7 Keys to Finding Your Inner Strength and Overcoming Life's Hurdles
If little things get to you more than they should...
If setbacks get you down and keep you down...
If you'd like to develop more emoitional intelligence...
Read this book.
Based on Martin Seligman's pioneering work in explanatory style and the authors' research, coaching, and counseling experience, this is a step-by-step action plan to more flexible and accurate thinking, more hope, and more of what you want. (*****)
Gary Gordon: Building Engaged Schools: Getting the Most Out of America's Classrooms
Great Book! See my review at Amazon.com. (*****)
Kim S. Cameron, Marc Lavine : Making the Impossible Possible: Leading Extraordinary Performance: The Rocky Flats Story
Outstanding book in the field of Positive Organizational Studies. The authors report on research into how Rocky Flats Nuclear Plant was cleaned up 60 years ahead of schedule, $30 billion under budget, and to standards 10 times more stringent than originally set! (*****)
Carol Dweck: Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
Absolutely a must-read. What's really interesting about Dr. Dweck's work is how inuitive it is. The growth mindset seems almost trite and sugary until the layers upon layers of real effects in academics and athletics and couples and corporations start to pile up. Then, reading the science behind it (which is NOT presented in depth in this book) one starts to realize the power of this construct, and part of that power comes from how easy it is to grasp. (*****)
Stephen C. Lundin: Fish! A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results
Good book. Short and written as a story, but the principles make sense and will work. But, they'll challenge the leadership skills of many managers. (****)
John Tabak: Probability And Statistics: The Science Of Uncertainty (History of Mathematics)
I'm starting to improve my capabilities in statistics and thought this would help me put some of it in context. It is NOT a statistics text -- it is a history of probability and statistics, and VERY well done. I don't know if it will help me improve my statistics skills, but I really enjoyed it. (****)
The Arbinger Institute: Leadership and Self Deception: Getting Out of the Box
Also very good. Not much in the way of citations and they want to sell you follow-on products, but the story format is powerfully communicative. (*****)
Robert E. Quinn: Building the Bridge As You Walk On It : A Guide for Leading Change
Good. Really good. Really, really good. Buy it. Read it. Think about it. It's worth your time and money. (*****)
Jane E. Dutton: Energize Your Workplace: How to Create and Sustain High-Quality Connections at Work
Several chapters in this book were assigned for my Positive Psychology and Organizational Leadership class this semester, but it was so good, and I was so interested, I read it all. Very readable, but with very useful references to research for those who are interested. Jane Dutton is coming to speak to our class and I'm looking forward to it! (*****)
Barry Schwartz: The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less
Took me a while to catch on to this one, but, once I did, the points made a lot of sense. "Satisficing" is a concept worth understanding! (*****)
Howard S. Becker: Writing for Social Scientists : How to Start and Finish Your Thesis, Book, or Article (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing)
Hey! I finished a book! (Too many articles and chapters in my reading right now to say this very often.)
This work is especially good in dealing with the issues, both real and less real, of scholars. Is stilted language necessary to get published? Who can you trust for honest but caring feedback? Are you going to work in a "get it out the door" or "masterwork" mode? How can these questions impede your ability to get something written, much lesss written well?
Dr. Becker also pays a great deal of attention to good writing, and the book can help here, though, as he notes, it's not a replacement for the classics in this field.
George E. Vaillant: Aging Well: Surprising Guideposts to a Happier Life from the Landmark Harvard Study of Adult Development
Second book read for MAPP. Amazing. Simply Amazing. Dr. Vaillant not only provides insights from decades of studies following three different cohorts from adolesence through old age, he writes beautifully. Even poetically. And so do the subjects of the studies in many of the quotations that appear from them in this book. This book is not only informative, it is a great read. Story after story drawn from the lives of real people. Most inspiring. A few testifying to the possibility of wasting this life. Strongly recommended. (*****)
Martin E. Seligman: What You Can Change and What You Can't : The Complete Guide to Successful Self-Improvement Learning to Accept Who You Are (Fawcett Book)
First book read for MAPP program. (c) 1993 -- This is a broad review of the evidence (and a proposed theory) for the possibility of changing the things we often want to change in our lives, from being fat to alcoholism to anxiety or depression or phobias to sexual performance, orientation, or identity. Dr. Seligman covers the evidence of research and provides expert interpretation and inferences. Would be nice to have an update since the book is now more than a decade old, but that's asking a lot of a full-time researcher and teacher. He describes the book as sort of a Consumer Reports on these areas, but it would take something like that organization to provide continual updates. (*****)
Steven Johnson: Everything Bad Is Good for You: How Today's Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter
Good enough I wrote a book note with the same title as the book. Worth reading. The book, and maybe even my book note! (*****)
Joseph Jaworski: Synchronicity: The Inner Path of Leadership
I thought this was pretty new-ageish (Jonathan Livingston Seagull was influential at one point in Mr. Jaworski's life), but it ends up much more legitmately spiritual and God-centered. It's a book about leadership, stepping out in faith (to use the jargon I grew up with), and one man's story in a very interesting context, beginning with Watergate and ending with Auschwitz. And that time sequence is very appropriate. (****)
Howard Gardner: Changing Minds: The Art and Science of Changing Our Own and Other People's Minds
I admit to pre-judging Howard Gardner without reading him. I've felt the education community's adoption of his unprove theory of "multiple intelligences" has been a mistake. I read this book as a first effort at trying to understand his influence. Some interesting frameworks, but way too little in the way of reference to research. Ironically, "research" is one of his "seven levers" for changing minds. (***)
- William W. Lewis: The Power of Productivity: Wealth, Poverty, and the Threat to Global Stability
A thought-provoking report on more than a decade of research into the conditions that help and hinder the creation of wealth in rich and poor countries. It's not luck that makes America wealthy, it's good policy.
David Perkins: King Arthur's Round Table : How Collaborative Conversations Create Smart Organizations
Currently reading. Book note soon.
Has anyone tried voice thread on blog sites with their students?
Posted by: Eve Millard | June 20, 2008 at 09:27 PM
Hi Dave,
Lots of cool teacher's blogs above--thought I'd throw my hat into the ring. I began my blog as a way to promote my book (also about teaching experiences), and I got hooked into keeping it current!
Good luck with your blog as well!
Posted by: Misterteacher | April 29, 2007 at 09:45 PM
Check out Cal Teacher Blog, what we do matters.
Posted by: Kevin Bibo | April 01, 2006 at 05:56 PM
Found your list and thought I would add to it. I began my blog in January, 2006. Not only do I believe that teachers are key to school reform or "keepthesame"form I believe my blog is the best strategy I have to develop my own personal growth as an educator. Come visit sometime.
Posted by: elementaryhistoryteacher | March 14, 2006 at 10:50 PM
I am a former middle-school English teacher who cathartically wrote an autobiographical comedy movie script about my experiences with teaching and testing. Since I have not been able to sell the script as a screenplay, I hereby offer it on the Web for free as a tonic to any bedraggled teacher who needs (a) a laugh, and (b) to realize that he/she is not alone. Please come and read the script at:
http://www.testingthescript.com
And tell a teacher-friend about it!!
Posted by: Bob Eberly | January 13, 2006 at 01:40 PM
I began blogging about two months ago. I found myself posting info on a wide range of subjects. I felt that my focus was too broad so I started a blog related to my job as an educator at http://goodesplacehardatwork.blogspot.com/.
Posted by: Lionel | November 13, 2005 at 03:03 PM
I was inspired by all these teacher blogs to finally kickstart my own this year - it's my recorded fifth year of teaching (!), which I never figured I'd make. It could get a little grouchy and self-righteous, but that's okay, I guess: ;-)
http://teachersparadise.blogspot.com/
Posted by: Marcus | August 23, 2005 at 11:45 PM
Hi there!
I am a first year teacher in the US, and kept a blog of my student teaching experiences. Because I was hired by a school district, I decided to keep the blog alive and will likely post daily. Please take the time to check it out. You may even use it as an example of "how not to blog," or, alternately, "how not to teach." I won't mind either way. Regardless, enjoy!
the reflective teacher
Posted by: Nobody knows | August 17, 2005 at 10:46 PM
Hi Dave!
Great idea collecting those teacher blogs. I am Spanish teacher in Spain and we have just started a project in my school building a blog for teachers and students of Spanish as foreign language.
http://www.spanish-teaching.com
Posted by: Paqui | August 09, 2005 at 04:42 AM
Hi Dave!
Great idea collecting those teacher blogs. I am Spanish teacher in Spain and we have just started a project in my school building a blog for teachers and students of Spanish as foreign language.
http://www.spanish-teaching.com
Posted by: Paqui | August 09, 2005 at 04:40 AM
I wanted to take this opportunity to tell you and your readers about a new project I am working on.
I am compiling the personal, candid stories of NYC Public School Teachers for use in an upcoming book that explores the accomplishments, struggles, and everyday disappointments that are synonymous with being a NYC Public School Teacher. Specifically, I am searching for the stories that only teachers would ever know how to tell. Your contributions may focus on different aspects of life as a NYC Public School Teacher. Possible topics may include:
• Relationships with students
• Interaction with your principal, vice-principal or other administration
• Relationships with fellow teachers
• Constraints of curriculum demands
• Interaction with students’ parents and/or guardians
• School community
• Affects of teaching on your personal life
• School hierarchy
Of course, if you feel compelled to write about a topic that does not fit into one of the categories please do so.
Bottom line: Your voices are important. Your voices deserve to be acknowledged. Your voices need to be heard.
Thank you ahead of time for your honesty and courage. Please send your stories and include: Name, address, school’s borough, grade level taught, years of teaching experience, and whether you would like your name published or remain anonymous.
Entries can be mailed to the following address or email:
“Teachers Speak” teachersspeak@hotmail.com
346 West 84th Street
#3R
New York, NY 10024
Thank you for choosing to be part of this journey! Please visit my website http://teachersspeak.blogspot.com
Posted by: Teachers Speak | May 03, 2005 at 05:18 PM
You have a pretty "cool" blog yourself, Dave. Linked to your "Getting Students to work" post on my blog, The Endless Faculty Meeting. http://wildwilliam.blogspot.com
Regards,
Bill
Posted by: Bill | February 20, 2005 at 01:18 PM