By Beatrix S
Below, I have gathered my list of the top 5 books about teaching — books that will not only allow you to understand the different personalities children and students have, but also learn more about yourself and how to improve yourself as a teacher.
What the Best College Teachers Do
by Ken Bain is an amusing book, which not only concentrates on the theoretical part of teaching, but also the practical part. It has a lot of anecdotes about students, events, and teaching in general, which makes the reader understand the behavior of students and find a better method of dealing with different kinds of students. The book was published in 2004 and manages to be a very useful tool for teachers all over the world and shows that the art of teaching can indeed be learned.
Because We Can Change the World: A Practical Guide to Building Cooperative, Inclusive Classroom Communities
by Mara Sapon-Shevin is one of the most unusual teaching books. This great book focuses more on the relation between students and how to bond that rather than strategies for teaching. But that is one of the most important parts of teaching — compassion and making sure that the students learn to love and help each other. If a teacher manages to bring different characters together, they will manage to do something as simple as teaching by comparison. The book was published in 1998 and it serves as a great book for any high school teacher and college professor, and most of all, elementary school teachers.
The Kindness of Children
by Vivian Gussin Paley is not your classic book about teaching. It doesn’t have a lot of theory; it focuses more on stories and the power of example to enhance the process of teaching. It was published in 2000 and it shows how to teach children with the help of stories that will show them that kindness is the key.
Improving Your Classroom Teaching
by Maryellen Weimer is a book that uses various strategies and tools to help teachers become better. The book focuses on the relationship of teachers and students and the best part is that it shows why teachers with enthusiasm make the teaching process better. It was published in 1993 and it is something that will help you in the process of teaching.
Advising Students for Success by Jeffrey Ullman is the ultimate guide to teaching children the natural way. It is not a teaching book per se; it is a book that will help the teacher become a better friend. Each student has a different character and it is important to learn how to make sure that you reach that character. The book was published in 2009 and it's one of the best in its field, a great help for teachers.