The last seven years of my life, working as a teacher, have been rich with experiences and encounters that I will always cherish. I have learnt so much and grown in ways I couldn’t have imagined possible. And through the years, I have found that I have also had many guides, companions, supportive elements holding me up through my journey. Books have played a major role in shedding light on my path, anytime I needed some knowledge, wisdom, or just some hand-holding. Here are few books that have served as a beacon of light for me. I cannot emphasize enough the value they hold in uplifting my teaching career on the whole. In fact, if you are a mentor, guide, parent or anyone with the slightest interest in children, I insist you read all of these books.
Sumerhill School, A New View of Childhood
A.S Neil and Albert Lamb
This book blew my mind and opened my heart up for the work I am into. It taught me, how freedom is essential for children. It speaks about the infinite ways in which a child can learn. It was a sort of an eye opener to see this whole new world of teaching and learning show up in front of me. I highly recommend this book, if you are interested in looking within, understanding your limitations as an adult and working toward creating a free environment for a child.
Growth Mindset Coach
Annie Brock and Heather Hundley
This book discusses a fixed mindset versus a growth mindset. It sheds light on how as a mentor, you can light up your student’s path and take the pressure of performance off his shoulders. Every mistake is allowed and celebrated as it gives you an opportunity to improve and get better. It is an anchor for a teacher, who is trying to build her students’ self-esteem and looking to motivate them. What is more interesting in this book is that it contains monthly activities that a teacher can refer to and apply in her classroom for empowering her students.
Planting Seeds
Thich Nhat Hanh
This book compels you to slow down, and savor the moment. It takes you through this beautiful journey of mindfulness and then allows you to further extend that to the children around you. The book is rich in self work, self reflection and in ways in which you, along with the children, can cultivate the most profound value of compassion within you. This book has the power to heal you and soothe you. Go for it, if you want to deepen the experiences of life and your relationship with the children around you.
Scaffolding Language, Scaffolding Learning
Pauline Gibbons
This book had me with ‘Where a child comes from will not determine where he/she will go.’
It is about practical ways, in which a mentor can create high support classroom for a child, so that the child can step out of her/his comfort zone with ease and come forward to embrace English as their language. The book exemplifies working with a child’s progress, his inhibitions, low self esteem and getting them to a level of confidence about himself and his ability to deliver.
Literacy Work Station
Debbie Diller
This book is a fresh breeze for a mentor/teacher who wants to teach students all about discipline, focus and team building. Several innovative techniques are so beautifully conceptualized that they make teaching and learning fun, easy and meaningful for children as well as teachers.
There are so many more books that are worth mentioning. I am intrigued, at how if you aspire and intend, there is always some thing to learn, realize, and reflect on, and going further, to make change possible.