Teacher Leadership Today

TLN Book Reviews: Professional Literature for the Teacher Leader

Members of the Teacher Leaders Network regularly comment on professional books that may be of interest to colleagues. Below you'll find links to our most recent reviews, with brief excerpts. Click on a review’s headline to read the compete article. Publishers interested in submitting books for review should contact TLN moderator John Norton.

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A Compelling Case for Detracking Schools

Detracking for Excellence and Equity
By Carol Corbett Burris and Delia T. Garrity
(ASCD, 2008)

Reviewed by Sherry L. Annee
Biotechnology Teacher
Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School (IN)
Teacher Leaders Network

The authors’ coverage of detracking is so comprehensive that it leaves readers with far more answers than questions -- while simultaneously inspiring us to improve the educational opportunities for students at our local schools. Upon finishing the book, one is left cheering for Garrity and Burris as they claim, “By altering our methods of instruction in heterogeneous classes, we can accomplish what tracking never could – excellent educational experiences for all students.”

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A Book to Inspire a Culture of Trust and Build Teacher Community

Protocols for Professional Learning
By Lois Brown Easton
(2009, ASCD)

Reviewed by Michael Fisher
Instructional Coach and Consultant (NY)
Teacher Leaders Network

The protocols in this book help to inspire the atmosphere and culture of trust and collegiality that is necessary to open and maintain conversations among teachers. When there is a framework of understanding, and a foundation of value for everyone’s participation and unique voice, it helps everyone move forward.

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I Want to Belong to This Club!

A Sense of Belonging: Sustaining and Retaining New Teachers
By Jennifer Allen
(2009, Stenhouse Publishers)

Reviewed by Marti Schwartz
Teacher, Novice-Teacher Educator (RI)
Teacher Leaders Network

The plan of teacher support is frequent, intensive, individualized, and brilliant…. What Allen has given to all of us is a powerful model of strengthening the practice of novice teachers, in a book that is enjoyable to read and inspiring to emulate.

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You Can Be a Change Leader

Leading Change in Your School
By Douglas B. Reeves
(ASCD, 2009)

Reviewed by Elizabeth Stein
Special Education Teacher (NY))
Teacher Leaders Network

As I read this, I readily grasped the author's attempt to create an "I can do this in my school" mindset. This book is a great read for those who are new to the idea of becoming a change leader or for those who wish to extend their abilities. It is helpful for teachers or administrators who have already succeeded with a few ideas and feel the need to continue making positive changes.

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Multiple Intelligences in Your Classroom

Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom
By Thomas Armstrong
(ASCD, 2009)

Reviewed by Kenneth Bernstein, NBCT
High School Government (MD)
Teacher Leaders Network

One should be able to see how the book can be productively used for a somewhat narrow purpose, such as curriculum development, without having to absorb the entire volume. Or one can choose to browse through the various sections to grasp more fully the possible implications of applying Multiple Intelligences theory in a variety of ways, up to and including developing a school around the principles of MI.

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Inside a Hip-Hop Lit Class

Beats, Rhymes and Classroom Life: Hip-Hop Pedagogy and the Politics of Identity
By Marc Lamont Hill
(Teachers College Press, 2009)

Reviewed by John M. Holland, NBCT
Early Childhood Educator (VA)
Teacher Leaders Network

This is not a how-to book. It does not include planning sheets, suggestions for "texts" or discussion prompts. It is an incredibly well documented artifact of a successful experiment in bringing students' culture into the classroom and understanding that culture as a researcher and teacher. I recommend it because I learned things about myself, my students' families, and research.

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And Then I Got to Dewey . . .

Classroom Conversations: A Collection of Classics for Parents and Teachers
by Alexandra Miletta and Maureen Miletta
(2008, The New Press)

Reviewed by Marti Schwartz
Novice-Teacher Educator (RI)
Teacher Leaders Network

(T)hese articles, these thinkers, from Vivian Gussin Paley and Eleanor Duckworth advising us to listen and learn from our students, to Peggy McIntosh and Sonia Nieto who seek to open our eyes to the cultural realms of our students in order to help us to understand their needs — all have wise words for us.

PD Sourcebook Taps the TLN Wellspring

The Fall issue of the Teacher Professional Development Sourcebook from Teacher Magazine and Education Week includes content and comments from quite a few TLN Forum members.

Most prominent is Nancy Flanagan, who authors the article “Collaboration and Insight: Teacher Learning in Action,” describing a project that connects teachers in a rural NC school district with National Board Certified peers — using a virtual professional network. Flanagan shares some lessons she’s learned serving as an online moderator of teacher learning communities:

One of the pitfalls for facilitators in the online professional development age is the tendency to revert to direct instruction—to tell, to explain, to be the sage on the virtual stage. As we built learning modules for the ‘Return on Investment’ initiative, we learned to design open-ended prompts and flexible, safe opportunities to try ideas and ask for help.

The theme for this new edition of the PD Sourcebook is described by editor Anthony Rebora this way: “Can digital technology help break the decades-long hold of generic ‘sit-‘n-git’ professional development?” In an interview with Rebora, Harvard’s Chris Dede offers his answer: “Only if people use the tools well.”

In other stories, we see examples of teachers who are "using the tools well," building their own personal learning networks independent of any official professional development requirements. Writer Elizabeth Rich reports on the rise of teacher-instigated social networks — using the NING-based The English Companion (started by teacher-author Jim Burke) as one prime example. Rich includes quotes from TLN member and PLC consultant Anne Jolly at several points in the story.

Another article explores Twitter’s potential to support student and teacher learning and includes comments from TLN members Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach and Bill Ferriter, both popular edu-bloggers who write frequently about Web 2.0. Ferriter and Nussbaum-Beach cite Twitter as their favorite learning tool because it allows them to access a trusted network of colleagues more or less instantly when they need ideas, advice or resource suggestions.

Finally, the Sourcebook’s Blog Watch feature highlights TLN-sponsored bloggers Renee Moore and Ariel Sacks — Moore for a post at TeachMoore about the difficulty of disentangling individual teacher contributions to a student’s growth; and Sacks for a contribution to the Public School Insights blog a few months ago, where she shared ideas about increasing teacher retention in hard to staff schools by rewarding valuable teacher leadership.

More Great Start-of-Year Advice

In a recent Teacher Magazine essay, Maryland NBCT Ken Bernstein shares his Advice for New High School Teachers — underscoring the importance of developing an atmosphere of trust with students.

“High school students are often very much in search of identity,” he writes. “That includes how they relate to other people. They need points of reference. They need situations they can trust, particularly as they are challenged to grow, emotionally as well as intellectually.”

Although traditional teacher-education programs rely on veteran educators to invite student- or “practice-” teachers into their classrooms, many skilled professionals can be heard expressing some reluctance about sharing instructional responsibilities with green recruits. They may be concerned about their ability to mentor an inexperienced colleague effectively, or simply hesitant to relinquish control of instruction in an atmosphere of high-stakes accountability.

In another recent TLN contribution to Teacher, we've pulled together the highlights of a chat in our daily discussion group about The Art of Working with Student-Teachers. We think you'll agree its both revealing and thought-provoking.

Finally, in an article that continues to be the "most viewed" on the Teacher website, Oakland CA science coach Anthony Cody makes a strong case that teachers should not wait until classroom behavior is locked down tight before "allowing" students to engage in experiments, projects and other forms of hands-on learning.

"I have noticed that student behavior is often at its best the first few weeks of school," says Cody, a long-time inner-city middle grades teacher. "Students are a bit nervous—watching to see how we will react when things go sideways. We can take advantage of this window of opportunity to showcase the way we really want them to learn. This is our golden opportunity to share our highest expectations with them, and invite them to rise to meet the challenge."

Teaching in the 21st Century: EL continues to lead the pack

With its September issue focused on 21^st century learning, ASCD’s Educational Leadership has reaffirmed its status as the nation’s premiere professional magazine for educators and others interested in issues of teaching and learning.

The issue is chockful of articles presenting a variety of viewpoints about the “21^st Century Skills” debate and its implications for both students and teachers. The EL editors, as usual, also provide more practitioner-oriented pieces, like Marilee Sprenger’s “Focusing on the Digital Brain” and Susan Graseck’s “Teaching with Controversy.” Then there’s “21^st Century Scholars,” “The Students Have the Answers” and “Why Educators Should Care about Teaching with Games.” And many more.

This fall, ASCD is also offering a digital version of the magazine to members — it's a flip-thru interactive package with the graphics intact, complemented by active hyperlinks. Alone, it’s worth the price of admission, which can be as little as $29 a year for web-only membership.

Here’s the September Table of Contents. As always, a generous handful of articles are made available to the general public (something you won’t find at the sites of most other major education magazines) while others can only be accessed online by members.

This month’s public articles include:

What Would Socrates Say?

Peter W. Cookson Jr.

Do we need to craft a new model of education for the 21st century? It's a question worthy of Socrates.

The 21st Century Skills Movement

Paige Johnson

The chair of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills spells out goals.

21st Century Skills: The Challenges Ahead

Andrew J. Rotherham and Daniel Willingham

Why the 21st century skills movement could falter and key considerations that might strengthen it.

Why Creativity Now? A Conversation with Sir Ken Robinson

Amy M. Azzam

Creativity is a crucial skill, Sir Ken tells us.

21st Century Scholars

Terrence Clark

A district extends its school day, and the students applaud.

The Art and Science of Teaching / Six Steps to Better Vocabulary Instruction

Robert J. Marzano

Advice from the best practices guru.

Digitally Speaking / Taking the Digital Plunge

Bill Ferriter

New column by award-winning middle grades teacher

What Research Says About. . . / Encouraging Girls to Pursue Math and Science

Tracy A. Huebner

Use high-mastery teaching strategies.

These free articles are not included in the print issue but available on the Web:

Navigating the Cs of Change

J. Gregory McVerry, Lisa Zawilinski and W. Ian O'Byrne

Do your digital natives need instruction in reading online? Here's how to help. Includes a video of sample lessons.

How to Learn in the 21st Century

Rita Haugh Oates

Research tools have changed, necessitating new research skills.

Managing Messy Learning

Suzie Boss

To deliver on the promise of project-based learning, educators need project management strategies.

Leading for Global Competency

Fernando M. Reimers

How can we prepare the next generation for international understanding?

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ALSO: keep an eye on the ASCD Inservice blog during the month. Sometimes they feature an article and provide free access via the blog.)

Thanks, ASCD, for balancing membership needs and the organization’s public service mission and giving us all some thoughtful material to contemplate as the new school year begins.

A 'Digitally Speaking' Tempered Radical

Charter TLN member Bill Ferriter's new monthly column for ASCD's Educational Leadership magazine, to be called Digitally Speaking, has debuted in the new September issue — along with a new design for EL that is more...um... digy. l. Bill’s first installment is appropriately titled “Taking the Digital Plunge” and covers familiar Ferriter themes that can be summed up as “Get in the pool!”

Bill’s co-authored book from Solution Tree will be coming out in September -- it's titled Building a Professional Learning Community at Work™: A Guide to the First Year.

Bill’s popular Tempered Radical blog appears on the Teacher Leaders Network website.

Beginning-of-Year Assessment Data: What Helps Teachers Most?

What assessment data is most helpful to teachers at the beginning of a new school year? How helpful is standardized test data in determining the specific needs of your brand-new students?

Veteran high school English teacher Renee Moore (left) has been pondering this question. In a recent comment at a colleague's blog, Renee wrote: "I remember a book about standardized testing and (the assessment of) reading in which the authors showed how easily such data could be misconstrued to make very wrong assumptions about students' abilities."

At her own blog TeachMoore, Renee (who now teaches HS and community college students) shares some of her assessment routines at the start of the school year. Through the use of a timed personal essay, lots of teacher analysis, the potential use of other home-made assessments of grammar and usage -- followed by individual conversations -- she is able to gather a lot of discrete information about her students' achievement levels and help them develop goals for the course/year.

"What could we accomplish for students if we took even a portion of the funds being bestowed on the testing industry and used that to better train and support real authentic assessments by professional classroom teachers?" wonders this Carnegie Scholar, Milken winner and former Mississippi Teacher of the Year.

TLN Book Reviews and Interviews

Members of the Teacher Leaders Network regularly comment on professional books that may be of interest to colleagues. Below you'll find links to our most recent reviews, as well as several author interviews conducted by TLN moderator John Norton.

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REVIEW: Notebook Connections: Strategies for the Reader’s Notebook
 (Aimee Buckner)

An effectively written balance between the philosophy and purpose of reading notebooks and the modeling of effective strategies to support them. — sixth grade teacher Kathie Marshall

REVIEW: The Book Whisperer – Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child (Donalyn Miller)

This book is chock full of literacy wisdom that I myself would like to see schools embrace as they look for strategies that will boost student achievement in reading but also bolster students’ reading dispositions. — Cindi Rigsbee, reading specialist

INTERVIEW: Donalyn Miller, author of The Book Whisperer

"I think that my credibility with other teachers lies in the fact that I am a classroom teacher... Without the constant interaction with children and my own responses and reflections about my teaching, my contribution is not as valuable."

REVIEW: Making History Mine: Meaningful Connections for Grades 5-9 (Sarah Cooper)


The entire book offers teachers the opportunity to gain a fresh approach to teaching strands of history…Through her use of diverse examples, the author is able to keep readers thinking about how they might apply strategies in their own classrooms. — Patrick Vernon, middle grades social studies

REVIEW: Timesavers for Teachers: Book 2 (Stevan Krajnjan)

Any book that can save a busy teacher time is worth some attention. This is not a typical teacher book to be read cover to cover or scanned for lesson ideas. It’s really more of a tool kit, and its usefulness will depend on what you teach and how you go about your work. — Laurie Wasserman, special needs

REVIEW: Never Work Harder Than Your Students and Other Principles of Great Teaching (Robyn R. Jackson)

Jackson builds her work on the premise that the most effective teachers have what she calls “the master teacher mindset.” This mindset is built around a set of seven principles that Jackson says master teachers use to guide their practice. — Gail Tillery, high school English/mentoring

INTERVIEW: Anne Jolly, author of Team to Teach: A Facilitator’s Guide to Professional Learning Teams

"Effective PLTs are teacher leadership hothouses. They’re places where teachers increase their professional knowledge and leadership skills – and they can also serve as perfect vehicles for teachers to begin to put leadership into action at several levels."

REVIEW: Successful Single Sex Classrooms: A Practical Guide to Teaching Boys and Girls Separately (Michael Gurian, Kathy Stevens, and Peggy Daniels)

This book is very useful for all teachers, in that it really describes excellent instruction, with one of the best summaries of techniques and strategies for teaching and classroom management I have seen in a very long time. — Laura Reasoner Jones, technology teacher

REVIEW: Better Answers: Written Performance That Looks Good and Sounds Smart (Ardith Davis Cole)

The “Better Answer” protocol is straightforward enough to work with younger age students in elementary school and yet sophisticated enough to work with high school students. It has worked in diverse classroom settings from all over the country. — Marsha Ratzel, middle grades math/science

REVIEW: Rigor is NOT a Four-Letter Word (Barbara R. Blackburn)

I often find that professional reading simply affirms many of my current practices in the classroom. Here, I was not hoping for affirmation but for something to improve my instruction at this advanced stage in my career. I was not disappointed. I found this book to be both realistic and respectful. — Karen Molter, high school English

REVIEW: Awakening the Sleeping Giant: Helping Teachers Develop as Leaders (Marilyn Katzenmeyer and Gayle Moller)

The new edition of Awakening the Sleeping Giant...continues to stand as a practical and effective foundation for the work of developing leadership in teachers — a kind of primer around the basic rationale for paying attention to teachers' craft and collegial knowledge, and a self-help plan for teachers interested in building their own leadership skills. — Nancy Flanagan, music education

INTERVIEW: Gayle Moller, co-author of Awakening the Sleeping Giant

"School system leaders have begun to acknowledge that they’re not getting the results they would like. And many realize that mandates and limited professional development are not effective ways to improve results. The perceptive district leader is now turning to teachers who are competent and can work with their colleagues at the school building level."

REVIEW: Building Teachers' Capacity for Success (Pete Hall & Alisa Simeral)

The framework of peer coaching and formative evaluation outlined in Building Teachers’ Capacity for Success certainly seems to provide a promising structure for elevating discussions about teacher quality above the usual frustrated tones that tenure clauses can create. — Ellen Holmes, Distinguished Educator, Maine Department of Education

Teaching Secrets: Great Advice for New Teachers

 What new teacher, fresh through the classroom door, wouldn’t welcome a wise and experienced voice, ready with practical advice? This selection of “Teaching Secrets” articles were written for Teacher Magazine by members of the Teacher Leaders Network. For the price of free registration, novices can take advantage of several hundred years of accumulated wisdom. We’ve tried to arrange them in priority order, but jump in anywhere you like.

And thanks, experts, for this teacher leadership.

Teaching Secrets: FIVE TIPS FOR THE NEW TEACHER
Cindi Rigsbee, a finalist for 2009 national teacher of the year, shares her five favorite comments to new teachers in her middle school. Rigsbee begins with "Hit the floor running and breathe when you leave" and ends with "Don't hide your light under a bushel." Other veteran teachers are leaving additional tips in the Comments section.

Teaching Secrets: THE FIRST DAYS OF SCHOOL (PART 1)
Veteran elementary teacher and Milken award winner Jane Fung looks back on her first years in teaching and thinks of all the things she wishes she had known then – and wants to share now. In Part I: Quick pointers, school procedures, surveying your first classroom.

Teaching Secrets: THE FIRST DAYS OF SCHOOL (PART 2)
Elementary teacher and mentor Jane Fung looks back on her first years in teaching and thinks of all the things she wishes she had known then – and wants to share now. In Part II: Adjusting to a new grade level; working with parents; when you’re feeling overwhelmed.

Teaching Secrets: HALLWAY HINTS
We put this scenario before the Teacher Leaders Network: It’s the first week of school... You’re a veteran teacher who’s rushing toward your classroom with the last armload of materials from your car. You spy an impossibly young adult, apparently frozen in place in the hallway. Your quick diagnosis: NTSS (new teacher shock syndrome)... Your heart reaches out. But your head says you can spare only two minutes right now. What’s your best advice? Read some of what our K-12 experts had to say.

Teaching Secrets: MORE HALLWAY HINTS
Even more quick advice from TLN’s K-12 experts, including: “Let students do the work,” “Plan, plan plan,” “Take time to marinate,” “Remember kids will be kids,” and “Don’t take it personal, but make it personal.”

Teaching Secrets: TAMING CLASSROOM CHAOS
"My classroom is not neat and tidy and shiny like some," writes math and social studies teacher Cossondra George. "It has that homey, lived-in, loved look. The tables are never quite in perfect straight lines…and my teacher desk looks like a recycling center exploded on it." So how does the semi-organized teacher hold the Mighty Dragon of Chaos at bay? In this article, Cossondra shares 10 "stolen" strategies that help her and her kids stay focused on learning.

Teaching Secrets: HOW TO SMILE BEFORE CHRISTMAS
When Kathie Marshall entered her first classroom nearly 30 years ago, “I found myself running to veteran teachers at the first sign of trouble, asking ‘What do you do?’ Without fail, she remembers, someone would say, “Don’t smile until Christmas!” Their advice to assume a “grim and commanding presence” didn’t square with Kathie’s vision of an inviting teacher. Her alternative? Early in the year, she and her students work together to develop class rules and routines. It’s worked for three decades, says the Los Angeles teacher-coach.

Teaching Secrets: TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR CLASSROOM
As mentoring coordinator at our large suburban high school, writes Gail Tillery, “I’m in charge of inducting about 25 teachers a year. Usually, these novice educators are very young—most have just graduated from college... Suddenly they may find themselves standing in front of a room filled with 35 seniors, some of whom are only three years younger than they are. In many cases, the disaster is coming on fast.” Dodge the disaster with this National Board Certified Teacher’s advice.

 
Teaching Secrets: ORGANIZING MIDDLE SCHOOLERS
Special education teacher Laurie Wasserman shares time-tested methods that can help even the most “organizationally challenged” sixth grader find his or her way. “It’s hard sometimes to realize that students don’t deliberately misplace papers, forget pencils, or lose track of assignments… It’s our job to teach them the tools and strategies for getting organized and feeling successful.”

Teaching Secrets: STUDENTS BEHAVE WHEN TEACHERS ENGAGE
Anthony Cody began his teaching career in inner-city Oakland CA almost 20 years ago. It was a rough first year, with many lesson preps. “My credential program had not really dealt much with behavior issues. The idea was to deliver a rich curriculum, and the management would take care of itself. If you are already teaching, you know this does not always work.” After floundering the first year or two, he got some good advice from down the hall. Follow his tips and you won’t have to way a year or two to establish a harmonious classroom environment.

Teaching Secrets: THE PARENT MEET-AND-GREET
Parent nights send "chills up the spine of many teachers," says NBCT Marsha Ratzel. Her article is aimed at helping novice educators prepare for a successful parent meet-and-greet experience. Filled with practical tips and survival strategies. Don't get lost in the details of your classroom, she says. Most parents want to know two things: (1) You're going to treat their child fairly; and (2) You are committed to teaching both the curriculum and other skills well. “Parents want reassurance that you'll listen to them as a valued partner in their child's school year."

Teaching Secrets: USE LEFTOVER CLASS TIME WISELY
This July 2009 article by high school teacher Larry Ferlazzo got 10,000 hits the first 48 hours after posting. It's filled with good ideas about making the most of those leftover minutes between the end of the planned lesson and the bell. Many of the ideas will work with middle and elementary kids, too. If you like what you read, link up to his popular teacher resources blog, Websites of the Day.

Teaching Secrets: ASK THE KIDS!
Fourth-year teacher Ariel Sacks has spent her short career in the inner-city NYC schools. In the middle of her second year she had a revelation, triggered by once-excited eighth graders who were now "yawning, poking one another, throwing paper balls, and complaining during class." Ariel's first reaction was to bristle. Then her a-ha moment arrived. Why not ask the kids what they wanted that they weren't getting? Teacher and students began talking -- and negotiating -- and a new, more positive atmosphere emerged.

Teaching Secrets: THE MIRACLE OF CHOICES
Stubborn two-year olds respond to choices, why not adolescents? That was the thesis Mary Tedrow began with, some years ago, when she devised an engagement strategy that allows her high school English students latitude in selecting assignments. Which are, of course, carefully designed to produce the same learning effects – whatever they choose! As you’ll see in the Comments section of this Teacher Magazine essay, middle schoolers like to be choosy, too.

Teaching Secrets: PRIMING THE STUDENT LEARNING PUMP
New-teacher mentor Kathie Marshall tells the story of a novice middle school teacher who learns some important lessons about student engagement. One reader commented: “As a first year teacher, this was a refreshing article to read and relate to. I know that engaging students is the key to their success, but I, too, became overwhelmed with the curriculum and ignored the most important factor of teaching.”

Teaching Secrets: WHAT KIDS WISH TEACHERS KNEW
When NBCT Laurie Wasserman sat down with Talia to reminisce about the high school sophomore's middle school days, she soon found herself jotting down "candid insights from the other side of the teacher's desk." Wasserman's report on what middle school kids want teachers to know about their learning preferences includes useful reminders for any educator who hopes to reach and engage adolescents.

Teaching Secrets: BRIDGING THE GENDER GAP
Laura Reasoner Jones says it can take some self-scrutiny to determine whether boys and girls are being treated equally in your class. An NBCT with a background in both early childhood and elementary grades, Jones lays out a series of strategies that teachers can employ to avoid unconscious gender bias.

FINALLY, while this isn't part of our Teaching Secrets series (yet), TLN member and TweenTeacher Heather Wolpert-Gawron has a great "Top 10" blog post titled "How to Take Control of Your Teaching" that has advice for newbies and veterans alike.

Every Child Has an "Inner Reader"

In our Teacher Leaders Network Forum community, we’re celebrating the publication of TLNF'er Donalyn Miller's first book with our virtual whistles, cheers and confetti. Inspired in part by her many posts about adolescent reading at her Teacher Magazine blog, The Book Whisperer, Donalyn’s fresh-off-the-press title of the same name is already drawing rave comments from Amazon’s “Vine” reviewers.

The book’s subtitle is a variation on Donalyn's oft-repeated mantra: You can awaken the inner reader in every child. In her first years of teaching, writes Donalyn in the book’s introduction, “I despaired that I would never inspire my students to find the rapturous joy in reading that I did.”

Looking back on those days now, I see that the answer was right in front of me. On those rare opportunities when I allowed my students to choose their own books, their interest in completing assignments was sparked; I just failed to make the connection. Letting students choose their own books for every assignment was not done in any classroom I had ever been in, and I did not know how to design instruction that would accomplish the goals of my curriculum and still allow students to make choices.

Donalyn knows how now. And she’s willing to whisper what she's learned into the ears of other teachers eager to share their love of books with their students.

You'll find all the details about The Book Whisperer at the Jossey-Bass website, whre you can also download the table of contents and a sample chapter, “There and Back Again," in PDF format. The publisher's blurb points out that the book includes a "dynamite list" of recommended kid-lit. You'll have to buy the book to get to that!

How Teachers Learn -- and Lead

The February issue of Educational Leadership, How Teachers Learn, features a series of timely articles on professional growth throughout a teaching career, beginning with "From Surviving to Thriving." An article on professional learning communities considers how teachers can move collectively beyond talk into action -- there's even a video! You might want to print out a copy of the article "The Principal's Role in Supporting Learning Communities" (wear gloves if you must to avoid fingerprints).

And the editors don't overlook the leadership dimension of teaching learning, either. Our favorite article in this regard (not surprisingly) is by TLN Forum member and TLN blogger Bill Ferriter, with the unlikely (re: leadership) title, [Teacher] Learning with Blogs and Wikis." While Bill gives due attention to the power of blogs as a place to publicly reflect on your classroom practice (thereby inviting critical feedback), he also finds a good bit to say about teacher leadership.

In his essay, Bill recognizes that by sharing practice, teachers participate in a form of leadership, promoting collaboration and making teaching quality a high priority

…thousands of accomplished educators are now writing blogs about teaching and learning, bringing transparency to both the art and the science of their practice. In every content area and grade level and in schools of varying sizes and from different geographic locations, educators are actively reflecting on instruction, challenging assumptions, questioning policies, offering advice, designing solutions, and learning together. And all this collective knowledge is readily available for free.

But he also sees the connective power of the Internet as a never-before-possible tool for teacher leadership around policy issues and school improvement at district, state and national levels:

Although I enjoy the opportunities for reflection and articulation that digital tools have made possible, I see even greater potential in using blogs and wikis to gain influence as a teacher leader. Early on, I realized that I had valuable experiences to share with everyone from parents to policymakers. Now, in just over two years, my blog has attracted nearly 350 regular readers. No longer do teachers have to sit unsatisfied, wishing that we had more influence over our profession. Blogging has made it possible for all of us to be publishers and to elevate our voices to improve classroom practice.

Are you using the power of the Internet to share your insights and expertise with larger audiences? You need not wait to be invited to the table these days. The World Wide Web is the table.