All educational staff... from the bus garage all the way to central office are sharing with us that this is one of the hardest school years yet, especially with the shortage of subs/ being short staffed. This made me think long and hard about my recommendation for this month's book, The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace by Gary Chapman & Paul White.

This book is a short, easy and engaging read. It can help all of us understand, express and address appreciation in the workplace regardless of the position we hold. Expressing appreciation for those who are continuing to show up each day for students is a small but powerful thing that can make a significant and positive impact on those we work with as well as our own happiness. 

Authors, Chapman and White discuss the importance of appreciation in the workplace, what it is, the 5 different types and how it works in different settings. Additionally, the MBA Inventory helps identify your primary & secondary languages of appreciation as well as the language that's least meaningful to you. 

Why I Recommend This Book:

I know this book would be valuable and interesting to everyone in a school setting especially now, but I believe it can be especially impactful to those who hold leadership positions- of any type. If you do, in fact, read this book, I invite you to share your workplace appreciation language with me (via email: [email protected] or Twitter: @kdickens001).  I would love to hear what yours is and how you’re using this new information. PS- mine is...words of affirmation. Happy reading! 

RTI for Reading at the Secondary Level

By: Deborah K. Reed, Jade Wexler, and Sharon Vaughn 

Book reviewed by: Crystal Bryski

Book Synopsis:

Grounded in the best current knowledge, this book shows how to implement response to intervention (RTI) in middle and high school contexts. Detailed guidelines are presented for teaching reading comprehension, vocabulary, and other aspects of literacy across the content areas, and for providing effective interventions for students who require additional support. The authors describe RTI procedures that are specifically tailored to the needs of struggling adolescent learners and that take into account the challenges and logistics of secondary-level implementation. The volume features 26 reproducible tools for planning, assessment, progress monitoring, and multi-tiered instruction; the large-size format facilitates photocopying.

Why I Recommend This Book: 

Reimagining Special Education: Using Inclusion as a Framework to Build Equity and Support All Students

By: Jenna Mancini Rufo and Julie Causton

Book Reviewed By: Tricia McCollum

Book Synopsis:

As schools reopen their doors and students return to the classroom, what will the new normal of special education look like? The pandemic exposed educational inequities and areas of urgent need - and now schools have a unique opportunity to press pause and reimagine their practices. This book helps K-12 school leaders and educators closely examine what worked during distance learning, let go of practices that keep some students struggling, and plan new routines and environments that meet the needs of every learner.

Why I Recommend This Book:

Reimagining Special Education challenges us to take a closer look at how we are providing meaningful inclusion to our students with special needs. Chapters 5 and 6 focus on revitalizing co-teaching and realigning service delivery methods. I enjoyed reading about the roles of an inclusion facilitator and envisioning how a consultative model of special education can shift the focus from changing the child to changing the environment. This is a great book for building teams to help build excitement around meaningful inclusive practices!