Summer PD

This summer i have taken PD into my own hands. Instead of workshops, i bought books. As you know, i finished Never Work Harder than your Students and it was so refreshing to see teaching elevated to a level of mastery. In fact, it inspired me to make units and curriculum and scope & sequence using backwards design principles. I hope to refer back to this book when i come across a classroom dilemma because i know i can find a plan to guide me back to a solution.

In other news, i've read Disconnected kids

 by Dr. Robert Melillo on the relationship between right and left brain hemispheres. His insight reminded me of what we learn in Human Development courses at University, or what we overlook as busy teachers. I felt overwhelmed knowing that as a school-wide teacher, I couldn't provide the specificity of care that individuals with a disconnection require. Hopefully, with collaboration i can be part of the solution. If you are like me, and wondering about this fall's batch of students, you may want to prepare yourself with reading this book.

On top of that, I have begun Teach like a champion by Doug Lemov. He has outlined techniques to use in urban settings that can overcome achievement gaps. I am always thinking about how examples in the traditional classroom can translate into general music or piano instruction. It's usually not a far stretch to consider, however some techniques require more imagination than others. I am not quite 1/2 through, but already I can tell this will be a reference for me 20 years from now.

Have you enjoyed any of these texts? Do you have a book recommendation? Share your thoughts please!