However overwhelming this profession continues to be, teaching young people means we have an enormous responsibility. Public schools are set up to serve a very specific group of straight, white, middle class, neurotypical students and families. No wonder the job seems so impossible. The system works for so few. Where I live, teachers must have a Master’s Degree to maintain their teaching license, and despite all those classes, very few educators feel prepared to truly meet the needs of their amazing, diverse, creative, interesting students. Luckily, we have books. There is a wealth of knowledge currently available from brilliant educators who see the gaps in our teacher preparation and know what our students deserve. Hopefully you’ve found some teacher books to pique your interest. If you are an educator, take a deep breath and promise me that you’ll pace yourself. Pick a single text and let it soak in. Challenge yourself to a single action and check in with yourself often. The thriving spot between going numb and burning out is small and tenuous. If you’re looking for more teacher books, check out this expansive list of books for about teachers.
