The season for reading by the pool or the beach might be coming to a close, but it鈥檚 never too late to pick up a good book.
And some of the best books are those recommended by your peers.
Education Week asked subscribers to The Savvy Principal鈥攁 free weekly newsletter for school leaders鈥攖o share the books they were reading and enjoying this summer.
Here鈥檚 what they said:
The top read for principals focuses on smartphones
Several principals told us that they were reading The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt.
Haidt, a social psychologist, explores the rising rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide among teenagers and draws connections to what he calls a 鈥減hone-based childhood.鈥� Children鈥檚 reliance on cellphones and social media has led to sleep deprivation, attention fragmentation, loneliness, social comparison, perfectionism, and more, he argues.
In The Anxious Generation, Haidt issues a call to action for parents and educators, as well as for tech companies and governments.
It鈥檚 no wonder principals have been captivated by the book. Cellphones have become a growing challenge for schools. Teachers report that they have become distractions to instruction and lead to harmful social-emotional effects.
At least 11 states have passed laws or enacted policies that ban or restrict students鈥� use of cellphones in schools or recommend that districts enact their own restrictions, according to an EdWeek analysis.
The other work-related books on principals鈥� lists
School leaders were also reading about other education-related issues.
One newsletter subscriber said they were reading Relentless: Changing Lives by Disrupting the Educational Norm by Hamish Brewer. Brewer calls himself the 鈥渢attooed skateboarding principal,鈥� and his book details his own difficult upbringing鈥攁nd how he now works to empower others.
Another recommendation: Responsive Coaching by Josh Goodrich. The book promises to share evidence-informed instructional coaching models that work for every teacher.
One school leader said they were reading Executive Functions for Every Classroom, Grades 3-12: Creating Safe and Predictable Learning Environments by Mitch Weathers. The book contains practical strategies and guidance to teach students executive function skills, like how to study or manage their time.
The books just for fun
Of course, some of the books principals said they were reading were just for fun鈥攁n opportunity to not think about work for a little bit. Here鈥檚 that list, a mix of fiction and nonfiction:
- The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach
- All in the Name of Love by Shelagh Jackson
- This Night Belongs To You by Shelagh Jackson
- The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
- Maggie: Trapped in the School for the Feeble Minded by Lynn Phillips
Want more book recommendations? Here鈥檚 what teachers told Education Week they鈥檙e reading this summer:
Here are even more reading and listening recommendations for principals:
