Growing up, I was surrounded by books. My parents, who were teachers, understood the importance of being well read and provided my sisters and myself multiple opportunities to explore various genres of literature. As I went through school, I was inundated with multiple fiction novels that are still some of my favorites today (The Great Gatsby, Animal Farm, 1984, James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Where the Wild Things Are, Henderson the Rain King, To Kill A Mockingbird). In college, I became enthralled with the works of Shakespeare and wondered why I wasn't exposed to his comedies in high school. I personally feel that Merchant of Venice and Taming of the Shrew are way better than Romeo and Juliet and Julius Caesar.
As a high school principal, I sometimes get asked to list my top five books that would help others who are seeking out a principalship. I find this difficult because, depending on what you are looking for, there are specific types of books that you should read. For the purpose of this blog, however, I have identified what I feel are the five required books that all administrators/teachers should read that will make you think about education in broader terms. These are books that weren't necessarily written about education, but rather, encompass themes that can be applied to education. There really is no scientific approach to why I chose the books below, other than I find them relevant to what I do for a living. This relevance is what helps me keep turning the pages. I would invite you to share your favorite books if they aren't on my list.
Outliers: The Story of Success
Author: Malcolm Gladwell
I have never been so engrossed in a book like I was with this one. It is fascinating to read about Gladwell's theories on why successful people are successful. In the book, he provides solid rational why some people are more successful than others. Additionally, it becomes increasingly apparent that the outliers among us did not get their by themselves. It truly takes a village of people and a little bit of luck for people to reach the height of their potential. As an educator, it is a wake up call because we sometimes have systems in place in education that actually hinder students from achieving greatness.
Columbine
Author: Dave Cullen
At first, the idea of reading a book about a horrific and shocking event in American history seemed a little morbid. I was in college when this massacre took place and remember being glued to the television set as the events unfolded. I, like many people, wondered how something like this could happen and assumed a lot of things without having all the facts. In this book, Dave Cullen does an exhaustive search through thousands of pages of records to create a picture of what led up to this horrific day, including the misinformation that was portrayed by the media and a glimpse at the warning signs that led to Eric Harris and Dylan Kliebold to take out their school. It is a chilling book to read, but in the end, it should be something that all teachers, administrators, and parents read.
Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success at Work & in Life, One Conversation at a Time
Author: Susan Scott
I've read this book a couple of times along with Susan Scott's follow-up book entitled Fierce Leadership. Why it is such an important book to read is because it teaches the reader how to get the most out of every conversation. We have all had a situation where we left a conversation not feeling good about how it went. In this book, Scott educates us on how to make sure we get the most out of each conversation we have. She states, "The conversation is the relationship. If the conversation stops, all of the possibilities for the relationship become smaller and all of the possibilities for the individuals in the relationship become smaller…" "…if we compromise at work or at home; if we lower the standards about how often we talk, what we talk about, and, most important, what degree of authenticity we bring to our conversations--it's a slow and deadly slide." Education is all about RELATIONSHIPS. Every conversation that is held will make or break those relationships. As Scott states, "Our lives succeed or fail one conversation at a time."
The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century
Author: Thomas L. Friedman
Anyone who doubts that we live in a global society, should definitely check out this book. Additionally, if anyone needs more proof of why we need to reform education so that it embodies a global emphasis, this book provides a nice reminder. In chapter 2 of the book, Friedman provides a great overview on the ten forces that flattened the world and changed us forever. The reason that this book is so important for those of us in education is because it puts a special emphasis on why it is so important to teach our students how to collaborate. He sums it up best when he states, "the global competitive playing field is being leveled...It is now possible for more people than ever to collaborate and compete in real time with more other people on more different kinds of work from more different corners of the planet and on a more equal footing than at any previous time in the history of the world." This is a great reminder that education should place a heavy focus on learning how to collaborate with others in an innovation economy. This book is certainly a nice compliment to Gladwell's Outliers book.
Good to Great
Author: Jim Collins
I am reminded constantly of a saying that one of my coaches told me growing up that said, "Good. Better. Best. Never let it rest. Until you good is better and your better is the best." As I read this book by Jim Collins, this saying kept resonating in my head. The reason this book is so important for education is because it provides an overview of how to be consistently great and how to help out students understand what it takes to be great. One of the most fascinating parts of this book centers around developing a Hedgehog Concept. Check out this video from Jim Collins on The Journey to Finding a Personal Hedgehog. What is your Hedgehog Concept?
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