Reading and Research Interests

Here, you'll find a list of books, blogs, and articles that I'm currently reading or have read about a variety of topics, giving you an insight into who I am and what I believe as an educator.

Content-Area Reading

  • Teaching Introductory Physics by Arnold Arons
    (Addresses, in-depth, student misconceptions in physics and how to dispel them through discussion and inquiry)
  • Various Articles About Modeling Instruction in Physics by David Hestenes
    (Justifies the modeling approach as a way to help students truly understand physics concepts, beyond the "plug-and-chug" method favored by many)
  • Dan Meyer's Blog about making mathematical instruction more engaging and relevant
  • 5 Practices for Orchestrating Task-Based Discussions in Science by Jennifer Cartier
    (Offers five suggestions for raising the level of discourse in the science classroom)

Assessment Practices

  • A Repair Kit for Grading by Ken O'Connor (Offers 15 suggestions for "fixing" grade reporting by moving to a standards-based grading approach)
  • Grading Smarter, Not Harder by Myron Dueck (Echoes sentiments of O'Connor and Rick Wormeli about standards-based grading)
  • Transforming Classroom Grading by Robert Marzano
    (Discusses the limitations of using letter grades in reporting true student achievement in high school)

Leadership/Philosophy

  • Visible Learning by John Hattie
    (Hattie uses a meta-analysis to determine which factors in schools have the greatest impact on student success.)
  • Overloaded and Underprepared by Denise Pope
    (Pope discusses the fact that many students are overwhelmed with a combination of sports, after-school activities, homework, and studying for advanced classes. She offers both classroom and building-wide strategies for lessening the burden on students without sacrificing rigor.)
  • Mindset by Carol Dweck
    (Influential philosophy about encouraging a growth mindset versus a fixed mindset in order to promote intrinsic motivation)
  • The Boss of the Whole School by Elizabeth Hebert
    (Discusses the joys and difficulties of becoming a principal, including all of the responsibilities that come with the position)
  • Weird Ideas that Work: How to Build a Creative Company by Robert Sutton
    (Describes the importance of hiring creative thinkers in the business world, justifying our need to prepare students for an ever-changing world)