Hello June! It is definitely my favorite month of the year—the promise of summer is brand new, and the excitement of some time to rest and recharge is on the horizon!  If you aren’t finished with school yet, I know most of you will be soon and then it is summer vibes all the way! I am so excited to start what I hope will be an annual tradition of a book study for new teachers.  Having spent countless summers in book studies in just about every genre, I know the power of what a good book study can do. 

In summers past, I have learned about The Daily Five, Guided Math, Whole Brain Teaching and STEM just to name a few recent ones. Back in the day, it was inquiry-based learning, Bloom’s Taxonomy, and teaching gifted students in the regular classroom.  No matter what the subject, reading and reflecting on a professional text has always been a favorite summer activity.  I love to read, and the summer is the perfect time to be able to reflect on an area that needs improvement and really hone in on that.  To that end, I am hosting a book discussion this summer based on the book Your First Year by Todd, Madeline, and Katherine Whitaker.  Todd Whitaker is a professor and educational speaker who has written over 50 books.  This book, Your First Year, is co-authored by his daughters Madeline (an elementary school teacher) and Katherine (a high school teacher).  Your First Year is perfect for all levels of first year teachers, but we will focus primarily on the implications for K-5 teachers in our book study group.  

There are four sections of the book:  Before Students Arrive, The Students Are Here, Working With Adults, and Continue To Reflect, Refine and Grow On Your Journey.  My personal opinion is that the book is a pretty fast read, so my goal is to do a section every two weeks.  If we feel we need more time to digest the content and discuss in more depth, we can slow down that process, but by keeping to that schedule we will complete the book by the first week in August, just in time for back to school! 

Here is how the book club will work. 

1. Every Monday, I will send an email to our subscribers with the discussion questions and pages to read for the week.  Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list (BELOW) so you get the questions sent directly to you!
2. Then, I will start a post in the Facebook Group (Early Career Educators) for comments.
3. Every Friday, I will go live in the group to discuss the book and the comments posted.  There will be an opportunity for you to jump on the broadcast with me to share your insights as well. 

My goal is to hear from as many different voices as possible to offer multiple perspectives.  This book is a must read for all new-to-the-profession teachers.  By also having a discussion about it with your peers, I think you will get so much more out of it! The more the merrier, so if you have friends who want to join or if you know other first year teachers who might benefit, be sure to invite them as well! See you soon! Happy reading!