A scope and sequence document in education outlines the content to be taught and an approximate timeline for learning. A document like this typically includes the standards to be addressed and key outcomes. Throughout my educational career I have worked in places where we were expected to use and follow a scope and sequence with no deviation, with everyone on the same page on the same day. I have also worked in places where we had to develop our own scope and sequence with no guidance or expectations or resources provided. In fact, for the majority of my teaching career I had no access to teachers’ edition textbooks and had nothing but the state standards and my professional learning to guide my planning. I have been a leader in systems across this continuum as well.
There are pros and cons to all of these systems. When there is no scope and sequence in place teachers have autonomy to do what they feel is right for their students. You often see great enthusiasm, passion, and creativity come out. You may also see widely different results in terms of student learning. You may see less professional collaboration. You could walk into three classrooms of the same grade level in the same school and see significantly different examples of student learning. Teams in these situations often struggle to have a true Professional Learning Community (PLC) as they are not working towards common outcomes.
When there is a scope and sequence and everyone is following it, a system can measure student learning by shared outcomes. A child’s success is less likely to depend on the interests of the teacher and more likely to align to the grade level expectations. A well designed scope and sequence can lead to common assessments, a targeted approach to instruction, and quick support for students who might struggle. All of these structures can build a stronger Tier 1 system of instruction, lessening the need for interventions and services at higher levels.
I entered a system with no scope and sequences in any content area and wide variations in teaching and learning, with teachers proud of their autonomy and freedom. Incredible things are happening in some classrooms, but a system made up of pockets of excellence is not cohesive and not equitable. We are not serving all students. Over the last year and half we have implemented a robust Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) which has led to teachers recognizing that more coherence would help serve all students better. We have hit a tipping point in our system where teachers are identifying the challenges of not having a scope and sequence and are now seeking out resources and structures that will provide greater support for all students and more opportunities for collaboration. It is so powerful to have a grass-roots movement building because the end product will be designed by and for teachers, with ownership and understanding built in the development process. I can’t wait to see where this work takes us!
This post is part of a series called Explorations in Instructional Leadership. I plan to use this series to dive into some of the topics that are rising to the surface in my work, topics that I am researching for future study, and topics that impact student learning and pedagogy.
I was raised to write handwritten thank you notes after every Christmas and birthday. I exchanged snail mail letters with my grandparents all throughout my childhood, and with friends who moved away. While most of my snail mail has been replaced by email and texting, there is still nothing quite like receiving a handwritten note.
One of the best things I’ve ever seen implemented by a leader is the idea of writing notes of gratitude and appreciation. In our monthly management meetings, my amazing boss brings a stack of district notecards and envelopes. These notecards change annually along with our theme for the year. The last 5 minutes of each meeting is dedicated to writing notes. Imagine an entire room of leaders quietly writing handwritten notes that will be delivered through district mail, or dropped off in front of someone’s spot at the end of the meeting. I get just as much joy out of writing these messages as I do when I receive one. It is so nice to take an intentional moment to pause, think of someone you work with, and consider how you might thank them.
I make it a point to keep a list of the people I have written notes to during the year, so that I reach as many as possible, and so I don’t forget! Sometimes the occasion comes up naturally, for instance after one of my staff members completes a project or does a presentation. Other times I am seeking a way to connect with an individual and I go out of my way to find something to notice and appreciate. Similar to the gratitude circle activity, these notes can be a bridge to deepen a relationship. As we move into the second half of the school year, and a new calendar year, I am committed to writing more notes of gratitude and appreciation.
Throughout my career I have worked in Kindergarten through post secondary school. I have always tried to keep up with educational research and instructional trends, for my own knowledge and information, and when working with others to determine site or district focus areas. Before I started my current job, I spent about 4 years working in a secondary district. When I moved into this role, I transitioned back to elementary and had to get my head back into the world of K-6th grade. I started with math instruction, because that was a focus that had already been started in my district. Just as I was beginning to dive into some reading research, COVID-19 hit, and my instructional leadership took a backseat to all of the pandemic management that became necessary. This is all a long way of saying that I haven’t been following “the reading wars” very closely over the last 6 years or so, but I’ve recently jumped in to the mess.
A few months ago I read The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System- And How to Fix it by Natalie Wexler. While I appreciated her overall message (we need to do better with reading instruction in America), I didn’t appreciate how the author attacked what we have been doing. She specifically called out Lucy Calkins and Fountas and Pinnell, three educational leaders I learned from in my early teaching career. Since the author is a journalist and not an educator, I read the entire book with a lens of mistrust. Too often non educators want to tell us what we are doing right and wrong without any lived experience in the jobs we do every day with students. However, she did share some compelling research, enough that I knew I wanted to learn more.
A very passionate Kindergarten teacher met with me recently to discuss “the science of reading” and what she hopes to see our district do more and less of in the coming years. She recommended the podcast Sold a Story and the book Reading Above the Fray: Reliable Research-Based Routines for Developing Decoding Skills by Julia B. Lindsey. Because I respect this teacher and was looking for other sources, I happily dove into both. The podcast shook me like the Wexler book, because again there was a serious bashing of Fountas & Pinnell and Lucy Calkins, as well as their publisher. There were also some seriously wild examples shared in the podcast of teaching reading that sounded like nothing I have ever seen in a classroom. However, there was also a lot of research cited, including why the 3 cueing system (using context to figure out words) is not the appropriate way to teach reading and why explicit instruction in decoding matters.
As a district leader I want to make sure that I am well-versed in the latest scientific information, and the most current resources that would support student learning. I want our teachers to have the best resources and professional learning possible. In order to make decisions about professional development and curricular resources, I am currently working with our Educational Services team to dive even deeper into this research, looking at it through multiple lens and with the perspectives of our experience, knowledge, and current context. It’s an interesting place to be, feeling like what I know and how I taught may no longer be the best way or even the correct way, especially in the area of reading. We are so used to quick and frequent changes in the field of technology, but reading has been around forever. It’s important to recognize that as our science and technology have improved, so has our ability to study how good readers operate and what matters in the teaching of reading. I look forward to expanding my knowledge, challenging past paradigms, and learning to recognize my own bias when it comes to new research.
This post is part of a series called Explorations in Instructional Leadership. I plan to use this series to dive into some of the topics that are rising to the surface in my work, topics that I am researching for future study, and topics that impact student learning and pedagogy.
In 2023 I am adding a new series to my blog entitled Explorations in Instructional Leadership. I plan to use this series to dive into some of the topics that are rising to the surface in my work, topics that I am researching for future study, and topics that impact student learning and pedagogy.
I use writing as a way to reflect and yet I haven’t used this blog to support my own instructional leadership work in the last few years. One of the reasons for that is that it’s hard to write about a current challenge – sometimes details cannot be made public, sometimes information is tied to a person and I never want to write about other people without their permission, and sometimes when you are in the thick of something it’s hard to know which way is up. However, that is often a good time to write about an issue.
Some of the issues I hope to explore this year include:
Scope and sequences and pacing guides
Teacher autonomy
Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI) in math
The science of reading
Coaching
I’d love to hear what topics have risen to the top in your instructional leadership.
Anyone who reads this blog knows that I am an avid reader! 2021 was my best reading year in decades, and I had so much fun getting into new reading podcasts and building out my never-ending TBR list. This year I added an amazing reading tracker in the form of a spreadsheet created by Katie, one of the hosts of the Currently Reading podcast, in addition to my monthly blog summaries. I appreciate that the spreadsheet tracked so many parts of my reading this year including, but not limited to:
number of pages read
genres
publishers
how long it took to read each book
ratings
own voices stats
While I don’t read just to see a number at the end of the year, it is interesting to see how my reading changes across years.
2021:146
2020: 71
2019: 89
2018: 55
2017: 59
2016: 69
2015: 44
Last year I read an INSANE amount of books (thanks to a 6 week medical leave!) and I didn’t think I would ever come close to that number again. In my mind, I set a goal to try to reach 100 books this year, but thought it might be a stretch. It turns out that wasn’t a stretch because in 2022 I read 127 books, which was over 40,000 pages read in 365 days! The amazing spreadsheet I used tracked some incredible statistics that I want to share for my own record keeping. So if you are a data nerd, enjoy! If not, skip ahead!
My 2022 STATS
75% fiction and 25% nonfiction
48% in print, 29% digital, 24% audiobook
30% published in 2022 and 70% were backlist
38% Own Voices (as authors and/or protagonists)
My Ratings:
2.5 stars: 2.4%
3 stars: 12.4%
3.5 stars: 6.5%
4 stars: 52.8%
4.5 stars: 11.4%
5 stars: 24.4%
My genres:
One of the stats that I tracked this year for the first time ever was the country of origin of the authors I read- it’s not very diverse so this is a 2023 goal for. I would also like to read more essay and/or short story collections.
Overall, I had a phenomenal 2022 reading year! I know what I like and I’m good at picking books that I will enjoy, based on my mood. My book club has brought in titles I wouldn’t have read otherwise, which expands my horizons. Tracking with this detail has also allowed me to see the trends I lean towards, so I can branch out as well. I would like to read the growing stack of books I own in my own, thanks to the Book of the Month club and the Indie Press List purchases I have been persuaded to buy because of the Currently Reading podcast. I am looking forward to another great year of cozy books in 2023!
For the last eight years I have spent every December reflecting on the year that was and looking ahead to the year to come. Instead of setting resolutions I choose a focus word, a word that I want to drive my personal and professional life. Sometimes the word finds me, like in 2020 when I knew GRACE would be my word long before the pandemic even hit. Other times I have to do a lot of journaling and searching to find what feels right. Even after I choose, some years I tend to have laser-like focus on my word all year and other times I forget what it is or don’t feel connected to it.
In 2022, my word was CONNECTION. I was seeking more personal connections with family and friends, and lots of connecting flights to expand my travel. It was so nice to be connected to people and places I love throughout the year!
In 2021, my word was DARING. This word felt like a challenge to my introverted self, but also like something I needed after a year of grace and masks and isolation. I was ready to be daring in some big and small ways in my life.
In 2020, my word was GRACE. This word found me long before we knew what 2020 would bring to the world. I needed to leave space for grace for myself and for others as we lived through a global pandemic.
In 2019, my word was SHINE. My goal was to shine personally and professionally, and I did that through a new job, a published book, and a sunflower tattoo 26 years in the making!
In 2018, my word was POSSIBILITY with a supporting phrase of Adventures that Stretch. This idea helped me looked differently at what was possible if I shifted my viewpoint. I also enjoyed some incredible adventures that did help me stretch in new ways.
In 2017, my word was CHALLENGE, and it served me personally, professionally, and on a global scale. I love new challenges and appreciated the permission I gave myself to rise to some new challenges and to say, “I’m not going to take this on,” to other challenges.
In 2016, my word was REJUVENATE, with a more internal, physical focus that I needed.
The first time I chose a focus word was 2015, and my word was MINDFULNESS. This proved to be a fulfilling year of learning to be more present, learning to mediate, and to enjoy each individual moment.
Back in November someone used the word impact at work and it struck a chord with me. I want to do work that impacts student and adult learners, and the community at large. That is my leadership vision, but I already work with that in mind. I decided that I didn’t need that as my word because it is already a core part of who I am. Instead, I am leaning in a different direction.
As someone who walks, talks, reads, and works exceptionally fast, I found a word that might help me slow down once a while. A word that might remind me to be kind, to show more empathy, to be more delicate in challenging situations… a word that I want to be with others and also with myself. My word of 2023 is GENTLE.
After a great reading year, I ended with a fizzle. I was all ready to read a lot over my winter break – I checked out a big stack of books from my library! Then I got sick and my fuzzy head was way too tired to read… for a week! I’m slowly catching up, while still fighting off the winter sickness. This month I read:
The Golden Season by Madeline Kay Sneed – Emmy was raised in a small town in West Texas where football and church are the two most important things in everyone’s lives. Emmy decides to come out to her divorced parents as she prepares to head off to the end of her college years. Both of her parents react poorly and stop speaking to her, her mother out of shock, and her father because he cannot support her eternal damnation. We then folloing both Emmy and her father Steve throughout the next year, as she grapples with new love without her family love and as he realizes a lifelong dream of becoming head football coach. This story had beautiful touching moments, and also such sad moments. The author was able to bring to life the struggles between evangelical faith and the lived experiences of those on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum.
A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny (Gamache #12) – I love this series so much and this was one of my favorites! Because the author’s latest book in the series just came out this month, I’ve heard her in a few interviews and I love how invested she is increating the heartwarming little village of Three Pines, in the snowy woods of Canada. In this story, Gamache, recently injured and then retired, has take anew job as the head of the police academy, so he can clean up the mess left within. When a professor is murdered on campus, everyone wants to investigate and everyone is a suspect. I appreciate the deep connections between the characters and how they were explored in this story.
We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker – What a bittersweet story! The two main characters are Walk, a small town police chief, and Dutchess, a 13 year old whose primary goal in life is to take care of her younger brother through all of their life troubles, which are dark and rough! None of the characters are happy in this story, and it is not a happy story, but boy was it powerful. I was so sad for Ducthess and her brother Robin, as one bad thing after the next happened to them, causing pain and lonliness. Meanwhile, Walk was working so hard to solve past and current crimes to save his oldest and dearest friends, while hiding his own secrets. Even though it sounds so depressing, it was such a sweet story to see that inspite of all the darkness, there was still love hidden amongst this group.
On a Quiet Street by Seraphina Nova Glass [audiobook]- This was a fun mystery to listen to on audio, as I attempt to move from only listening to non fiction and/or YA books. On this “quiet” street it seems that all the neighbors have secrets. Paige believes that one of her neighbors killed her son in last year’s hit and run. Cora believes her husband is cheating on her and is determined to catch him. Georgina won’t leave her house. As we switch narrators amongst these three women, we learn about them and how they perceive the world around them. The story speeds up as major secrets are revealed and the ending was fast-paced and fun!
The Lioness by Chris Bohjalian – One of my colleagues loaned me this book after they heard I had just returned from safari in Africa. I’m glad I didn’t read this right BEFORE my trip, as it was exciting but horrifying! A famous Hollywood actress, Katie, takes a group of 7 Americans on a safari as the second part of her honeymoon. Each chapter is narrated by a different character and with each new voice the plot moves forward and we learn the backstory of each person on the trip. When the group is basically attacked and kidnapped by a group of Russians, they are split up and have to fight for survival. This was gruesome, bittersweet, and still full of the beauty of Africa, with a clear love and respect for the people and the wildlife who belong there. This was such an interesting story, well told!
Glass Houses by Louise Penny [Gamache #13] – I love returning to the peaceful village of Three Pines, even though it’s never peaceful for long. When the cobrador, a Spanish debt collector in a costume like Death, comes to haunt the village, everyone freaks out. When someone is murdered, the lies begin to explode. As Gamache is trying to save the police force from the inside, there is trouble all around and he goes to extreme measures to do what he must.
Comfort Me with Apples by Catherynne M. Valente – This was a creepy novella! I remember when Currently Reading first recommended it, it sounded interesting. Sophia knows she was made for her husband, and the perfect life they have. But is it so perfect? In this short short Sophia’s world unravels as she discovers things that don’t make sense. I don’t want to give anything away, but if you read it, let me know so we can discuss!
The Last Housewife by Ashley Winstead – I’m ending my reading year with another creepy book! This starts out weird and just gets more bizarre and dark as you learn more. When Shay learns that her college best friend died in what looks like a suicide, she decides to travel back to NY to uncover what has happened in the 8 years since they last spoke. We learn about Shay’s marriage and her past while she is discovering who her BFF, Laurel, had become. While this was a fast-paced thriller and I stayed up late to finish it, it was also graphically disgusting and horrifying as well.
Never Look Back by Clare Donoghue (DI Mike Lockyer #1) – I love finding a new mystery series! DI Mike Lockyer is a crime detective in London. Along with his assistant detective Jane, he is chasing down a serial killer who is hunting young woman who look like his own daughter. At the same time, a stalker case catches Mike’s interest, causing a conflict of interest. I enjoyed the characters and the writing style and look forward to continuing to read more in this series.
December always feels like a good time to look back on the year, reflect on successes and challenges, and consider what you want to carry with you and leave behind as you end the new year. My word of 2022 was CONNECTION and I feel like that brought me exactly what I needed this year – the permission and reminder to reach out to friends and family, near and far, to spend time together; the opportunity to meet new friends; and the hours spent in airports while waiting for connecting flights (which I did all over the world this year!). This year I traveled to:
Each year I like to look back at what I hit publish on and what resonated with readers in this little spot on the internet. Looking through my blog statistics are fun for me at this time of year.
My most read blog posts from this year (aside from my monthly reading blogs):
Coaching for Equity – This was a series I wrote as I read and reflected on Elena Aguilar’s book back in 2020 and the entire series was well read throughout 2022!
The month in which I published the most posts:
January – I always start off strong!
April
The top countries where my blog readers live (outside of the US):
Phillipines
Canada
India
United Kingdom
Australia
China
South Africa
New terms people searched that helped them arrive at my blog this year:
Elena Aguilar – this is such a compliment since she is one of my EDU-HEROES! I love everything Elena writes and have blogged about all of her books A LOT, so I’m not surprised that my blog comes up when people search for her.
Before I started looking back at my stats for the year, I felt like I didn’t really write many blog posts at all this year, except for my monthly reading updates. Compared to previous years that is true, but I still wrote 28 posts and over 28,000 words in 2022 and that is no small feat. I was asked to turn a few of my blog posts into articles for the AASA magazine, and because of all of my reading I was also asked to submit book reviews for the magazine. I still enjoying sharing myself on this blog and will continue to do so. Looking ahead to 2023 I have some ideas for additional posts that capture some of the instructional leadership work that I have finally been able to return to, now that COVID is not the primary topic on every agenda! And as I wrap up a year of CONNECTIONS I am looking forward to finding my new word… stay tuned!
Back in 2015 I wrote three posts detailing a day in my life as a Director of Educational Services. In 2016 I moved to a new position, in a new district and documented one of my early days on the job. Since then, I have changed jobs again (3 years ago now!), but have never captured a day in the life of this job. I love looking back at the previous posts (linked below) because they are a fun way to reflect on past work, what was taking up my time, and how I chose to spend my time.
Here is a day in my life as an assistant superintendent, in December of 2022.
7:00 AM – This week my morning [and afternoon] commute has been spent listening to a podcast recommended to me by a few teachers. I don’t listen to a lot of educational podcasts, because I do so much reading in the field and I like my podcasts to cover non-educational topics for my entertainment. However, when this was recommended more than once, and around the topic of the science of reading, I had to listen to it!
7:30 AM – I arrive in my office, where I know I will only be for a short while this morning. It was 37 degrees this morning, a rarity for San Diego, so I blast my space heater and check my email and my calendar to ensure I know where I’m going all day.
8:00 AM – Our AMAZING Superintendent (who also happens to read this blog!) hosted a winter social for our district office, treating everyone to donuts and hot chocolate as we work our way to the final days before break. It’s so fun to see people from all different departments come together to socialize and enjoy connecting with one another. Unfortunately, I couldn’t stay very long before I had a previously scheduled site visit to get to.
8:15-9:40 AM – I visit each of our nine sites regularly to meet with principals, visit classrooms, and discuss teaching and learning. I’ve set a goal each year to visit every single classroom in our district. I haven’t met this goal yet, but I am well on my way to meeting it this year! These visits fill my teacher heart and my instructional leader soul, as we get to witness fun student learning and powerful pedagogy, and then discuss coaching moves as leaders. In fact, we were so into our discussions today that I stayed too late and got behind on my schedule! Today we saw 4th graders finalizing the board games they designed around Spanish explorers, as part of their history work. I learned a lot about the explorers and they had some creative designs!
9:55-11:15 AM – I raced over to another school for a second site visit of the day. This principal and I were able to celebrate lots of positive growth in her school community! She took me into her school’s library, which was set up to host over 100 families coming to receive winter gifts of love! This generous community had donated enough items so that each child invited would receive a new jacket, a new lego, a toy, a soccer ball, and more – it was overwhelming and so heartwarming to see it all ready for the families and to talk to the PTA parent who organized the incredible event!
11:30-12:30 – This was an extra special time on my calendar today! I went to visit a classroom at another school (my third today!), with a wonderful teacher who used to be part of the TOSA team in my department. I wanted to visit her and her class and she happily welcomed me in and asked if I would share a little about my recent trip to Namibia. You don’t have to ask me twice to share pictures and stories from that amazing trip! I loved seeing the 3rd graders’ reactions to each new animal picture I shared, and to hear them tell me the animals they have seen in the wild and in our local zoo. Then I was able to see their dress rehearsal for a class play they are performing tomorrow, all about electricity!
12:30-1:30 PM – On my way back to the office I picked up a snack to eat for lunch since I didn’t do my usual grocery shopping this week and have run out of lunch foods! As soon as I return from site visits, I try to write my emails to all of the staff I observed right away, to capture my notes of appreciation. I sent an email to each person, including the principal who was with me during the visit. In the messages, I honor/ appreciate something I saw happening that was good for students (I try to be explicit and specific as I’m modeling this instructional feedback for principals while also celebrating good pedagogy), and this week I closed off with warm wishes for a happy holiday season and a well-deserved break for all. I make notes in my spreadsheet where I keep track of all the classrooms I have visited (only 2 rooms left to see in the first site I visited today and I will hit my goal there!).
1:30-2:30 PM – My small but might TOSA team arrives for our bimonthly meeting. I work with three incredible TOSAs who bring positive energy and a range of different strengths and assets to our team. They are preparing for our second round of grade level professional development sessions that will start up at the end of January. Our first round, this fall, was a big success so we want to be responsive to all the feedback we received from teachers and push our instructional work forward with a deep dive into writing calibration, which is very new for our system! We are nervous and excited about the work ahead. Some of the things I love about this team is that they are self-directed, supportive of one another, focused, and purposeful in their work. I am so grateful for each of them!
2:30 PM – I had a check in meeting with a colleague. We are working on a project together and have scheduled weekly check-in’s to keep ourselves accountable for getting our parts done on time. She is one of my favorite people to work with, because we can be laser-focused on our tasks and then laugh ’til it hurts as we share personal stories!
3:00- 4:30 PM – The end of my day is unschedule, which is nice after the busy morning I had visiting three school sites. I get an unexpected phone call with some questions from the president of our teachers’ union. I need to make another call, to a school site staff member, to determine the answers so I can call back the original caller and clarify some misconceptions. I appreciate that because we are a small district this can all be done with personal conversations between people that I have built relationships with. I am caught up on my emails to the teachers I visited today, and my inbox is as clean as it can be before I leave for the day. I had some time to catch up with a few staff members in my department this afternoon, and we enjoyed some laughs together, which was much-needed.
I work with an exceptional group of people in a place I love. I am so grateful for this job and the culture in our district. People love one another and truly love coming to work and you can feel that all over! No two days are the same, but this was a fun one to capture because it included time in classrooms, time with colleagues, and celebrations of team work!
As someone who travels a lot, one of the questions that I dread the most is, “Where is your favorite place?” Similarly, as an avid reader I always have a hard time answering, “What is your favorite book?” because I love so many books for different reasons! Last year was the first time I ever attempted to summarize some of my favorite books that I read in 2021. This year, in each of my monthly reading roundups, I tried to capture my favorite fiction and nonfiction books from the month, to help me with this post for 2022. Based on those monthly posts, I loved 15 fiction and 10 nonfiction books. Even though it feels like Sophie’s choice, I’m going to narrow that group of 25 down to my top… 12. That’s the best I could do!
FAVORITEFICTION
Rather than share the summary I shared the first time I wrote about each of these books, I am linking them to the original post and making a note of their publication year. I want to share how these ended up on my favorite list for 2022. For me, what makes a 5 star read or a top book is that I love the reading experience so much I can’t put the book down (and hate taking a break for things like work and sleep!), I want to share it with people as soon as I finish it, and it’s memorable after I put it down. A book that I am still thinking about months after I read it is one that has had an impact on me.
As I consider this list I notice a few things. First, everything on this list was published within the last two years, though I read many books that were older than that this year. If asked, I would say that my favorite genre to read is mystery, but this list includes literary fiction, science fiction, historical fiction, and mystery. Most of these books are #OwnVoices, which for these particular books means that people of color, people who identify on the LGBTQ+ spectrum, and people living with disabilities, are the central characters and the authors as well. I have worked hard to expand the representation in what I read and I’m glad that these stories rose to the top this year. Even though I am someone who forgets what I read, I can still remember so many details from each of these books. The stories challenged my thinking, made me consider different perspectives, had me guessing, laughing, or crying, and still resonate in my mind. These are all signs of a great read for me!
When I reflect on my nonfiction list it is a little different than the fiction picks for the year. It’s hard to LOVE some nonfiction when it’s telling the graphic stories of a serial killer or the brutal truths of the enslavement of African Americans or even the way society has ignored the voices of women and people of color for centuries. However, the first three books on this list cover these topics with beautiful storytelling, rich descriptions, and writing styles that often felt like literary fiction. When I read nonfiction I want to learn and grow. All of these books helped me do that. The last book on the list pushed me as an educator and has been part of many discussions I’ve had around our equity work over the last year.
Have you read any of my favorites this year?
What were some of your favorite books of this year?
What books are already on your TBR (to be read) list for next year?
Reflections on Leadership and Learning 