School is officially back in session. Whether in the classroom or online, educators will need to incorporate new classroom and learning techniques. This will allow them to keep students safe and connected, engaged, and willing to learn. It’s also important that they keep themselves focused, motivated, and productive. We’ve put together a list of books that will help teachers, students, and parents have a successful school year. Check out these essential back-to-school reads.

Introduction to Google Classroom

Annie Brock

Many of us have had to get accustomed to using digital tools for learning during the pandemic. This change has forced teachers to develop a new style of teaching and students to learn differently. Now, with Introduction to Google Classroom, Introduction to Teaching with WebEx, and Introduction to Teaching with Zoom, teachers can successfully navigate an online learning community. With these books, teachers will be able to master the basics of communication and education and learn how to connect with students. Filled with tips, tricks, troubleshooting, and more, teachers can keep their students engaged throughout the year.

The Supportive Classroom

Laura Anderson and Jon Bowen

Creating a safe and connected environment for all students is key to fostering resilience, reducing bad behavior, healing trauma, and helping students learn better. The Supportive Classroom, written by two school psychologists, will show teachers and educators how to create a trauma-aware classroom to support each student’s needs. They’ll be able to create a safe, stress-free environment not only for their students, but for themselves as well.

Restorative Practices at School

Becky McCammon

Incorporating restorative techniques into the classroom every day can result in meaningful change. Studies have shown that these practices increase classroom time and student engagement while reducing suspensions, bullying, and absences. Luckily, there’s a book that has all of these techniques educators can use. Restorative Practices at School has interactive prompts and exercises that are effective at schools. It’ll allow educators to improve circles, promote empathy, and deepen their own practice as an educator.

The Growth Mindset Coach

Annie Brock and Heather Hundley

Created by teachers for teachers, this is the ultimate guide for unleashing students’ potential through creative lessons, empowering messages and innovative teaching. The Growth Mindset Coach provides all you need to foster a growth mindset classroom. Studies show that growth mindsets result in higher test scores, improved grades and more in-class involvement. When your students understand that their intelligence is not limited, they succeed like never before. With the tools in this book, you can motivate your students to believe in themselves and achieve anything.

Design Thinking in the Classroom

David Lee

Design thinking is a wonderful teaching strategy to inspire your students and boost creativity and problem solving. With tips and techniques for teachers K through 12, Design Thinking in the Classroom provides all the resources you need to implement design thinking concepts and activities in your classroom right away. These new techniques will empower your students with the modern thinking skills needed to succeed as they progress in school and beyond.

Visible Learning Day by Day

Felicia Durden, Ed.D

Visible learning is an extremely popular teaching method that makes the student an active participant in learning. This innovative approach ensures that students aren’t just memorizing lessons, but understanding, internalizing, and applying them. But this proven technique can be challenging to implement. Luckily, this helpful handbook helps take this theoretical approach and make it actionable in the classroom. Packed with tips, suggestions and classroom-ready activities, Visible Learning Day by Day lays out the steps to ensuring students are fully understanding and engaging in their learning process.

Project Based Learning Made Simple

April Smith

Make learning fun and engaging with simple projects from this book. Many students prefer hands-on learning, and Project Based Learning Made Simple is the perfect book to implement different learning techniques into the classroom. Filled with over one hundred projects, teachers can help students prepare for the real-world while providing fun, inspirational, and challenging topics.

Classroom-Ready Number Talks for 6th, 7th, and 8th Grade Teachers

Nancy Hughes

Our classroom-ready number talks collection will make students look at math differently. Turn boring numbers into fun math classes with strategies designed to teach students mental math problem-solving skills. With the help of these books, teachers can spend less time planning and preparing materials and more time engaging with students and helping them learn important math skills. For more number talks books, check out Classroom-Ready Number Talks for Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd Grade Teachers, Classroom-Ready Number Talks for 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade Teachers, and Classroom-Ready Number Talks for 6th, 7th, and 8th Grade Teachers.

The Cars, Trucks, Trains, and Planes Pre-K Workbook

Celeste Meiergerd

Kids love cars, boats, planes, and trains. And now they’ll enjoy learning too! The Cars, Trucks, Trains, and Planes Pre-K Workbook is a fun way for students to learn letter and number tracing, shape recognition, counting, sight word practice, and so much more. Each page is filled with a dump truck, tractor trailer, or another vehicle that kids can enjoy as they learn. After completing the exercises in this activity book, your child or student will be ready for the next grade level.

Ready-to-Use Habit Trackers

Rachel Watts

Tracking your habits is one of the simplest steps you can take to achieve your goals, but it can be tough to know what you ought to be tracking. With Ready-to-Use Habit Trackers, all the set-up is taken care of for you. This book offers two years of customizable, colorable trackers, as well as suggestions for foundational habits to build into your routine. Packed with tips, tricks and helpful techniques for improving your productivity through smarter daily, weekly and even monthly routines, this book proves everything you need to organize your life like never before.

Beyond Bullets

Megan Rutell

This creative journaling approach to productivity is all about customization, building the perfect resource for your needs. But what to do when you’re not quite sure which tools will work for you? Beyond Bullets is packed with examples, templates, and designs to help you create exactly the planner you want. Using the inspiration and ideas in this book, you will be able to elevate every page of your journal, from productive planning spreads to artistically designed layouts.

–Tyanni Niles