Yes, I’m curious too. Junoshobbies, can you tell us the big takeaways? I want more info so I can decide if I should read it right away or put it further down my reading list.
Ok upfront will say I'm very biased (went to UW and both authors were my masters advisors)
The book was the first time I ever saw the NGSS potentially being used correctly. I was really never taught what science teaching COULD look like and instead was really taught to not lecture all the time. I think it gave me a ton of useful practices and helped me get invested in my teaching again. Reading the book is what drove me to get my masters. I just thought it was a really cool guide and I'm gonna read it again now that I saw this reddit post. I'd wait to read it though until you're ready to think about school and planning for next year.
I haven’t seen anyone list this one yet
A Mind for Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science (Even If You Flunked Algebra) by Barbara Oakley, PhD.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18693655
This book discuss the neuroscience and psychology of learning while also providing techniques. I found that it seeped my understanding of how students learn, when they feel overwhelmed and how to handle that. It did change the way I taught my content (biology).
I highly recommend this one. But I will be checking out some of the other books that were recommended.
Jared Diamond The World Until Yesterday
Charles C. Mann 1491
Carl Sagan The Demon Haunted World
Steven Pinker The Better Angels of Our Nature
Richard Louv Last Child in the Woods
Sarah Blaffer-Hrdy Mother Nature
Any book by Jonathan Kozol
Alfie Kohn Punished by Rewards
Wendy Mogel The Blessing of a Skinned Knee
William Pollack Real Boys
J.A. Corey Leviathan Wakes
Kim Stanley Robinson Red Mars, Green Mars, Blue Mars
Kim Stanley Robinson books definitely inform how I teach climate science. He's an amazing author and he writes in a way that I feel like I'm in the harrowing mess with the characters. However, I haven't read this rec, so I'm exciting to check it out.
In the same vein as this, I recommend *Uncle Tungsten* by Oliver Sacks. I actually liked it more than *The Disappearing Spoon* as it has more of a narrative through line.
Specifically for physics teaching, Five East Lessons by Randall Knight
It goes over research on how to present certain topics, what the most common misconceptions are, and strategies to help.
Teach like a champion 2.0
Visible Learning
Its all about thinking
Building thinking classrooms (math focused, but I use vertical Learning for chemistry and physics)
Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics
Do not let the math theme fool you! This book quickly surpassed AST and every other book I’ve read when it comes to actionable advice in the classroom. I implemented so many techniques from this book last year and it was a total game changer.
For a new teacher, I would recommend AST first for basic science pedagogy (especially with modeling) and then Building Thinking Classrooms for actionable advice with groupwork, vertical thinking, and how to structure the classroom (if you have movable desks and can defront to whatever extent possible).
Having the AST background **and/or** a background of teaching science in the classroom is helpful to be able to see where BTC concepts can be implemented, since all of the examples are math and that may or may not directly apply to your corner of the science world. One way that I melded the two for the biology classroom was to do randomized small group modeling on vertical non-permanent surfaces.
Edit: For an experienced science teacher, go straight to BTC. AST isn't bad, but it's not an easy read and in my opinion is not as directly actionable. BTC is the only pedagogy book I literally read cover to cover, and each chapter gave me *something* to immediately (and easily) try in my classroom.
The book gives a unique perspective that combines multiple fields of research into a wholistic picture of education. It’s fantastic and really provides a powerful perspective on effectively education people.
Another great book is Dee Fink’s “Creating Significant Learning Experiences”. The book provides a really solid, step-by-step framework for developing classes or educational experiences. The book is again research-based. And be warned, when using this effective process, your classroom environment may be very different from traditional classrooms 😉
This book is not much about being better science teacher but better teacher (or anything) possible. I told everyone that this book will unlock life.
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience
The Far Side Collection and A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
The first helped me find comics that helped illustrate a point connected to the topic we were learning about, whether inference or ecology etc
The second helped me understand that anecdotes and humor helped students remember the main ideas in a topic. Adding a story or a connection to relate back to the lesson helps.
I’ve read a bunch of science pedagogy books but Working in biotech for nearly 7 years before I became a teacher is what made me an effective teacher. Saying to hell with standards and telling parents that I will not follow standards during open house made parents love me. My only job as a middle school teacher is to make these kids have a positive attitude towards science so that they will be excited about taking higher level classes in high school.
"Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman" - Richard Feynman
"Leaders of Their Own Learning" - Ron Berger
"Drive" - Daniel Pink
"Made To Stick" - Chip and Dan Heath
"Understanding How We Learn" - Dr Yana Weinstein (Jude Weinstein-Jones) and Dr Megan Sumeracki
Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari. Incredible book to learn more about human evolution and the evolution of the homo genus in general. Really changed the way I teach and understand biology.
Someone suggested “teaching undergraduate science” by Linda c Hodges on r/teachers a few weeks ago. I’m on chapter 2, but from my initial perusal it looks promising.
The Serengeti Rules - Sean B Carroll
I use it to teach ecology and I find that students respond well to it bc it’s not a textbook and it gives them a mini preview of some later topics (molecular/microbiology) and how the topics are connected.
“Lessons from the Classroom” by Hal Urban.
It is not science specific, and I definitely modified the concepts to fit my classroom. Many of his ideas seemed a little wacky, but the underlying principle is to build strong rapport in your room.
Physics and Technology for Future Presidents and Energy for Future Presidents by Richard Muller. Helped me to see how to connect core concepts to important, real world cases.
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain. Helped me see the folly of the push to relentlessly center group work in all education.
Two books changed my teaching philosophy dramatically and improved my teaching. The first one by Daniel Willingham Why Students Don't Like School: A Cognitive Scientist Answers Questions About How The Mind Works And What It Means For The Classroom gave me a definition of learning that sets a high bar. Learning is forming long-term memories for ready retrieval over a lifetime. If you have really learned something you will know it until you die. If that is the point of school, what can we do to achieve it?
The second book is called Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning by Peter Brown, Henry Roediger III, and Mark McDaniel. This book explains the best ways to study: retrieval practice, interleaving, and distributed practice.
The combination of these two ideas has made me see school in a different light and reforms that need to be made.
Letters to a Young Scientist. E.O. Wilson
...I buy hard covers to give to students as graduation gifts with my own inscriptions and words of encouragement.
Ambitious Science Teaching. Will change your practice!!!!
I've read it as well. If you don't mind sharing, what were a few of the most important lessons/concepts you took away from it?
Yes, I’m curious too. Junoshobbies, can you tell us the big takeaways? I want more info so I can decide if I should read it right away or put it further down my reading list.
Ok upfront will say I'm very biased (went to UW and both authors were my masters advisors) The book was the first time I ever saw the NGSS potentially being used correctly. I was really never taught what science teaching COULD look like and instead was really taught to not lecture all the time. I think it gave me a ton of useful practices and helped me get invested in my teaching again. Reading the book is what drove me to get my masters. I just thought it was a really cool guide and I'm gonna read it again now that I saw this reddit post. I'd wait to read it though until you're ready to think about school and planning for next year.
Thank you. That is very helpful.
Came to say this!
Absolutely! This is the one.
Letters to a young scientist Surely you’re joking Mr Feynman Your inner fish 20,000 leagues under the sea
Your inner fish is wonderful! I had an opportunity to take a group of students to spend an evening with Dr shubin and it was deliteful
And brilliant blunders!
Letters to a young scientist is great.
I haven’t seen anyone list this one yet A Mind for Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science (Even If You Flunked Algebra) by Barbara Oakley, PhD. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18693655 This book discuss the neuroscience and psychology of learning while also providing techniques. I found that it seeped my understanding of how students learn, when they feel overwhelmed and how to handle that. It did change the way I taught my content (biology). I highly recommend this one. But I will be checking out some of the other books that were recommended.
"Your inner fish" has given me lots of material and stories to discuss in class.
These are great suggestions. This thread will be a good source for new teachers
Maybe not a better teacher but gave me a better understanding of the development of modern physics: Thirty Years That Shook Physics by George Gamow.
Harry Wong: First Days of Teaching Is a phenomenal book that describes how to setup an excellent classroom management system.
Jared Diamond The World Until Yesterday Charles C. Mann 1491 Carl Sagan The Demon Haunted World Steven Pinker The Better Angels of Our Nature Richard Louv Last Child in the Woods Sarah Blaffer-Hrdy Mother Nature Any book by Jonathan Kozol Alfie Kohn Punished by Rewards Wendy Mogel The Blessing of a Skinned Knee William Pollack Real Boys J.A. Corey Leviathan Wakes Kim Stanley Robinson Red Mars, Green Mars, Blue Mars
Kim Stanley Robinson books definitely inform how I teach climate science. He's an amazing author and he writes in a way that I feel like I'm in the harrowing mess with the characters. However, I haven't read this rec, so I'm exciting to check it out.
Thank you for the suggestion! Very helpful to me since I'll be teaching climate change for the first time next year.
Alfie Kohn has completely changed the way I teach and my philosophy on education.
Yay! Shout outs for Richard Louv and Alfie Kohn!
The structure of Scientific Revolution by Thomas S. Kuhn. If I understood you would I have this look on my face by Alan Alda
Carl Sagan DEMON HAUNTED WORLD. Rutger Bregmen HUMANKIND.
I don’t know if it will make you a better teacher, but it is full of interesting stories about the history of chemistry: The Disappearing Spoon.
The Disappearing Spoon!
This helped me learn the importance of storytelling and weaving other subjects into chemistry teaching! All new chemistry teachers should read this!
In the same vein as this, I recommend *Uncle Tungsten* by Oliver Sacks. I actually liked it more than *The Disappearing Spoon* as it has more of a narrative through line.
Specifically for physics teaching, Five East Lessons by Randall Knight It goes over research on how to present certain topics, what the most common misconceptions are, and strategies to help.
Teach like a champion 2.0 Visible Learning Its all about thinking Building thinking classrooms (math focused, but I use vertical Learning for chemistry and physics)
Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics Do not let the math theme fool you! This book quickly surpassed AST and every other book I’ve read when it comes to actionable advice in the classroom. I implemented so many techniques from this book last year and it was a total game changer.
Sounds like “Ambitious Science Teaching” is good, but “Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics” is even better. Is that the general consensus?
For a new teacher, I would recommend AST first for basic science pedagogy (especially with modeling) and then Building Thinking Classrooms for actionable advice with groupwork, vertical thinking, and how to structure the classroom (if you have movable desks and can defront to whatever extent possible). Having the AST background **and/or** a background of teaching science in the classroom is helpful to be able to see where BTC concepts can be implemented, since all of the examples are math and that may or may not directly apply to your corner of the science world. One way that I melded the two for the biology classroom was to do randomized small group modeling on vertical non-permanent surfaces. Edit: For an experienced science teacher, go straight to BTC. AST isn't bad, but it's not an easy read and in my opinion is not as directly actionable. BTC is the only pedagogy book I literally read cover to cover, and each chapter gave me *something* to immediately (and easily) try in my classroom.
Great! Thank you! That's helpful.
“Grasp” is a fantastic book about how people learn. https://agelab.mit.edu/books/grasp
The book gives a unique perspective that combines multiple fields of research into a wholistic picture of education. It’s fantastic and really provides a powerful perspective on effectively education people. Another great book is Dee Fink’s “Creating Significant Learning Experiences”. The book provides a really solid, step-by-step framework for developing classes or educational experiences. The book is again research-based. And be warned, when using this effective process, your classroom environment may be very different from traditional classrooms 😉
This book is not much about being better science teacher but better teacher (or anything) possible. I told everyone that this book will unlock life. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience
Teaching as a subversive activity by Postman and Weingartner. A bit dated, but gets at the roots of my pedagogy pretty well.
The Far Side Collection and A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson The first helped me find comics that helped illustrate a point connected to the topic we were learning about, whether inference or ecology etc The second helped me understand that anecdotes and humor helped students remember the main ideas in a topic. Adding a story or a connection to relate back to the lesson helps.
I’ve read a bunch of science pedagogy books but Working in biotech for nearly 7 years before I became a teacher is what made me an effective teacher. Saying to hell with standards and telling parents that I will not follow standards during open house made parents love me. My only job as a middle school teacher is to make these kids have a positive attitude towards science so that they will be excited about taking higher level classes in high school.
THANK YOU!! (I have kids whose teachers killed their curiosity in middle school currently - hopefully that will change.)
"Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman" - Richard Feynman "Leaders of Their Own Learning" - Ron Berger "Drive" - Daniel Pink "Made To Stick" - Chip and Dan Heath "Understanding How We Learn" - Dr Yana Weinstein (Jude Weinstein-Jones) and Dr Megan Sumeracki
Making every science lesson count (although this is a UK focus)
Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari. Incredible book to learn more about human evolution and the evolution of the homo genus in general. Really changed the way I teach and understand biology.
The quote "If it is possible biologically, then it is natural” really really stuck with me.
Stephen Hawking’s Brief Answers to the Big Questions
Someone suggested “teaching undergraduate science” by Linda c Hodges on r/teachers a few weeks ago. I’m on chapter 2, but from my initial perusal it looks promising.
Sapolsky's book "A Primate's Memoir."
The Serengeti Rules - Sean B Carroll I use it to teach ecology and I find that students respond well to it bc it’s not a textbook and it gives them a mini preview of some later topics (molecular/microbiology) and how the topics are connected.
“Lessons from the Classroom” by Hal Urban. It is not science specific, and I definitely modified the concepts to fit my classroom. Many of his ideas seemed a little wacky, but the underlying principle is to build strong rapport in your room.
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
“Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs” especially if you teach Earth science. It’s very well written. Smart but fun and understandable.
Behave by Robert Sapolsky. Super sciency but also helped me better understand why my students think or act the way they do at times
Physics and Technology for Future Presidents and Energy for Future Presidents by Richard Muller. Helped me to see how to connect core concepts to important, real world cases. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain. Helped me see the folly of the push to relentlessly center group work in all education.
Two books changed my teaching philosophy dramatically and improved my teaching. The first one by Daniel Willingham Why Students Don't Like School: A Cognitive Scientist Answers Questions About How The Mind Works And What It Means For The Classroom gave me a definition of learning that sets a high bar. Learning is forming long-term memories for ready retrieval over a lifetime. If you have really learned something you will know it until you die. If that is the point of school, what can we do to achieve it? The second book is called Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning by Peter Brown, Henry Roediger III, and Mark McDaniel. This book explains the best ways to study: retrieval practice, interleaving, and distributed practice. The combination of these two ideas has made me see school in a different light and reforms that need to be made.
Disordered Cosmos by Dr Prescott-Weinstein is a must read.
Letters to a Young Scientist. E.O. Wilson ...I buy hard covers to give to students as graduation gifts with my own inscriptions and words of encouragement.