EdWeek's Back-to-School Reading List
40+ Must Reads to Help You Start the 2024-25 Year Right
Update date: July 19, 2024
As the much-deserved summer break comes to a close, it’s a great time to start thinking about the best ways to prepare for a successful and low-stress school year.
As always, EdWeek is here to help you stay inspired with an annual back-to-school reading list filled with everything from what teachers can quit doing this year to how to use student curiosity to deepen learning to how to vet AI tools for the classroom, and so much more.
Please let us know what else would help you be successful this year in your classroom. We want to hear from you!
Enjoy, and get empowered throughout the school year with a subscription to Education Week.
Browse by topic:
Teaching
Opinion
10 Non-Standard Ideas About Going Back to School
One teacher spent days preparing for the first day. Her husband wouldn't prepare at all. It's hard to say who was the better teacher.
Teaching
7 Things Teachers Can Quit Doing This Year
Want to shake up your teaching mindset this year? Here are seven habits teachers have cast off in the spirit of becoming a better educator.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
I Don't Have to Love My Students to Be a Good Teacher
Treat teachers like the professionals we are rather than expecting endless and selfless sacrifice, writes one educator.
Teaching Profession
Video
What Educators Have to Say About the Teachers Who Inspired Them
From kindergarten class to high school chemistry, these educators share stories about the teachers who inspired them.
School & District Management
Opinion
Watch: Two Generations of Educators Reflect on Their Careers
This principal followed his father into education. Together, they reflect on the job.
Teaching
Opinion
What Makes a Teacher Memorable? It’s All About Awe
Here’s how to make wonder a cornerstone of your teaching philosophy—and why you should.
Teaching
Video: Setting Up the Classroom for the First Day of School
Education Week filmed teachers setting up their classrooms for the first day of school, capturing the whirlwind of excitement and nerves.
Teaching
Opinion
Looking for Ways to Organize Your Classroom? Try Out These Tips
Be sure to set up your classroom so that it helps students learn and you save time.
Reading & Literacy
Opinion
4 Steps to a Magnificent Classroom Library
Teachers need to look closely at the range of reading levels, experiences, and genres represented in their classroom libraries.
Teaching
Older Students Deserve Colorful Classrooms, Too
Three teachers share how they set up their classrooms to welcome, soothe, and engage their older students.
Student Well-Being
Plants in the Classroom: Why You Should Consider It
Plants boost well-being. Education Week asked teachers for recommendations on what varieties of plants can thrive in a K-12 classroom.
Teaching
Teacher Leaders Network
Teaching Secrets: Get to Know Students Through Seating Challenges
Sandy Merz writes that engaging his students in seat-selection activities sets a positive collaborative tone from the first day of school.
Teaching
What the Research Says
3 Counterintuitive Findings About Motivation That Teachers Can Use
New research suggests small changes teachers can make to get students more engaged.
Teaching
How to Give Students More Agency in Class Without Losing Control
Six takeaways for teachers who want to give students more control over their learning without inviting disaster.
Teaching
Video
Teachers, Try This: Use a 'Classroom Economy' to Teach Financial Literacy
Rent, inflation, and savings are all elements of this 3rd grade teacher’s plan to expand her students’ financial literacy.
Teaching
Teaching Tips for Reaching Introverts and Extroverts
Teachers can look to technology for help in reaching big talkers and their quieter peers.
Teaching
What the Research Says
Here's How to Give Feedback That Students Will Actually Use
New research offers clues for teachers on crafting effective feedback.
Reading & Literacy
Opinion
5 Tips to Help Teachers Put the Joy Back in Reading
When we think of reading in the classroom, we often think of phonics or vocabulary. But what about teaching students how to love reading?
Teaching
Opinion
4 Ways to Use Student Curiosity to Deepen Learning
These intentional shifts in the classroom can help teachers foster engagement and inquiry, writes a learning specialist.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
Calming Those Back-to-School Jitters
The first day of school can be scary. Nancy Barile shares five ways teachers can help alleviate their new students’ fears.
Teaching
Opinion
Build Student Trust by Sharing Stories on the First Day
Seán Arthurs writes how sharing his background and values with students on the first day fosters connection.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
Dear White Teachers: You Can't Love Your Black Students If You Don't Know Them
It isn't enough to "love all students," writes the University of Georgia's Bettina L. Love.
Teaching
A Teacher Asked and Students Answered: What Motivates You to Learn?
Motivation is a key part of learning. But what sparks students’ motivation can be elusive.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
4 Ways to Build Relationships With Your Students All Year Long
A teacher writes about how to cultivate strong relationships, not just during the first few weeks of school, but throughout the entire year.
Teaching
Opinion
The Difficult (and Satisfying) Run of Teaching Defiant Students
The best way to work with students who struggle behaviorally is to build a trusting relationship, even when it is difficult.
Student Well-Being
Really Listening to Students Has an Academic Payoff, New Research Finds
When students see their schools as "responsive" to their feedback, they are likely to have better grades and attendance, new research finds.
Teaching
Opinion
Better Classroom Management Can't Wait. How to Make Changes Now
The three “truths” about managing student behavior that every teacher should unlearn today.
Teaching
This Teaching Routine Takes Just 5 Minutes. Its Impact Lasts Much Longer
It's no gimmick. Greeting students individually at the classroom door has been linked to benefits for both teachers and students.
School & District Management
Opinion
How Principals Can Start School With a Smile
Here are five ways to stay positive and focus on morale this year.
School & District Management
10 Bold Ideas Principals Can Embrace This School Year
Principals, want to change things up this school year? Here are 10 suggestions—big and small—for rethinking what you do and how you lead.
School & District Management
6 Tips for Principals to Survive—and Thrive
We asked principals about their biggest challenges. Here are strategies for tackling six common issues, from school leaders and experts.
School & District Management
Opinion
Principals, Here Are 4 Simple Tips to Communicate Better
To create a positive learning environment, school leaders must master various communication strategies.
School Climate & Safety
Small Ways Leaders Can Build Schools Where Everyone Feels Like They Belong
Principals can take small steps to ensure students and staff feel like they belong.
School & District Management
Opinion
How to Let Your Values Guide You as a School Leader
Has your “why” become fuzzy? Here are four steps to keep principals motivated and moving forward.
School & District Management
Opinion
4 Things School Leaders Should Do Before Setting Priorities
Sweeping language doesn't offer a road map for the school community. Here's why.
School & District Management
When Principals Listen to Students, Schools Can Change
Three school leaders weigh in on different ways they've channeled student voices help reimagine schools.
Professional Development
Opinion
Are Your Staff Meetings Unfocused and Disjointed? Try These 5 Strategies
Too often, staff meetings do not focus on learning, which is a lost opportunity. Here's how to make them more meaningful.
School & District Management
Sometimes Principals Need to Make Big Changes. Here’s How to Get Them to Stick
School leaders need their community to take a leap of faith with them. But how do they build trust and conviction?
