The Schoolin' Around Podcast Book Giveaway and Recommendations

To support the important work of MTSS teams, we hosted a book bundle giveaway with titles from guests we have featured on the Schoolin' Around podcast. These resources cover foundational student skills, effective communication, academic engagement, and the core relationships that make educational interventions work. AND - we asked those who entered the giveaway for their best book recommendations! 

Congrats to our giveaway winners:

• Michelle Nero, K-5 Literacy Interventionist, CCSD 59, IL. Michelle recommends MTSS for Reading Improvement: A Leader’s Tool Kit for Schoolwide Success by Stephanie Stollar and Sarah Brown
  

• Candria Morgan, School Counselor, Fort Worth ISD, TX. Candri recommends How We Thrive: Caring for Kids and Ourselves in a Changing World by Stephanie Krauss

• Seth Gunter, Behavior Interventionist, Danville Public Schools, VA. Seth recommends Connections Over Compliance: Rewiring Our Perceptions of Discipline by Lori L Desautels 

More book recommendations from educators around the country:

MTSS, Leadership, and Systems Improvement

• The Art of Coaching - Elena Aguilar
• The MTSS Start-Up Guide: — Jessica Djabrayan Hannigan
• Relentless: Changing Lives by Disrupting the Educational Norm - Hamish Brewer

Literacy, Math, and Multilingual Learning

• The Knowledge Gap — Natalie Wexler
• Speech to Print: Language Essentials for Teachers — Louisa Moats
• Leveled Reading, Leveled Lives: How Students' Reading Achievement Has Been Held Back and What We Can Do About It -
  Timothy Shanahan
• Math Struggle: A 6 Point Action Plan for Fostering Perseverance - SanGiovanni, Katt, and Dykema
• Structured Literacy Interventions — Spear-Swerling

Instruction, Engagement, and Classroom Practice

• Explicit Instruction: Effective and Efficient Teaching — Anita Archer and Charles Hughes
• Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning — Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III, and Mark A. McDaniel
• Harnessing the Science of Learning — Nathaniel Swain
• The Shift to Student-Led: Reimagining Classroom Workflows with UDL and Blended Learning — Caitlin Tucker and Katie Novak

And don't forget the titles from Schoolin' Around podcast guests! 

Executive Functions for Every Classroom, Grades 3-12: Creating Safe and Predictable Learning Environments

Every educator wants to know: What has the greatest impact on student success?

The answer: executive function skills. Many of our students lack the skills required to engage in learning, such as organization, planning, time management, and self-regulation. This book shows how educators can create a more effective learning experience while addressing the epidemic of disengagement and executive dysfunction.

Below, Mitch Weathers, founder and CEO of Organized Binder, talks about practical strategies for improving student success and strengthening classroom management. Listen to the full podcast episode here.

A School Leader's Playbook for Tough Conversations

MTSS teams sit at the crossroads of communication between classroom teachers, specialists, administrators, and parents, which inevitably leads to difficult discussions. Whether you need to discuss a student's lack of progress, address intervention fidelity with a colleague, or deliver sensitive news with a family, this book provides practical strategies for navigating tough moments. 

Not Your Granny’s Grammar: An Innovative Approach to Meaningful and Engaging Grammar Instruction

Literacy often dominates intervention block discussions, and finding ways to make language instruction stick for struggling students is a constant challenge for MTSS teams. This book offers innovative approaches to grammar instruction that actually make sense to kids. 

Teaching the Ms. Abbott Way: Lessons in Learning, Leadership, and Life

No intervention framework, data tracking spreadsheet, or behavioral plan works without a strong human connection. This book captures the wisdom of a veteran educator, offering profound insights into relationship-building, classroom leadership, and the everyday realities of supporting students. For MTSS teams, it serves as a powerful reminder that behind every data point is a child who needs an adult to believe in them, providing inspiration and grounding for the days when the work feels overwhelming.

Subscribe to Schoolin' Around! 

If you want to hear more from the authors of these books and more, subscribe to the Schoolin' Around podcast! Each week, we feature leaders in K-12 education for insightful conversation and and inspiration.