“Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.” – Harry Truman

Learning is not confined to your high school and college years; it does not turn off when you leave your classroom. Effective teachers understand that learning is a life-long process and will seek to better themselves through reading. While your schedule is full of projects, like lesson planning and grading, reading can become a respite from the stress of each day. Whether an audiobook, an e-book, or the dog-eared paperback from your personal library, the books you read can have a great influence on how you live your life and how you teach. If the main issue keeping you from reading is not knowing where to start, here a few recommended titles, specifically for teachers:

1. A Mind for God (2006) by James Emery White

A small and short read, A Mind for God argues from a biblical perspective that Christians should be lifetime readers and learners. White explains that every Christian is accountable to grow spiritually and intellectually and provides readers with tools to begin sharpening their minds for God.

• Further reading: The Pursuit of God (1948) by A. W. Tozer

2. The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher, 5^th ed. (2018) by Harry and Rosemary Wong*

Harry and Rosemary Wong challenge new and well-seasoned educators to re-organize their priorities in The First Days of School. According to these educators, the most vital education takes place at the beginning of the year. They provide practical tips to set up the year for success, beginning before students enter the door of your classroom.

• Further reading: The Classroom Management Book (2018) by Harry and Rosemary Wong

3. Teach Like a Champion 3.0: 63 Techniques That Put Students on the Path to College (2021) by Doug Lemov*

From a secular perspective, Doug Lemov shapes the way teachers should consider using their class time effectively. His teaching techniques and teacher testimonies provide hope that each teacher—whether in a private school or inner-city public school—can help their students succeed.

4. Philosophy and Education: An Introduction in Christian Perspective (2006) by George R. Knight

In Philosophy and Education, teachers can find a deep analysis of educational philosophies in America. Knight puts each philosophy in a Christian perspective, allowing readers to develop an understanding of how Christian schools must be set apart from secular philosophies.

5. Heart and Mind: What the Bible Says about Learning (2004) by Ruth Beechick

Ruth Beechick gives Christian teachers a healthy, spiritual way to view students. Rather than relying on dangerous philosophies of psychology or behaviorism, teachers can best reach their students when they teach to their hearts, a central focus in Scripture. Heart and Mind is an excellent guide for defining the spiritual focus of education.

• Further reading: Shepherding a Child’s Heart (1998) by Tedd Tripp

6. Christian Education for the Real World (1991) by Henry Morris

The enemy of education today is directly linked to evolution, according to Morris. In this book, he outlines the dangerous undertones of philosophy that have poisoned the public education system and warns Christian parents, administrators, and teachers to fight against secular philosophies with a solid biblical, Creationist worldview.

• Further reading: The Long War Against God (1989) by Henry Morris

7. Assertive Discipline (2009) by Lee Canter*

For both struggling and well-established teachers, Assertive Discipline provides practical methods of teacher behavior and classroom management that can create a positive learning environment. Although not from a biblical perspective, Lee Canter explains how teachers can foster an authoritative yet caring relationship with students.

• Further reading: Succeeding with Difficult Students (1993) by Lee and Marlene Canter

8. Coddling of the American Mind (2019) by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt*

Lukianoff and Haidt tackle the false ideologies that have created a generation vastly different from their parents and grandparents, showing itself in rising levels of anxiety and depression as well as volatile conflicts on campuses. Christian educators can use this book to understand the current generation of students in order to teach them effectively.

• Further reading: The Anxious Generation (2024) by Jonathan Haidt

9. The Seven Laws of Teaching (1886) by John Milton Gregory

A classic and effective manual, The Seven Laws of Teaching gives teachers seven distinct parts of the educative process on which to focus their attention and provides simple expectations for each part. From the teaching process to the learner, Gregory’s teaching maxims have successfully helped teachers form a solid philosophy of education since his original publication.

10. Christy (1967) by Catherine Marshall

Based on her grandmother’s life as a teacher, Catherine Marshall writes this dramatic story of a young girl who enters the strange, unwelcoming hills of the Smoky Mountains with a heart to teach. Christy Huddleston encounters many lessons in her new life in Cutter Gap, challenging her to choose between her passion for teaching or an easier life.

• Further reading:
  • A Schoolteacher in Old Alaska (1997) by Hannah Breece, ed. Jane Jacobs
  • Up From Slavery: An Autobiography (1901) by Booker T. Washington
  • Builders of the Dream (2016) by Dr. Phyllis Rand

11. Coach Your Team, Not Your Sport (2019) by Coach Jason Bell

Coach Jason Bell specifically challenges fellow coaches to evaluate their approach to helping young athletes. Along with training students in their physical ability, Christian coaches must influence their teams to grow spiritually and must demonstrate how to approach the sport from a biblical standpoint in order to be successful.

12. Abeka Christian School Blogs

Teachers who find little time to read a full book right now can instead peruse Abeka’s short, insightful blogs for Christian administrators and teachers. Some of the most insightful blogs are articles written by master teachers on common issues and questions in education. Here are just a few to get you started:

• “Character Training in the Christian School” by Dr. Laurel Hicks
• “The Mastery of Fact-Learning: How to Think” by J. Gresham Machen
• “Who Killed Excellence in Education?” by Samuel L. Blumenfeld
• “Why Not Teach Intensive Phonics?” by Dr. James. A. Chapman
• “The Importance of Teaching Cursive” by Dr. Phyllis Rand

Christian educators will find that reading to improve the mind or to prepare for certain topics carries long-term benefits. The time you invest in sharpening your teaching skills by learning will show itself in your effective lessons, interaction with students, confidence, and philosophy of education. To succeed in the classroom and to truly enjoy teaching, be a leader who reads!

*We appreciate the diverse content and perspectives offered in these books, though we may not endorse all their content or philosophies, particularly those rooted in a secular worldview. We encourage educators to approach them with an open mind, applying critical thinking and a biblical worldview, and to use what they find helpful while disregarding what they don’t.

1. 1. A Mind for God (2006) by James Emery White
   2. The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher, 5^th (2018) by Harry and Rosemary Wong
   3. Teach Like a Champion 3.0: 63 Techniques That Put Students on the Path to College (2021) by Doug Lemov
   4. Philosophy and Education: An Introduction in Christian Perspective (2006) by George R. Knight
   5. Heart and Mind: What the Bible Says about Learning (2004) by Ruth Beechick
   6. Christian Education for the Real World (1991) by Henry Morris
   7. The Long War Against God (1989) by Henry Morris
   8. Shepherding a Child’s Heart (1998) by Tedd Tripp
   9. Assertive Discipline (2009) by Lee Canter
   10. Coddling of the American Mind (2019) by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt
   11. The Seven Laws of Teaching (1991) by John Milton Gregory
   12. Coach Your Team, Not Your Sport (?) by Coach Jason Bell (only Campus Store)
   13. Succeeding with Difficult Students (1993) by Lee and Marlene Canter (limited-Kindle)
   14. The Anxious Generation (2024) by Jonathan Haidt
   15. A Schoolteacher in Old Alaska (1997) by Hannah Breece, ed. Jane Jacobs
   16. Christy (1967) by Catherine Marshall
   17. Up From Slavery: An Autobiography (1901) by Booker T. Washington
   18. Builders of the Dream (2016) by Dr. Phyllis Rand
   19. Education, Christianity, and the State (2004) by J. Gresham Machen
   20. Exceptional Learners: An Introduction to Special Education by Daniel Hallahan, James Kauffman, Paige Pullen
   21. Abeka Blog Articles on Philosophy of Education:

1. • • “Character Training in the Christian School” by Dr. Laurel Hicks
     • “Teaching Traditions” by Dr. Phyllis Rand
     • “Should We Quote Non-Christians?” by Dr. Laurel Hicks
     • “Some Thoughts on Thinking: The Abeka Approach to Critical-Thinking Skills” by Dr. Phyllis Rand
     • “The Mastery of Fact-Learning: How to Think” by J. Gresham Machen
     • “Who Killed Excellence in Education?” by Samuel L. Blumenfeld
     • “Why Not Teach Intensive Phonics?” by Dr. James. A. Chapman
     • “The Importance of Teaching Cursive” by Dr. Phyllis Rand
     • “Curriculums for Christian Schools” by Dr. Laurel Hicks
     • “The Lessons of History” by Dr. Laurel Hicks
     • “Why You Should Choose Phonics as the Foundation for Your Reading Curriculum” by Dr. Phyllis Rand
     • “Language Arts in a Christian Perspective” by Dr. Laurel Hicks
     • “Philosophy, Research Basis, and Development of Abeka Educational Materials” by Dr. Troy Shoemaker
       • Recommends:
         • High School Achievement: Public, Catholic, and Private Schools Compared (1982) by Coleman, Hoffer, Kilgore
         • The Schools We Need and Why We Don’t Have Them (1996) by E.D. Hirsch
         • Learning to Read: The Great Debate (1983) by Jeanne Chall
         • Why Johnny Can’t Read (1955) and Why Johnny Still Can’t Read (1981) by Rudoph Flesch
         • National Right to Read Foundation website – traditional approach to reading

RELATED: “Top Five Picks for Summer Reading” – https://www.abeka.com/blog/5-top-picks-summer-reading/