The Talent Code, by Daniel Coyle.
A very readable book on what it takes to become great at any skill, with many lessons applicable to day-to-day learning in schools.
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, by Carol Dweck.
What is the difference between individuals who are eager to tackle new challenges, and to learn from mistakes, and those who give up and don’t try when things get difficult? And what can we do, as parents and teachers, to foster the right attitudes in children?
Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, by Daniel H. Pink.
A book with many implications for teaching well. Pink argues for more autonomy, purpose and mastery in life and in learning.
Why Don’t Students Like School, by Daniel T. Willingham.
A cognitive scientist outlines why students aren’t engaged in school and aren’t learning, and discusses what we can do about it.
Positive Discipline, Jane Nelsen, Ed.D.
For twenty-five years, Positive Discipline has been the gold standard reference for grown-ups working with children. Now Jane Nelsen, distinguished psychologist, educator, and mother of seven, has written a revised and expanded edition. The key to positive discipline is not punishment, she tells us, but mutual respect. Nelsen coaches parents and teachers to be both firm and kind, so that any child–from a three-year-old toddler to a rebellious teenager–can learn creative cooperation and self-discipline with no loss of dignity.