Summer can be a peaceful time at school—while everyone’s out of the building, you’re able to complete loud facility upgrades and examine policies in peace. But, that’s no reason not to take a few moments and rejuvenate your mind with a great book! So keep reading (see what we did there?) for some recommended books and webinars to help you discover and implement great strategies this next school year.
The Language of School Design: Design Patterns for 21st Century Schools (3rd Edition)
by Prakash Nair & Randall Fielding
If your school is looking to renovate old buildings or break ground on new ones, crack open Nair and Fielding’s The Language of School Design for innovative ideas on how a building’s structural features and flow can affect educational processes. The benefit of this book on modern school buildings is twofold: it’s a reviewer-professed “beach read,” so it’s not filled with complicated engineering jargon that can stymie similar books, and its concepts can be adapted to both new structures and evaluating current ones.
Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
by Stephen D. Levitt & Stephen Doubner
Have you ever wondered what teachers and wrestlers have in common? Right, we thought not, but economist Levitt has. By using random, seemingly unrelated stories and interesting anecdotes, Levitt uses these questions to explain economics in a way that’s fascinating while touching on broader themes like the origins of human morality or justice. If you’re looking for a book that makes you change the way you view the world, Freakonomics is for you.
David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants
by Malcolm Gladwell
It’s a common story: The disadvantaged small challenger faces down the mightier, stronger power—and wins. The story of David and Goliath inspires us to face our own “giants” and impossible odds, but what if there was more to the story? What if the obstacles themselves were what empowered—rather than obstructed—the later success? In this book, Gladwell redirects the paradigm of the underdog to show us how to turn barriers into bridges. Of particular interest is the section on how a school’s quality affects its students, but every story in the book packs its own punch to show how what doesn’t kill you can truly make you stronger.
Recommended ISM Webinars:
The Many Hats of the Business Officer with Martin Kelly
Managing Your Summer Program Risk with Martin Kelly
Reducing Your Technology Risk with Martin Kelly
Additional ISM resources:
ISM Monthly Update for Admission Officers Vol. 12 No. 10 Summer Reading for Business Managers: Recommended Books and Webinars
ISM Monthly Update for Development Directors Vol. 12 No. 10 Summer Reading for Development Directors: Recommended Books and Webinars
ISM Monthly Update for School Heads Vol. 12 No. 10 Summer Reading for School Heads: Recommended Books and Webinars
ISM Monthly Update for Division Heads Vol. 11 No. 19 Summer Reading for Division Heads: Recommended Books and Webinars
ISM Monthly Update for Business Officers Vol. 11 No. 6 Architecture to Inspire, Attract, and Promote Wellness
ISM Monthly Update for Business Officers Vol. 12 No. 3 Promoting Your Classrooms', Teachers', and School's Excellence
Additional ISM resources for Gold Consortium members:
I&P Vol. 33 No. 10 Cost Effective, Sustainable Building Solutions
I&P Vol. 38 No. 4 Your School's Summer Program and Risk Management
