Welcome back to our Back to School series! We have talked about my teaching book Elementary, My Dear Teachers and tips for students and their families on how to make the school year successful. Today, we are going to end our series with some books that are great to read before the first day of school. I have divided the books into ones for teachers to help them prepare and ones for students to help them feel less fearful about starting school.

Books for Teachers

  • The First Days of School: How to be an Effective Teacher (Harry Wong)– This is a timeless book that has helped teachers for generations have a successful classroom. It is full of step by step tips to help a teacher set up their classroom, create procedures, figure out classroom management, writing lesson plans, and much more. Even as a veteran teacher, I pull it out each summer for a refresher.
  • Teach Like a Champion (Doug Lemov)– This book is another of my favorites. No matter how many times I read it, I always find more techniques to try in my classroom. It is full of techniques to engage students, use instructional time effectively, establish a classroom community, and more.
  • Teach Like a Pirate (Dave Burgess)– This is a fun book full of great ideas to help a teacher teach with passion even if he or she finds the subject boring. It includes ideas to make lessons exciting, build a rapport with students, and develop a love of learning in students.
  • The Classroom Management Book (Harry Wong)– This book is a more detailed look at how to created a managed classroom. It includes ways to set up the classroom to manage issues, procedures and routines to prevent issues, and ideas to deal with discipline.
  • The Book Whisperer (Donalyn Miller)– This book is one of my favorites. I have always loved reading, but my students often don’t share that love when they enter my classroom. This book is full of ideas and strategies to turn reluctant students into readers. It is one I like to reread every year.

Books for Students

  • The Pigeon has to go to School (Mo Willems)– The Pigeon books are a great series with a talking pigeon with attitude. In this book, the pigeon struggles with different feelings about starting school. Children will relate to how the pigeon feels. It is a great book to read and then talk about your child’s feelings.
  • First Day Jitters (Julie Danneberg)– Children will relate to Sarah Jane Hartwell as she is forced to have courage and go to school. The only difference is she is the teacher. This book is a great way to show kids that the first day of school can be hard on teachers too.
  • The Kissing Hand (Audrey Penn)– This book is a sweet story about a scared raccoon and how his mother eases his fears about school. It is a wonderful book to help ease the fears of your children. You could put your picture or a paper handprint with a message on it in your child’s supply box. Then he or she could look at it when he or she is nervous during the school year.
  • The Teacher from the Black Lagoon (Mike Thaler)– This is a fun, silly read which focuses on a boy’s dream about what his teacher will be like. It is a great way to talk about how your child’s teacher won’t be that bad because he or she won’t eat the children, use magic spells on them, etc.
  • If You Ever Want to Bring an Alligator to School, Don’t! (Elise Parsley)– This book is a hilarious read to get your child ready for school. Though it is about show and tell, it shows how much fun reading and school can be.

Those are only a few awesome books that I enjoy at back to school time. Maybe you have others you enjoy. Feel free to share them in the comments. Have a successful school year!