My experience with The Tipping Point clarified something I've known, but to which I had not responded strategically, which is that despite being an avid and extremely fast reader, I'm much more likely to read professional books if I have an external structure for reflection. During our discussion of that book, my colleagues and I suggested many resources to each other, including a book I received in August, and have had in my car for at least two months. For some reason, I was struck during that conversation by the number of other books I've read since receiving Engaging Students with Poverty in Mind: Practical Strategies for Raising Achievement last summer, even though I have been very interested in the subject matter.
Now that I have come to terms with my need for structure to support my professional reading, I gave myself the intervention I needed, which was to organize a Twitter chat for the book I need to read. This week, I will be trying my hand at moderating a fast-paced conversation about the first couple of chapters. I'm excited to finally be reading this terrific book, and I'm looking forward to using this format in the future to keep me focused on other professional reading. If you're interested in hearing more about the Engaging Students with Poverty in Mind, join us for the next five weeks!