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One of my favorite parts of being an educator is learning together. We don’t just grow from PD sessions or staff meetings—we grow when we sit down with other teachers, open a book, and start talking about the real stuff. That’s the magic of teacher book clubs!
If your team or staff is looking for your next read, I’ve pulled together some books that spark conversation, push practice forward, and honestly make you feel less alone in this wild world of education. And yes, I’m including one that’s especially close to my heart—my own book, Their Best Behavior.
Why Book Clubs Matter for Teachers
Reading together as educators is about professional development AND it’s about community. It’s about sitting around a table (or logging into Zoom) and saying, “Oh wow, me too. I’ve been through that.”
Research shows that when teachers engage in collaborative learning, student outcomes improve (Vescio, Ross, & Adams, 2008). Why? Because talking through ideas helps us connect theory to practice, and practice to real classrooms full of kids.
A Must-Read for Every Book Club: Their Best Behavior
I wrote Their Best Behavior for teachers who are in the thick of it. Those of us facing challenging behaviors and wondering how to respond without losing themselves.
The book breaks down ten types of classroom behaviors (think defiance, inattention, emotional outbursts) and gives you practical strategies you can use tomorrow. You’ll also find relatable case studies and a full chapter on no frills teacher self-care, because supporting students starts with supporting ourselves.
What makes this book a good fit for a teacher book club is that it’s designed for reflection and conversation. At the end of each chapter your group can pause, share stories, and figure out what these strategies look like in your context.
I’ve even created a free study guide for teams and book clubs to go alongside it, so you don’t have to plan discussion questions yourself. (Trust me, I know how precious that planning time is.) If you make a group order, let me know and I’d be happy to send the book club guide to your team!
Teachers who’ve read it have said things like, “I finally feel like someone put words to what I was experiencing,” and “This gave me tools that respect kids without sacrificing my boundaries.” That’s the kind of dialogue you want in teacher book clubs: authentic, real, and applicable.
Other Great Picks for Teacher Book Clubs
While I’d love for you to start with Their Best Behavior, here are some other incredible reads that make for rich group discussion:
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Lost at School by Ross Greene
Greene’s Collaborative & Proactive Solutions model shifts the focus from “kids do well if they want to” to “kids do well if they can.” This book helps teams think differently about challenging behavior and gives language for solving problems with kids instead of for them. -
Permission to Feel by Marc Brackett
Emotional regulation isn’t just for kids, but it’s for us too. Brackett’s book explores the RULER framework and how understanding emotions changes everything from classroom management to school culture. I personally ran a super meaningful set of teacher book clubs on this text and we all walked away feeling both connected and that we had new tools for students. -
Onward: Cultivating Emotional Resilience in Educators by Elena Aguilar
This is basically a year-long curriculum for resilience. With monthly themes and practical exercises, Onward is perfect for book clubs that want structure and built-in reflection activities. There is also a corresponding workbook that is very impactful and would be great for teacher book clubs to use as activities and extensions! -
Fostering Resilient Learners by Kristin Souers and Pete Hall
Trauma-informed practices are essential, and this book provides a balance of research and real-life application. It’s approachable, clear, and incredibly relevant to today’s classrooms. -
Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain by Zaretta Hammond
This one always sparks meaningful dialogue about equity, instruction, and the role of culture in learning. It’s best read with colleagues because the conversations it inspires are where the growth really happens.
Tips for Running Teacher Book Clubs
If you’re ready to start or revive a teacher book club, here are a few practical tips:
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Keep it manageable. Choose a reading pace that works during the school year. A chapter every two weeks might be more realistic than one per week.
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Mix personal and professional. Give space for teachers to connect the content to both their classrooms and their own lives. That’s where the richest insights often emerge.
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Assign rotating facilitators. Let different teachers lead the discussion each time. It keeps things fresh and gives everyone a voice. Plus, lessens the burden or responsibility unless this is a coaching opportunity, etc.
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Make it social. Coffee, snacks, or even a virtual happy hour vibe make it less like PD and more like community. At my school, we typically run book clubs as a “lunch and learn” where we rotate bringing shared snacks and eat lunch while we chat books.
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Use guiding questions. Whether from the book itself or a study guide, having prompts keeps conversation flowing and focused.
Books have a uniquely special way of opening conversations we might not otherwise have.
They remind us that teaching isn’t something we have to figure out alone.
If your team is choosing your next read, I’d love for you to put Their Best Behavior on the table. Not just because I wrote it, but because it’s designed for exactly this kind of setting. I picture teachers sitting together, reflecting honestly, and walking away with strategies that make their classrooms more manageable and their work more sustainable.
And whether you start with my book or one of the others on this list, I hope your teacher book clubs become a space of encouragement, growth, and maybe even laughter. Teaching is hard, but it’s a lot easier when we’re learning together.
