6 Inspiring Summer Reads for Teachers in 2023

By VHS Learning

Summer vacation is just around the corner, and teachers are about to have a lot more free time on their hands! The summer months are a great time for educators to get some much needed rest and relaxation after a busy school year and hectic testing season. While you have a break from teaching, it’s the perfect time to catch up on your reading list and read for pleasure and inspiration!

It can be a challenge to find time to read during the school year, with grading and lesson planning always getting priority for your time. That’s why the summer offers such a great opportunity to read some of the books you’ve been wanting to read all year, but just haven’t had the time. We’ve compiled a list of six inspiring summer reads, so you can jump right into reading, relaxing, and rejuvenating as soon as that last school bell rings this year!

Here are six inspiring summer reads for teachers:

1. The Teachers: A Year Inside America's Most Vulnerable, Important Profession by Alexandra Robbins
   In this book, Alexandra Robbins goes behind the scenes to tell the inspiring stories of three different educators as they navigate a year in the classroom. Each teacher works in a different region of the U.S. and has different specialties and positions at their schools. Interspersed among the teachers' stories are hard-hitting essays featuring cutting-edge reporting on the biggest issues facing teachers today, such as school violence; parent behavior; inadequate support, staffing, and resources; teacher burnout; and the pandemic.

2. Because of a Teacher: Stories of the Past to Inspire the Future of Education by George Couros
   As an educator, what you do matters. Teachers make an impact in the lives of students every day, and that impact has a domino effect. In this collection of uplifting stories, teachers recall and reflect upon the educators and administrators who inspired them. The advice and strategies in this book will help first-year and seasoned teachers alike, offering hope, encouragement, and reassurance that your teaching is important and will have a legacy, inspiring generations to come.

3. The Anxious Achiever: Turn Your Biggest Fears into Your Leadership Superpower by Morra Aarons-Mele
   Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illnesses in the world, but in the workplace, anxiety has always been a hidden problem––in plain sight, but ignored. In this book, self-proclaimed anxious achiever Morra Aarons-Mele aims to normalize anxiety and leadership coexisting. Readers will find personal stories, research-based insights into mental health, and lots of practical advice to turn anxiety into a source of strength for yourself, your career, and the people you lead.

4. How to Tell a Story: The Essential Guide to Memorable Storytelling from The Moth by the directors of The Moth
   For 25 years, the Peabody Award-winning radio hour and podcast The Moth has shared true personal stories about people from all walks of life, delighting and inspiring live audiences and listeners. In this book, the directors of The Moth share secrets of the organization’s tried-and-true storytelling method. Through empowering, easy-to-follow tips for crafting impactful and memorable stories, learn how to connect authentically with the world around you and unleash the power of story in your life.

5. How to Deal with Angry People: 10 Strategies for Facing Anger at Home, at Work and in the Street by Ryan Martin
   Ryan Martin, known as TikTok’s “Anger Professor,” shares ten highly effective, research-based strategies for coping with the anger you have to face throughout your life, whether at home, at work, out in public, or online. The emotional toll of handling someone else’s expression of anger can be huge, so Martin guides readers to find ways to deal with these people. In this book, he draws on his years of research and clinical practice to help readers manage potentially explosive situations for the best possible outcomes.

6. You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith
   Written by a poet and author known for her 2020 book “Keep Moving,” this memoir from Maggie Smith is a story about what it means to live and write our own lives. The story begins with Smith’s personal heartbreak and struggles and leads into a reckoning with contemporary womanhood, traditional gender roles, and the power dynamics of modern households. Through self-inquiry and empathy, Smith shares meditations on secrets, anger, and forgiveness.

If you’re looking for engaging and uplifting stories to read this summer, these inspiring summer reads are a great place to start. Also, check out this list of must-read new and upcoming releases from Real Simple for even more ideas to add to your reading list. And most importantly, happy summer from VHS Learning, we hope you enjoy your well-deserved break!