By Judy Ameline, Judy Chyung, and Emily Thompson
We hope you enjoy this reading list, curated by Librarians at the TDSB Professional Library in the Library Learning Resources and Global Education Department of Toronto District School Board. Links to the TDSB Professional Library Catalogue have been provided for informational purposes, but the items are accessible to TDSB staff only.
Bascia, N. (2023). Teachers’ work during the pandemic. Routledge. Print Book
Interviews with twenty-four Ontario educators about their COVID-19 pandemic experiences are at the heart of this work. Interviewees detail their teaching modes; pedagogical approaches; relationships with colleagues, students, administrators and unions; working conditions and more. These first-hand accounts are placed within a historical overview of the education system, laying the framework for a discussion of how “building back better” will require a deep understanding of the hierarchical and historical contexts of education in Ontario, as well as teachers’ work.
Breslin, T. (2021). Lessons from lockdown: The educational legacy of COVID-19. Routledge. eBook
Although the research and educational focus of this book is on the United Kingdom (with varying degrees of relevance to the Canadian experience) the chapters about catching up on “lost learning” and well-being and emotional recovery are especially salient. Overall, Breslin puts forward six recommendations for moving beyond the educational legacy of COVID-19: put well-being first; close the achievement gap; rethink curriculum and assessment; grow digital literacy and connectivity; build new relationships between families, school, and communities; and prepare teaching and schooling for the world of tomorrow.
Cooker , L., Cotton, T., & Toft, H. (2022). Transforming teaching: Global responses to teaching under the Covid-19 Pandemic. Routledge. Print Book
In this book, three lead authors, ten educators, and two artists from across the globe share their best learnings and lessons from the pandemic and explore how relationships with students, parents, colleagues, and the wider community have changed. A highly conversational text, Transforming Teaching invites readers to explore ideas collaboratively with colleagues, make connections between topics that resonate, and journal freely using writing prompts found throughout the work.
De Jesus, S., Gyamerah, K., & Archer, B. (2022). Pandemic impacts on TDSB Kindergarten children and pedagogic approaches to support them. Toronto District School Board. Online Document
With the pandemic shaping their formative early years, COVID-19 has “dominated the lived experiences of current kindergarten children” (10). This research report examines how the pandemic impacted Kindergartners’ independence, communication, literacy, mental health, and more. The report details the hardships and struggles of the pandemic, while at the same time honouring the skills, knowledge, and experiences of parents, children, and families. The report closes with nine recommended pedagogic strategies and techniques for educators to support kindergarten children.
Fisher, D., Frey, N., Smith, D.B., & Hattie, J. (2021). Leading the rebound: 20+ must-dos to restart teaching and learning. Corwin Press. eBook
In this resource the authors provide school leaders with a roadmap for restarting in-person learning. With the intent of helping educators leverage the lessons learned from remote teaching in combination with effective practices from the past, this book outlines detailed strategies to:
- Rebuild teacher agency and efficacy
- Change the learning loss narrative
- Establish restorative practices
- Ensure appropriate use of assessments and equitable grading
- Accelerate student learning through instructional excellence
- Address the social and emotional needs of students and staff, and much more.
Leading the Rebound empowers leaders to re-establish their school’s culture and implement the changes necessary to ensure student success in the post-pandemic “new normal”.
Freeland, E. (2023). From ghosts to graduates: An educator’s guide to identifying and reconnecting disengaged students. Routledge. Print Book
The author of From Ghosts to Graduates recognizes that three years of remote learning have created a cohort of disengaged students who are at increased risk of dropping out of school. These students are “ghosts” in the system – disconnected from and disenchanted with education. Instead of merely providing strategies to treat the symptoms of dropping out, this resource offers current research and practical tips to address the causes of student disengagement, shows how to identify existing and potential ghosts, how to reconnect students to the learning process, how to overcome barriers to progress, and how to restore student well-being and hope.
Hargreaves, A., & Shirley, D. (2022). Well-being in schools: Three forces that will uplift your students in a volatile world. ASCD. eBook
This resource is an in-depth exploration of the underlying ideas and research findings related to student well-being. The authors discuss the importance of placing well-being ahead of other priorities, such as standardized assessment scores, and answer the following questions: what, exactly, is well-being? What does it look like, why is it so important, and what can school systems do to promote it? How does it relate to student achievement and social and emotional learning? Looking within and beyond the classroom, this book’s aim is to help educators improve well-being not only for students but also for society as a whole.
Horn, M B. (2022). From reopen to reinvent: (Re)creating school for every child. Jossey-Bass. eBook
The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed that schools are not as flexible and equitable as we need them to be. In From Reopen to Reinvent, the author calls for the rebuilding of an education system that is failing many of its students, focussing on how educators should address the issues that arise from widespread unmet learning needs. The book outlines the author’s vision of a better path forward, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing mastery for each student, and the ideal use of technology. It also provides readers with a set of processes and ideals that schools should use when trying to resolve their current challenges.
Leask, M., & Younie, S. (2022). Education for all in times of crisis: Lessons from Covid-19. Routledge. eBook
What can education systems do to ensure continuity of learning and assessment for all learners during a disruption of schooling in times of crisis? Drawing on data and experiences from around the world, this book addresses solutions and challenges required at the national, regional, and local levels for continuity of education, particularly for marginalized groups, during a disruption of schooling due to natural disasters, future pandemics, or other catastrophes.
Leibowitz, S. (2022). Havens of hope: Ideas for redesigning education from the COVID-19 pandemic. Redleaf Press. Print Book
In this book, the author shares stories about how some early childhood educators used innovative and creative approaches to continue to provide engaging teaching and learning experiences to their students during the pandemic. The author believes that the pandemic propelled educators to redesign and renovate teaching, but revitalizing the education system, to better meet the needs of students, must continue beyond the pandemic.
Reimers, F. (2022). Primary and secondary education during covid-19: Disruptions to educational opportunity during a pandemic. Springer. Online Document
This open-access book provides a comparison look at the impact of COVID-19 on education in different countries around the world and their responses to the educational disruption caused by it. This comparative study sheds light on some lessons learned as education systems shifted to remote learning, and how they attempted to mitigate learning disparities that surfaced.
Zacarian, D., Calderón, M., & Gottlieb, M. (2021). Beyond crises: Overcoming linguistic and cultural inequities in communities, schools, and classrooms. Corwin. eBook
The authors assert that the pandemic crisis has highlighted the importance of forming effective partnerships among communities, schools, and classrooms for students’ health and well-being, particularly for multilingual students. They argue that these areas must work together as a “whole-child ecosystem” where “they build on the multilingual students’ unique assets and cultivate their inner brilliance”. The book describes schools where they have implemented programs that interconnect the three areas to successfully meet the needs of multilingual students.
Judy Ameline is a librarian at the Toronto District School Board Professional Library with almost 30 years experience providing reference service. She is passionate about providing TDSB teachers and leaders access to current, cutting edge information in the field of education to support their professional development needs. Check out the Library’s Pinterest Boards and follow her on Twitter @AmelineJudy
Judy Chyung has extensive experience providing Education Reference and Online Services to the educators and leaders of Toronto District School Board at the TDSB Professional Library. She enjoys reading and learning about the trends in education literature, and assisting TDSB educators with their information needs whether for their classroom support or for their professional learning. One of the initiatives that she leads is the curated Resource Guides for Heritage Months celebrated by TDSB. Currently she is deeply involved in developing Subject Guides to support TDSB educators and students with their curriculum resource needs. These Subject Guides can be found in the TDSB Virtual Library under the FIND tab.
Emily Thompson is a Reference and Digital Resources Librarian with the Toronto District School Board Professional Library. Prior to joining the TDSB this year, she spent nearly a decade in public librarianship and is passionate about early literacy. She is excited to be a part of the TDSB Professional Library team, connecting users of all ages with digital resources through the Virtual Library. Follow the TDSB Virtual Library on Twitter: @tdsbVL