Break out the spring reading lists! May marks a season of momentum—when reflection meets forward motion. As the school year winds down and summer approaches, it’s the perfect time to equip yourself with tools and books for educators that inspire next steps, deepen professional practice, and spark meaningful change. Whether you’re leading a team, shaping school culture, refining instruction, or reimagining assessment, these new releases are packed with practical strategies and fresh thinking to carry you—and your community—into the summer with purpose and clarity.
8 great books for educators you should check out this month
Creating Emotionally Safe Schools, Second Edition
By Jane Bluestein and Tom Hierck (Pub Date: April 25)
Student success starts with emotional safety. This resource offers practical strategies to foster well-being, reduce stress, and build a strong sense of belonging. Learn how to model healthy emotional expression, nurture self-awareness, and create a supportive classroom community where students feel secure, connected, and ready to learn.
Create safer schools
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Learning, Behavior, and Your Classroom: How to Create an Environment That Sets Students Up for Success
By Staci M. Zolkoski (Pub Date: April 25)
Equip your K–12 teachers with research-based strategies to foster inclusive, well-managed learning environments. This book explores practical approaches to boost student engagement, support cognitive development, and encourage positive behavior through empathy, respectful communication, and reinforcement—tools that help build stronger relationships and a more responsive classroom culture.
Get this TBR essential
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The PLC Dashboard: Implementing, Leading, and Sustaining Your Professional Learning Community at Work®
By Brig Leane (Pub Date: May 1)
Enhance the effectiveness of your PLCs with The PLC Dashboard. Brig Leane presents a practical, seven-step framework that helps teams set clear goals, monitor progress, and support all learners. With ready-to-use templates and reflection tools, this resource empowers both collaborative teams and singletons to drive sustainable, schoolwide improvement.
Snag his popular resource
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MTSS for Reading Improvement: A Leader’s Tool Kit for Schoolwide Success
By Sarah Brown and Stephanie Stollar (Pub Date: May 1)
Accelerate reading achievement by aligning the science of reading with a strong MTSS framework. This practical guide offers over 50 tools to help leaders design effective, tiered support systems. Build coherence, strengthen instruction, and create sustainable structures that drive measurable, schoolwide improvement in literacy outcomes for all students.
Celebrate to Motivate: The Art of Inspiring Students, Staff, and the School Community
By Shawn Creswell and Katy Sue Traicoff (Pub Date: May 1)
This book explores the impact of celebrations on school culture with a focus on continuous growth and the role of all educators in fostering celebratory practices. Learn how celebrations enhance student success, staff morale, and community engagement.
Start the celebration
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The Handbook for Highly Effective Teams in a PLC at Work®: Essential Actions for Tackling Critical Issues
By William M. Ferriter, Bob Sonju, Anisa Baker-Busby and Kim Monkres (Pub Date: May 12)
Equip your teams with a practical guide to strengthen collaboration and boost student achievement. This resource offers clear strategies to build team foundations, clarify essential learning, use assessments to inform instruction, and provide timely support—empowering educators to ensure every student reaches high levels of success in a PLC at Work® culture.
Rehumanizing Assessment: Gathering Evidence of Student Learning Through Storytelling
By Tom Schimmer and Natalie Vardabasso (Pub Date: May 16)
This book champions narrative-based approaches to boost student engagement and creativity. It explores how to use storytelling to craft meaningful assessments, weaving together research, practical classroom strategies, and diverse cultural perspectives.
Leading Special Education: How to Support, Retain, and Empower Teachers for Success
By Breauna C. Wall (Pub Date: May 23)
Discover actionable strategies to strengthen special education programs and empower the educators who lead them. This resource emphasizes connection, collaboration, and co-teaching while offering guidance on professional learning and effective use of technology. Designed for leaders in all settings, it supports sustainable success in special education at every level.
