One of the best ways to stay engaged as a teacher is to never stop learning. Continuous learning can be professional development provided by your school or district, pursuing additional certifications or degrees, attending professional conferences, or my favorite–reading professional literature and finding innovative colleagues and experts to follow.
On this page, I’ll share my professional reading, conference and training experiences, and my favorite teachers and experts that influence my practice.
Updated July 19, 2025
How to Teach College: Inspiring Diverse Students in Challenging Times by James W. Loewen, edited by Nicholas Loewen & Michael Dawson
Renowned author of Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong James Loewen passed away in 2021, but he passed the project of finishing the edit of his final book How to Teach College to his son Nicholas. His final work shares his insights learned over a lifetime of teaching in universities.
As a current college teacher, I found this book challenging and affirming to think about my practice. While secondary teachers may have less flexibility to incorporate his recommendations, I think I would still be able to apply his ideas to the high school courses I taught. Notable chapters include: On (Not) Lecturing, Why Test, and Teaching Diverse Students.
I bought a hard copy after finishing the audiobook because I wanted to apply various ideas for structuring and delivering a course. His writing about the lies typically taught in K-12 American history opened my eyes to view history more critically; his final work was a perfect PD choice to reflect and revise my own college teaching.
I’ve added his works to my Bookshop.org bookshelves. As a Bookshop.org affiliate, I may earn from qualifying purchases.
Created August 2, 2024
Back-to-School Professional Development
Find my thoughts about good and bad BTS PD in this blog post https://booksteachingandmore.com/back-to-school-professional-development/.
Professional Organizations
I love my experiences with my two professional organizations National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and the state affiliate Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts (TCTELA). Both have provided me with great opportunities over the years to network with other teachers and experience content experts in our field and authors of children’s, middle-grade, and young adult literature. Check out membership for the NCTE affiliate in your own state to find grade-level professional learning opportunities.
I also highly recommend joining a professional organization (union in some areas) that will provide you with work-related legal advice and representation. In Texas, these associations are not unions in the traditional sense because teachers in Texas are forbidden by law to collectively bargain or strike. The “union” organizations here help with grievances, discipline, and legal representation. The organizations also lobby for better pay and funding for schools. In our current climate, I believe it is more vital than ever to belong to one of these associations.
