By Diane Hubona, IU 8 PIIC Mentor

They may occur in the library, the faculty room, or the classroom - wherever teachers come together to sip coffee, snack, and crack open their books to discuss their craft--the benefits of book studies are endless!

Establishing book study groups is not a new notion...so why now?

The notion of pairing books and teachers may seem like a no-brainer, but two recent trends appear to reinforce this type of collegial dialogue.  First, teachers themselves acknowledge that they need to continually learn and develop to meet the challenges facing them.  Secondly, many educators agree that the most effective teacher training is done within schools, conducted among colleagues, and above all, integrated into the teaching day.

The most positive, cost-effective, and flexible way to offer this type of embedded professional development is with the establishment of book study groups.  All you have to do is reflect upon Penn Literacy Network's Four Lenses of Learning, and it becomes obvious why book studies are so helpful for coaches in establishing relationships.  Book studies are typically groups of 5-7 teachers, voluntarily coming together on an agreed-upon date and time, for a prescribed time period, to discuss a book they have all selected.  The human, social, language-based, and meaning-centered lenses are all present with this format, offering the basic ingredients for success.

The concept of choice for adult learners is paramount, so coaches offering book study groups need to consider options as every turn.  Meeting times are determined by the participants: before-school or after-school, during lunchtime, during plan periods...the coach needs to be flexible in meeting the needs of the teachers.  The same applies to the reading selected.  Offering a few selected books, or even surveying the staff for suggestions is an excellent way to assure teacher buy-in.  Teachers embrace this type of collaboration when they have had choice in the planning process.  In my own district, I display six books on the faculty room table for a week and ask teachers to check them out at their own leisure and sign up for the book that appealed to them the most.  By doing this, the teachers don't feel pressured to decide on the spot, and they may also check with their peers to see what book they are selecting-the power of positive peer pressure! Lastly, the group can also determine the amount of reading that will be completed each time the group meets.

An additional bonus for coaches establishing book study groups is that you can model strategies the teachers can take back and implement in their classrooms.  The discussion can be started with any of the following:

Identify what you think is the most important point in the reading.
Summarize the main ideas and themes with words, pictures, or charts.
Jot down three questions as you read and bring them to the next meeting.
How does this reading relate to your life as a teacher?
Write down one thing you learned in the reading.
What is your favorite quote from this section of the book?
On a scale from 1-10, 10 being outstanding, how would you rate this book? Why?

So you've surveyed your teachers, set the date, location and time, baked enough brownies to feed an army...

What to read?

All PIIC mentors have been provided with a professional reading library to help coaches with this pursuit.  Since all coaches gather at monthly IU coaching workshops, they may "sign out" any book they're interested in and then return it the next month.  Instructional coaches are continuous learners, and PIIC's professional library further encourages coaches to implement book study groups back in their schools.  Some of the suggested books from PIIC's library are listed below:

Readicide- high school
The Book Whisperer- elementary/middle school
Deeper Reading- grades 4-12
Slices of Life: Managing Dilemmas in Middle Grades- middle school/junior high
Differentiation: From Planning to Practice- grades 6-12
Classroom Assessment for Student Learning: Doing it Right-Using It Well- K-12
Fierce Conversations- K-12
Differentiated Instruction in Mixed Ability Classrooms-K-12
Mosaic of Thought- elementary
What Teachers Really Need to Know About Formative Assessment- K-12
Subjects Matter: Ever Teacher's Guide to Content-Area Reading- K-12

Although establishing book study groups may seem like a Herculean task, it is much easier than you think if you keep choice and voice in mind while planning.  The coach may initiate the book study groups, but before you know it the group functions as a unit, voluntarily taking turns facilitating discussion each time the group meets.  The power of this type of collaboration, collective problem-solving, and sharing of ideas and experiences is an instructional coach's dream.