Student-Driven Differentiation

Student-Driven Differentiation by Lisa Westman is a practical guide for how to implement differentiated learning in the classroom so that every student may learn according to his or her needs. Westman discusses how to build positive relationships with students, the four areas of differentiation, planning and implementing differentiation strategies, and experiential learning. She also addresses the need to reimagine our schools so we may create learning environments that promote student ownership of the learning process. The target audience for the book is K-12 educators, but the strategies and techniques within this volume are applicable to higher education as well. This is a useful and, at times, thought-provoking volume.

Coaching Conversations

Coaching Conversations by Linda M. Gross Cheliotes and Marcia F. Reilly provides basic instruction on how school leaders may facilitate the development and learning of teachers and students through formal and informal coaching conversations. Some of the skills the authors address include listening, asking powerful questions, and providing helpful feedback. Examples to illustrate the application of the skills are provided throughout the book. Appendices list sample questions that can be used in coaching conversations. The writing of the authors is precise, perhaps too much so. Cheliotes and Reilly provide basic explanations but a more detailed treatment might prove more instructive. While the book’s intended audience is school leaders, others inside and outside school settings may find this book useful. Anyone with responsibility for facilitating learning and skill development in others could benefit from the recommendations the authors put forth.