Rising to the Challenge, Reading for Strength

WELCOME!

Whether you are a teacher, librarian, parent, or Internet wanderer, I am happy you are here. This blog is devoted to books, reading, literacy, and teaching, so there is something for everyone. As a literacy professor, I am passionate about sharing great books with the hope that they get into the hands of children. On this blog, I share those great books along with teaching strategies and research in an easy, accessible way.  

Today, I'm sharing one of my favorite books that I would love to see on every school's professional development reading list. This book is all about mediating conflict that stems from miscommunication - something that happens in every industry and to every person. Brown fills her book with examples from her research and shares how people can better address those misunderstandings. From the perspective of a teacher, I see this book helping with disputes and creating a nice space for talking about difficult topics. This book is also great for administrators and offers concrete strategies for mediating conflicts with employees. 

Rising Strong by Brené Brown

Ever since I heard Brené Brown give a Ted Talk, I have been obsessed. I really enjoy her philosophy on living creatively and handling stress and anxiety. One of her lines of research inquiry deals with vulnerability. Vulnerability is the idea that people should share their weaknesses with each other. This prevents shame and allows others to have empathy. When I found out this new book was coming out in 2015, I could not wait to get my hands on it! I actually used one of my Audible credits and got the audiobook version, which Brené Brown narrates - so good! 

In her previous books, Brown has focused on shame, vulnerability, and our imperfections. In this book, she takes these ideas even further. Brown discusses strategies for handling conflict, which she calls "The Rumble". While I don't often learn many new ideas from self-help books, I'm crazy about Brown's work. There is always something new that is 100% applicable to my life.

If I ever get in a position of administration, I will encourage everyone to do a book study on this book. It truly has the power to make communication easier and dealing with conflict more effective and stress-free. I HIGHLY recommend this book!

- Dr. Hodges