November 2021 Bookshelf

How many emotions can you name? In writing this, we struggled to even make it to eleven (and were struck by the overall negativity of the list we made): mad, sad, happy, frustrated, bored, fearful, disgusted, surprised, embarrassed, worried, jealous. In Brené Brown’s new book, Atlas of the Heart (available for pre-order now, release date Nov 30, 2021), she invites us to consider 87 “emotions and experiences that define what it means to be human” and posits that having a nuanced understanding of those emotions can lead to “a [new] universe where we can share and steward the stories of our bravest and most heartbreaking moments with one another in a way that builds connection.” As we seek to bring to life a paradigm grounded in relationship, connection, and belonging, this is a must-read.

Any learner-centered effort starts with a vision—an image or idea of a new way things could be that we decide to go for, regardless of the obstacles. One of the biggest obstacles is often the lack of a clear blueprint or roadmap for what it will take to get there. Instead, we just have to set out on a transformational journey and see what unfolds. Lorne M. Buchman might call this the work of “carving away toward a revelation.” It isn’t about knowing ahead of time what will happen next; it is about the winding journey toward new discovery. Buchman’s Make to Know is for any learner-centered leader who could use some assurance that their often uncertain path is heading in the right direction.

The word “data” is most often associated with numbers, qualitative analysis, and logical conclusions. And, for those of us in the education space, it probably brings to mind standardized testing, achievement gaps, and accountability structures. Street Data seeks to turn that thinking on its head and invites us to explore and pursue data that can be “humanizing, liberatory, and healing.” In their book, Shane Safir and Jamila Dugan offer an actionable framework for those advancing education transformation, one that unequivocally centers the voices of our most marginalized, underserved youth and in doing so, enables us to see and build from our learners’
“brilliance, cultural wealth, and intellectual potential.”

As a learner-centered leader, a lot of your job is to create space for people to see beyond what exists today and to step toward a new possibility of what could be. This is not always the easiest task; it takes patience, listening, and openness. One place to look for inspiration and guidance on how to keep that space open is adrienne maree brown’s Holding Change. Largely sourced from brown’s “twenty-plus years of facilitation and mediation work with movement groups,” the book offers a way to think about the work of “attending to coordination, to conflict, to being humans in right relationship with each other, not as a constant ongoing state, but rather as a magnificent, mysterious, ever-evolving dynamic in which we must involve ourselves, shape ourselves and each other.”

Our modern world’s prioritization of efficiency, speed and 24-7 access to information has dramatically changed how we live and how we interact with each other. For its many benefits (e.g. ability to be in conversation and collaboration with those across the globe; greater access to the vibrant diversity of art and literature), this way of life certainly has its drawbacks. Spring Cannot Be Cancelled is an examination of what we miss when we move at the speed of a wifi connection. Capturing the correspondence between renowned artist, David Hockney, and art critic for The Spectator, Martin Grayford, during the COVID-19 lockdown, this delightful and insightful book reminds us to notice our surroundings, revel in everyday beauty, and approach the world with a sense of wonder and curiosity.