Dr. Martirano's Reading List - Allegany County Public Schools

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Dr. Martirano's Reading List

Dr. Michael J. Martirano's Reading List:
1) The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness By Jonathan Haidt THE ACCLAIMED #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER with over two million copies sold • A must-read for all parents: the generation-defining investigation into the collapse of youth mental health in the era of smartphones, social media, and big tech—and a plan for a healthier, freer childhood. After more than a decade of stability or improvement, the mental health of adolescents plunged in the early 2010s. Rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide rose sharply, more than doubling on many measures. Why? In The Anxious Generation, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt (pronounced "height") lays out the facts about the epidemic of teen mental illness that hit many countries at the same time. He then investigates the nature of childhood, including why children need play and independent exploration to mature into competent, thriving adults. Haidt shows how the “play-based childhood” began to decline in the 1980s, and how it was finally wiped out by the arrival of the “phone-based childhood” in the early 2010s. He presents more than a dozen mechanisms by which this “great rewiring of childhood” has interfered with children’s social and neurological development, covering everything from sleep deprivation to attention fragmentation, addiction, loneliness, social contagion, social comparison, and perfectionism. He explains why social media damages girls more than boys and why boys have been withdrawing from the real world into the virtual world, with disastrous consequences for themselves, their families, and their societies.
2) The Global Achievement Gap: Why Even Our Best Schools Don't Teach The New Survival Skills Our Children Need — And What We Can Do About It By Tony Wagner Despite the best efforts of educators, our nation's schools are dangerously obsolete. Instead of teaching students to be critical thinkers and problem-solvers, we are asking them to memorize facts for multiple choice tests. This problem isn't limited to low-income school districts: even our top schools aren't teaching or testing the skills that matter most in the global knowledge economy. Our teens leave school equipped to work only in the kinds of jobs that are fast disappearing from the American economy. Meanwhile, young adults in India and China are competing with our students for the most sought-after careers around the world. Education expert Tony Wagner has conducted scores of interviews with business leaders and observed hundreds of classes in some of the nation's most highly regarded public schools. He discovered a profound disconnect between what potential employers are looking for in young people today (critical thinking skills, creativity, and effective communication) and what our schools are providing (passive learning environments and uninspired lesson plans that focus on test preparation and reward memorization).
3) What Great Principals Do Differently: TWENTY Things That Matter Most By Todd Whitaker What are the attitudes and actions that make great principals stand out? In this internationally renowned bestseller, Todd Whitaker reveals the 20 keys to effective school leadership. This essential third edition features helpful new strategies for recruiting talent through better interview and reference questions, as well as tips for retaining talent. It also offers a new section on how leadership is not an event, but rather requires a consistent approach to affect the climate and eventually shape the culture of your school. Perfect for new and experienced principals, for independent professional reading or for leadership courses, this practical book will leave you feeling inspired and ready to do the things that matter most for the people who ultimately matter most―the students.
4) How Full Is Your Bucket? Expanded Anniversary Edition By Don Clifton & Tom Rath How did you feel after your last interaction with another person? Did that person -- your spouse, best friend, coworker, or even a stranger -- "fill your bucket" by making you feel more positive? Or did that person "dip from your bucket," leaving you more negative than before? The #1 New York Times and #1 BusinessWeek bestseller, How Full Is Your Bucket? reveals how even the briefest interactions affect your relationships, productivity, health, and longevity. Organized around a simple metaphor of a dipper and a bucket, and grounded in 50 years of research, this book will show you how to greatly increase the positive moments in your work and your life -- while reducing the negative.
5) Fish! A Proven Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results By Stephen C. Lundin, Ph.D., Harry Paul, and John Christensen The powerful parable that has helped millions to see their lives and work in a new way -- now revised and updated to celebrate 20 years of working with greater purpose! It's a rainy day in Seattle, and on the third floor of First Guarantee Financial, people have stopped believing they can make a difference. To new manager Mary Jane Ramirez, the challenge of bringing life back to her unenthusiastic and unmotivated team seems impossible -- until she discovers an incredibly successful workplace down the street, where the employees are so alive and passionate that people stop just to watch them work! FISH! is the remarkable story of what happens when Mary Jane seeks the help of these unlikely business "experts" and learns their secret: four simple practices that, when applied daily, help anyone to be more energized, effective, and fulfilled. Filled with inspiration and timeless wisdom that will resonate with anyone in any field or career level, FISH! is one of the most popular business parables of all time. People in organizations around the world use its practical lessons to improve customer service, build trust and teamwork, bolster leadership, and increase employee satisfaction. They also use the lessons to strengthen personal relationships, and to live with greater purpose and happiness. FISH! will help you discover the amazing power that is already inside you to make a positive difference -- wherever you are in life.