Spanish Teacher Summer Reading List

How do you feel about your summer vacation time? Do you make a Spanish teacher summer reading list? I have to admit, that after completing 23 years as a full time Spanish teacher, I have gone through every stage. Stage 1: young, unmarried, no kids… meant I was teaching summer school or running summer camps. Then came the season of having little ones with trips to the park, the zoo, swimming lessons! During the Covid years, I wanted to not think for one second about school during the summer. And most recently, I find that the summer gives me time to think about my profession and get creative. (Once I have restored my energy and gotten my blood pressure back to normal!)

Summer Reading List Suggestions

In no particular order, here are a few good reads for the Spanish teacher summer reading list! You will see that my reading tastes vary quite a bit in terms of genre!

Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain by Zaretta Hammond

This is a book that I read 2 summers ago and participated in a book group. Last week, I did an online training to keep my student teacher certification current, and I was shocked and humbled that I got most of the questions wrong in the pretest!

What I like about this book is that it explains how the brain works and learns without being overly technical. It provides strategies that can be easily applied in the classroom to make learning more accessible to all of our students.

I am going to re-read it this summer because there was clearly too much for me to absorb in one reading! With a deeper understanding of the “operating systems” that exist in different cultures, we as educators can provide what everyone needs for deep learning!

Roxy by Neil and Jarrod Shusterman

I am a high school teacher, and I find myself, inexplicably it seems, with 2 teens of my own! This book is about how a brother and sister both find themselves in the world of being drug users. One has a prescription and one doesn’t. Could you recognize the signs of having a child addicted to a dangerous substance? This was scary and sad, but eye-opening. I think that all people who work with adolescents or have their own should read this, or something like it.

Hay momentos que siempre deberían ser eternos by Megan Maxwell

Ok. So this is the summer beach book genre! It’s fun, funny, light, endearing! And if this particular kind of book isn’t your style, pick a fiction book that IS something you enjoy reading! On my trips to Spain, I stock up at the book store! Reading in Spanish is such a great way to keep your Spanish up, especially if you are not a native speaker and you find that you are using Spanish that can be understood by your Spanish 1, 2 and 3 students most of the time. Reading Spanish books for pleasure is, well, a pleasure!

Why are all the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? by Beverly Daniel Tatem

I don’t think anyone can ignore that our classrooms and schools are becoming more and more diverse. Our teaching force is not keeping up with this trend. This book explores identity and belonging, and can be a good starting point for those who are ready to start examining these topics and how they related to our students in school.

Spanish Teacher Summer Reading List Conclusion

Profes, I’m sure you are looking forward to lots of things this summer, and maybe you have your own list of books you can’t wait to get to!

I would love to hear from you with more suggestions for educators or for Spanish speakers! What do you have on your Spanish Teacher Summer Reading List? Send me an email or a DM on Instagram or Facebook and let me know!