Read3 (or More) #MTBoS12Days

Today marks one week of Winter Break and I'll be honest that all I've really done is veg on the couch and read :)  Reading is my happy place and as a kid, I always had a book at my side.  As an adult, I am never too far away from my iPad and its Kindle app.

Read3 (or More) - Reads that Make an Impact

Twitter Reads:

Most of my new Twitter Finds are due to Sarah (@mathequalslove) and her Monday Must-Reads.

• Jae Ess at Jae Gets Real - I found Jae's twitter feed and blog after Sarah gave her a shout out for the Pythagorean Maze.  Once I started reading her blog, I was hooked!  Jae does a ton of sharing of ideas, printables, and one of the first things I found was a retweet that led me to
• Christie Bradshaw at Radical4Math - When I first saw the retweet from Jae about Card Sorts, I immediately dug in.  In fact, I've had that tab open now for a week, waiting on me to get off the Chromebook and go upstairs to actually print / laminate some of them!  I love how Christie freely shares her dry erase templates and activities.   
• Puzzlium - Again, Sarah has mentioned this company several times in her posts about her Puzzle Table, but on Twitter, they often tweet out puzzles that would be perfect for the classroom.  Since I posted the other day about wanting to try the Puzzle Table in my own room, I've started searching their twitter feed for ideas!
• #12DaysTwitter - This hashtag was one of my most enjoyable reads throughout December.  The prompts were great reflection tools and I loved getting new suggestion for must-reads, goals, quotes, and more.

In my Professional To-Be-Read pile:
There are WAY more than 3 books in my TBR pile, but these are the 3 at the top of the list :)

• Why are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria - This book is part of a book club hosted by my school for the Spring Semester.  I've got it sitting in my Kindle queue, but I haven't started it yet :)
• Teach Like a Champion - I've heard so many good things about this book, so when I found it at Half Price Books for $2, I knew it was coming home with me!  
• Seven Strategies of Assessment for Learning - This book was recommended by Jennifer Abel and after reading her tweets about it last summer, it was on my wish list.  I finally found a copy at a price I was willing to pay, so it's now in my pile! :)

Podcasts for those times I can't read:

When I'm driving or out for a walk, I often use that time for personal and professional reflection, but one of my favorite ways to use that time is for professional learning via podcasts.  Here are some of my favorites:

• Angela Watson's Truth for Teachers - This weekly inspirational podcast is definitely my favorite.  Full of small nuggets of wisdom and encouragement for all teachers, this is a weekly pick-me-up that helps me remember my "why"
• Mr Barton Maths Podcast - This podcast is more math-ed specific, but there are some gems in here.  I'll admit that I often have to listen to these episodes multiple times while driving because I zone out and miss some really good ideas!
• Bedley Brothers - I randomly found this podcast one day through Google, but I've really enjoyed it.  The two brothers have a fun relationship that comes across in their interview and the educational ideas are adaptable k-12.
• Global Math Department Podcast - I'm horrible about actually attending GMD presentations on Tuesday nights because I'm busy planning the next day or I get distracted and lose track of time.  Thankfully the recordings have now been turned into Podcasts, so I can listen on the go! :)
• Cult of Pedagogy Podcast - This general education podcast has some great episodes, but since it's more general, not all of them are equally applicable for my classroom.  This is still one of my go-to's though when I'm looking for something to listen to!

My favorite places to find books:

• DailyFreeBooks.com - This is a website that I hit daily.  I'm a fast reader and can easily read a novel (or three) in a day when I have time.  However, I learned early on that my salary could not keep up with my love of books, so I really enjoy reading indy authors when I can.
• Amazon Kindle Store - Several times a week, I try to hit the "Top 100" lists on Amazon to see what deals I might find.  I've thought about trying out Kindle Unlimited, but haven't done so yet.
• Half Price Books - HPB is my favorite used book store and while the closest one is about 2 hours away, we intentionally go to visit several times a year.  If we are anywhere in the vicinity of an HPB, we will definitely make that a must-stop!  My favorite has to be the "flagship" store near downtown Dallas and we have been known to spend a few days in the DFW area just going from store to store! :)  My favorite part is that HPB usually has a fabulous education section, which has filled my professional bookcase too!
• Thrift Stores - From the time I was a little girl, I knew that thrift stores were magical places, filled with random goodies for great prices.  I have purchased more than my share of paperbacks for 50 cents at Goodwill, Salvation Army, and other thrift stores.  Prior to Kindle, this was my #1 place to buy books!