A few tips for starting a teachers' book club:
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Decide from the start what you want the outcomes to be—general professional development, specific pedagogical information, bonding with colleagues, or all three—so that the meetings can be structured to support the outcomes. Some clubs like to have a set of questions on a given book to initiate the discussion; other clubs prefer a more organic approach. Which would work best for your club?
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Give people enough time to do the reading; decide if you'll meet once after everyone has finished the whole book, or if you'll be meeting regularly after participants read a chapter or two. Will you meet monthly or only a few times a year?
- Decide if rotating the leading of discussions is something the group wants and if it's consistent with the club's goals.
- If possible and if consistent with the club's goals, use consensus to select the books you will read.
- Have food at the meetings!
- Online discussion groups offer some advantages over more traditional meetings, but if one of your goals is to get to know your colleagues better or to meet new people, an online group may disappoint you.
- Enjoy!
For more general tips on organizing book clubs, I recommend The Book Group Book: A Thoughtful Guide to Forming and Enjoying a Stimulating Book Discussion Group, Third Edition, edited by Ellen Slezak (Chicago Review Press, 2000) and Designing Teacher Study Groups by Emily Cayuso et al. (Maupin House, 2004).
We hope this information is helpful, and we wish you best of luck with your book club!
Kelly Sippell
ESL/ELT Manager
Copyright © 2006. University of Michigan. All rights reserved.
