Fuel for the Fire: Holiday Books Every Education Transformer Should Pack

As Term 1 draws to a close and teachers across the country exhale after a big start to the year, there’s no better time to step away from the lesson plans and lean into some inspiration. If you're someone who’s passionate about transforming education and driving contemporary learning practices in your school, here are two brilliant reads for the holidays. These books offer both encouragement and provocation — one a warm reminder of what learning could feel like, the other a bold challenge to rethink the assumptions holding us back. Whether you're a classroom teacher, school leader, or system thinker, these reads will leave you with fresh ideas and a renewed sense of purpose for Term 2.

1. Lifelong Kindergarten by Mitchel Resnick

A good one for those wanting to transform education and explore contemporary learning

Resnick, the creator of Scratch and a long-time researcher at the MIT Media Lab, brings a refreshing, hopeful, and deeply practical perspective to how we can reimagine learning environments to better serve our students, and, truthfully, ourselves as educators.

Why This Book?

Because the future needs creative thinkers. Resnick argues that the traditional education system often stifles creativity just when we need it most. In an age of rapid technological change and complex global challenges, we need learners who can tinker, create, collaborate, and adapt, not just memorise and repeat. He draws on the philosophy of the kindergarten approach, learning through play, projects, passion, and peers, and shows how these same principles can and should guide learning well beyond the early years.

Because it aligns beautifully with contemporary education principles. The book is filled with powerful provocations around learner agency, design thinking, digital fluency, and rethinking assessment, all central to the EduShift movement and the work many of us are trying to lead in our schools. It reinforces the idea that learning should be meaningful, relevant, and joyful, not just for students, but for teachers too.

Because it gives real, actionable ideas. While grounded in research and big-picture thinking, Resnick doesn’t just leave you in the clouds. He shares real-world examples of how schools and educators are putting creative learning into practice, especially through tools like Scratch and maker spaces. Whether you're in a primary classroom or leading system-wide innovation, you’ll find ideas that are tangible and inspiring.

A Few Favourite Takeaways:

• “The blocks of today are the building blocks of tomorrow.” Resnick shows how tinkering and play aren't just cute ideas, they’re how we develop problem-solving, persistence, and creativity.

• The importance of learning with technology rather than just about it.

• The idea that we need to design learning environments that mirror creative workplaces, filled with collaboration, iteration, and space for risk-taking.

The Holiday Verdict: If you’re heading into the break needing a little soul food, something that reconnects you with why you got into education and reminds you of what’s possible, Lifelong Kindergarten will do just that. It’s an easy, uplifting read, full of stories, ideas, and provocations that will leave you dreaming about how Term 2 could look a little more like… well, kindergarten.

So grab a long black (or a chai, or whatever your holiday drink of choice is), find a sunny spot, and dive in.

2. The Future of Teaching and the Myths That Hold It Back by Guy Claxton

A provocation for those ready to challenge outdated teaching norms

As we settle into the slower pace of the school holidays (or at least aim to!), there’s never been a better time to pick up something that will challenge your thinking, in the best way. If Lifelong Kindergarten was the warm, inspiring nudge toward creative learning, then The Future of Teaching and the Myths That Hold It Back by Guy Claxton is the well-aimed jolt to our assumptions about what great teaching looks like.

It’s the kind of book you’ll want a highlighter handy for, not because it tells you what to think, but because it makes you stop, think, and rethink.

Why This Book?

Because Claxton names the elephant in the staffroom. This book is bold. Claxton lays out nine persistent myths that continue to shape (and limit) how we teach, like the belief that direct instruction is the gold standard, or that knowledge always comes before skills. He’s not interested in teacher-bashing, in fact, he deeply respects the profession. What he is passionate about is challenging the outdated ideologies that keep us stuck.

Because it’s rooted in research and classroom reality. Claxton brings together cognitive science, educational psychology, and real classroom stories to back up his ideas. It’s not theory for theory’s sake. It’s deeply practical and speaks directly to the tensions many teachers and leaders feel when trying to shift toward more contemporary, learner-centred practice.

Because it gives us a new way to frame ‘rigour’. One of Claxton’s key arguments is that we’ve misunderstood what makes learning powerful. Rather than focus solely on content mastery or test scores, he advocates for ‘learning that lasts’, helping students become resilient, reflective, and resourceful thinkers. It’s a call to move from performance to capability, and it couldn't be more timely.

A Few Provocations You’ll Find Inside:

• Are we teaching for transfer, or simply getting students through the next test?

• What if the focus on ‘efficiency’ is undermining true understanding?

• How can schools develop cultures where slow, deep learning is valued and visible?

The Holiday Verdict: This isn’t just a book, it’s a conversation starter. It’s the kind of read that gets under your skin (in a good way), challenging you to be brave enough to question the educational stories we’ve inherited.

If you're dreaming of education that equips young people for an uncertain future, and wondering what your role is in shaping that, The Future of Teaching offers a map, a mirror, and a match to light the fire.

Read it poolside, or in a quiet nook with a strong cuppa. Just don’t be surprised if you finish with a few strong opinions and a renewed sense of purpose for Term 2.

These two books are a perfect pairing: one soft and expansive, one sharp and direct. But both remind us of what really matters in education, and the kind of learning we want to champion for the next generation.

Happy holidays — and happy reading.

Mel Evans, Co-Founder, The EduShift Collective