Staff picks: 9 books to inspire you - World Book Day

World Book Day is an opportunity to come together and share a love of reading, and encourage reading for pleasure. Many of the staff and students at our academies celebrate the day by dressing as their favourite literary characters and doing fun book-related activities. 

This year, we also asked some of our colleagues to share which books have inspired them and why. We hope their recommendations will encourage you to pick up a new book and find inspiration in its pages...

 

Nadia - Year 4 Class Teacher

'The Power of Now' by Eckhart Tolle

A book that has truly inspired me is 'The Power of Now' by Eckhart Tolle. It is a book about spiritual development, self awareness and being aware of and living in the present moment. I have spent many years - in various contexts - supporting others around me with a range of mental health issues from depression to anxiety.

This book had a huge impact on me because for the first time, I was able to follow the practices and observe my thoughts in order to understand the control we have over our thinking. Since that moment, which I remember so well, I have purchased the book for many people in order to offer them a means of support and as a way to empower them to help themselves when they are struggling!

 

Jordan - Head of Academy

'Leaders Eat Last' by Simon Sinek

‘Leaders Eat Last’ by Simon Sinek is a book that has impacted my leadership and inspired me to become a better leader for myself and for my team. It shows us that when we take care of our team, our team will take care of us. They will help ensure that our cause becomes a reality.

The book investigates these great leaders from Marine Corps Officers, who don't just sacrifice their place at the table but often their own comfort and even their lives for those in their care, to the heads of big business and government - each putting aside their own interests to protect their teams. It has helped me in my career in leadership from subject leadership through to headship.

 

Eva - Talent Acquisition Partner

'The Chimp Paradox' by Professor Steve Peters

One of the most inspiring books that I have read so far is 'The Chimp Paradox'. The author, Professor Steve Peters, is best known for his work in sports psychiatry – helping the likes of Ronnie O’Sullivan, Chris Hoy and Liverpool FC to great success in their respective sports.

Steve Peters offers a mind management tool that can help to understand the inner workings of our brain. He suggests that our psychological mind is made up of three independent parts; Chimp is the emotional machine that responds very quickly to stimulus, thinks independently of us and can trigger thoughts and feelings that can be either constructive or destructive. Second is the Human, that rational, analytical part of the brain that processes information in a considered, factual way before eliciting action. The third is the Computer where information including experiences and learned behaviours are stored for future reference.

The book can help to make sense of how we have been in the past, how we are now, and how we can manage ourselves better in the future and offers some ideas on how best to train our Chimp. I find this theory fascinating and would suggest this book to anyone who would like to learn more about how our brains work. 

 

Deb - Vice Principal

'Game On: The Unstoppable Rise of Women’s Sport' by Sue Anstiss

A book which has inspired me in recent years is 'Game On: The Unstoppable Rise of Women’s Sport' by Sue Anstiss. Following the completion of a sport and exercise science degree and a masters where my dissertation focused on the challenges faced by KS2 girls in P.E. and sport, my career path took me in a different direction, where P.E. and sport were not my main areas of responsibility. Reading this book in the summer before taking on a new role, where I would have greater responsibility for personal development and extra-curricular enrichment, reminded me of the critical role schools play in the development of life-long attitudes towards sport.

The book outlines the incredible progress which has been made in girls’ and women’s sport in recent years whilst also highlighting the ongoing challenges faced by females in sport. It reignited my passion for ensuring that all of the young people within our setting – especially the girls – are given rich and varied sporting opportunities which inspire long-term engagement in sport.

It also prompted me to think of the ways in which barriers to sport can be removed. As an academy, we have now made great progress towards increased extra-curricular sports participation across the school, with our girls now regularly participating and competing in a range of sports, including football, tag rugby, gymnastics and swimming. This book brought back into focus one of the reasons I went into teaching and had a direct and positive impact on the young people we work with on a daily basis.

 

Alex - Science Teacher

'Big Magic' by Elizabeth Gilbert

This book is the perfect mix of personal and practical. It offers an initimate look at how creativity can change our lives whilst understanding the deep fear that can come with that. As someone who tries too hard to be perfect a lot of the time, I needed this encouragement to break through my uncertainties and failure to open myself up to experiences that make life really feel worth living. I'd recommend it to anyone looking to break through some self-imposed barriers in their life. 

 

Margaux - Information Security GRC Analyst

'Girl Decoded' by Rana el Kaliouby

In her biography, Rana takes us on her journey from "nice Egyptian girl" to founder and CEO of a fascinating start-up working on AI facial recognition. This book sits exactly between an inspiring testimony (but not a shiny success story) about being a woman in tech from Egypt, and a fascinating discussion about AI Ethics and how to develop AI that understand human emotions. This has to be my favourite book on AI - making the topic human, relatable, and inspiring for fellow colleagues in technology wanting to make this world a better place.  

 

Olly - English Consultant

'Four Thousand Weeks' by Oliver Burkeman

This wonderful, thought-provoking book explores the philosophy and psychology around how we spend our time on this earth.  It’s somehow simultaneously challenging, reassuring and inspiring, asking us to pause to think more consciously about how we choose to frame and structure our lives. Give it a go… and let me know what you think!

 

Jonathan - HR Business Partner

'The Ideal Team Player” by Patrick Lencioni

'The Ideal Team Player' by Patrick Lencioni was recommended to me by a previous manager. I hope to learn to crack the code that defines a true team player, learning & implementing the three virtues that will make me a better team player.

 

Rohini - Year 5 Class Teacher

'When the Adults Change, Everything Changes' by Paul Dix

One of the most influential books I have read is 'When the Adults Change, Everything Changes' by Paul Dix. One of the key takeaways from the book was the importance of building positive relationships with children. The book made me reflect on many of the children I have taught and gave me a better understanding about how the way I view challenging situations can transform the effectiveness of how I deal with them. 

The book has helped me work towards creating an environment where children develop their self-awareness and an understanding of the impact they have on others, without the need for extrinsic motivators and rewards. In particular, the discussions around restorative conversations have been instrumental in helping me manage both highly challenging behaviour and low-level friendship issues.