Sign-In
Cart
The Examined School Year: 180 Daily Reflections for Educators from Philosophy, Psychology, Education, & Literature
Paperback
General EducationSelf-HelpTeaching Instruction
Publisher: Polis & PRAXIS Press
Published: May 12 2026
Pages: 248
Weight: 0.64
Height: 0.56 Width: 5.50 Depth: 8.50
Language: English
The daily companion for teachers who want to grow without burning out.
Are you a teacher running on caffeine and intuition? Walking into a classroom every morning carrying the weight of yesterday's frustrations and tomorrow's pressures? Wondering if there is a way to grow in this profession without losing yourself inside it?
The Examined School Year is the year-long reflection book written specifically for educators.
Built around the 180-day school calendar and informed by the actual emotional arc of a teacher's year, this book delivers one focused, single-page reflection for every day you walk into your classroom. From the anticipation of August to the survival of November, from the long middle of February to the quiet release of May, each entry meets you where you are.
What you will find inside:
- 180 daily reflections built for the actual rhythm of the school year, plus additional entries for pre-service days, school breaks, and summer recovery
- One page per day - short enough to read with morning coffee, deep enough to carry through the rest of the day
- A daily reflection question at the end of every entry to spark genuine self-examination of your teaching practice
- Voices from across history and the world, including Nel Noddings, Maya Angelou, Paulo Freire, bell hooks, Temple Grandin, Septima Clark, James Baldwin, Joy Harjo, Confucius, Marcus Aurelius, Carol Dweck, and dozens more
- Sources and Further Reading lists at the end of each quarter so you can explore the ideas that resonate most
- Honest, practical, and warm writing that respects your intelligence and your exhaustion in equal measure
Perfect for:
- New teachers walking into their first classroom this fall
- Veteran educators looking to reconnect with the deeper purpose of their work
- Instructional coaches, mentors, and teacher leaders supporting others
- Graduate students in education programs
- Administrators who want to model reflective practice for their staff
- Anyone who has ever stood at the front of a classroom and wondered if they were doing it right
From the author of 3 Engagement Rings and The Examined Year.
Whether you teach kindergarten or twelfth grade, in a rural district or an urban one, your first year or your twenty-fifth, this book is your daily companion. It will not give you a checklist. It will give you something better: the company of every great thinker, educator, and human being who has ever wrestled with the question of how to do this work well.
Reclaim your reflection. Deepen your craft. Remember why you chose this work.
Don't just teach this year. Examine it.
Also from
Colwell, Matthew
The Examined Year: 365 Daily Reflections from Philosophy, Psychology, Literature, & History
Colwell, Matthew
Paperback
Also in
Teaching Instruction
How to Educate a Citizen: The Power of Shared Knowledge to Unify a Nation
Hirsch, E. D., Jr.
Hardcover
Thank You, Teachers: True Stories from America's Teachers, Our Last Line of Defense and Our First Line of Hope
Patterson, James
Eversmann, Matt
Hardcover
Teach Like a Champion 3.0: 63 Techniques That Put Students on the Path to College
Lemov, Doug
Paperback
Math Fact Fluency: 60+ Games and Assessment Tools to Support Learning and Retention
Kling, Gina
Bay-Williams, Jennifer
Paperback
The Power of the Socratic Classroom: Students. Questions. Dialogue. Learning.
Fischer, Charles Ames
Paperback
Scholastic Success with Reading Comprehension Grade 2 Workbook
Scholastic Teaching Resources
Paperback
AI Literacy in Any Class: Preparing Students to Thrive in an AI Future in Any Grade Level or Content Area
Miller, Matt
Paperback
Scholastic Success with Reading Comprehension Grade 4 Workbook
Scholastic Teaching Resources
Paperback
The Writing Rope: A Framework for Explicit Writing Instruction in All Subjects
Sedita, Joan
Paperback
Scholastic Success with Reading Comprehension Grade 3 Workbook
Scholastic Teaching Resources
Paperback
Better Than Carrots or Sticks: Restorative Practices for Positive Classroom Management
Fisher, Douglas
Frey, Nancy
Smith, Dominique
Paperback
First Little Readers Parent Pack: Guided Reading Level a: 25 Irresistible Books That Are Just the Right Level for Beginning Readers
Schecter, Deborah
Charlesworth, Liza
Paperback
Setting Limits in the Classroom, 3rd Edition: A Complete Guide to Effective Classroom Management with a School-Wide Disciplineplan
MacKenzie, Robert J.
Stanzione, Lisa
Paperback
Beyond the Science of Reading: Connecting Literacy Instruction to the Science of Learning
Wexler, Natalie
Paperback
Mtss for Reading Improvement: A Leader's Tool Kit for Schoolwide Success (Reading Science in Action: An Mtss Tool Kit)
Brown, Sarah
Stollar, Stephanie
Paperback
Math Practice Workbook Grades 6-8: 1000+ Questions You Need to Kill in Middle School by Brain Hunter Prep
Brain Hunter Prep
Paperback
Reading Assessment Done Right: Tools and Techniques for Data-Driven Instruction
Winn, Kate
Stollar, Stephanie
Paperback
Scholastic Success with Reading Comprehension Grade 5 Workbook
Scholastic Teaching Resources
Paperback
The Essentials of Adolescent Literacy: Integrating Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Instruction in Grades 5-12
Sedita, Joan
Paperback
The Reading Strategies Book 2.0: Your Research-Based Guide to Developing Skilled Readers
Serravallo, Jennifer
Paperback
The Resistance Solution: Why Educators Resist Change and What They Need Instead
Silver, Becca
Paperback
Thank You, Teachers: True Stories from America's Teachers, Our Last Line of Defense and Our First Line of Hope (Large Print Edition)
Patterson, James
Eversmann, Matt
Paperback
Fostering Resilient Learners: Strategies for Creating a Trauma-Sensitive Classroom
Hall, Pete
Souers, Kristin
Paperback
A Visual, Step-By-Step Guide for Re-Envisioning Rigor: Powerful Routines for Promoting Learning at High Levels
McDowell, Michael
Eisberg, Aaron
Paperback
Unearthing Joy: A Guide to Culturally and Historically Responsive Curriculum and Instruction
Muhammad, Gholdy
Paperback
The Essential Homeschool Kindergarten Workbook: 135 Fun Curriculum-Based Activities to Build Reading, Writing, and Math Skills!
Lewallen, Hayley
Paperback
Creating a Language-Rich Math Class: Strategies and Activities for Building Conceptual Understanding
Atkins, Sandra L.
Paperback
Leveled Reading, Leveled Lives: How Students' Reading Achievement Has Been Held Back and What We Can Do about It
Shanahan, Timothy
Paperback
Enhancing Professional Practice: The Framework for Teaching
Danielson, Charlotte
Furman, Jim S.
Kappes, Lee
Paperback
Learn to Read Activity Book: 101 Fun Phonics Lessons to Teach Your Child to Read
Braun, Hannah, M. Ed
Paperback
The Fundamental 5 For Instructional Rigor: Five Fundamental Practices To Power Up Student Thinking
Cain, Sean
Paperback
Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning
Bowen, José Antonio
Watson, C. Edward
Paperback
Facing the Fantasy, Finding the Way Forward: Every Educator's Guide to Moving Beyond Behavior Management to Lasting Behavioral Change Using Neuroscien
Bowman, Doris
Bowman, Rick
Paperback
Total Participation Techniques: Making Every Student an Active Learner
Himmele, Pérsida
Himmele, William
Paperback
Calligraphy Book for Beginners: Practice Workbook with Guide - Basic Techniques, Hand Lettering and Projects for Learning to Letter
Memoirs, Quillscribe
Paperback
Scholastic Success with Reading Comprehension Grade 1 Workbook
Scholastic Teaching Resources
Paperback
Making Things Right: Activities that Teach Restorative Justice, Conflict Resolution, Mediation, and Discipline That Restores Includes 32 De
Claassen, Roxanne Harvin
Claassen, Ron
Paperback
The Writing Revolution 2.0: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grades
Hochman, Judith C.
Wexler, Natalie
Paperback
The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation: An Easy-To-Use Guide with Clear Rules, Real-World Examples, and Reproducible Quizzes
Straus, Jane
Kaufman, Lester
Paperback
180 Days(tm) Reading for Fifth Grade, 2nd Edition: Practice, Assess, Diagnose
Levsey, Dylan
Kopp, Kathleen N.
Kopp, Kathy
Paperback
Story of the World, Vol. 1: History for the Classical Child: Ancient Times
Bauer, Susan Wise
Paperback
Mastering Essential Math Skills Book 2, Bilingual Edition - English/Spanish
Fisher, Richard W.
Paperback
Teaching Writing Through Differentiated Instruction with Leveled Graphic Organizers
Witherell, Nancy L.
McMackin, Mary C.
Paperback
Greek Myth Plays, Grades 3-5: 10 Readers Theater Scripts Based on Favorite Greek Myths That Students Can Read and Reread to Develop Their Fluency
Pugliano-Martin, Carol
Pugliano, Carol
Paperback
Small Groups, Big Results: Evidence-Based Routines to Get Every Child Reading
Lindsey, Julia
Paperback
Thinking Critically about What Matters: A Punk Rock Guide
Klipfel, Kevin Michael
Klipfel, Lyndsay
Paperback
The Teach Like a Champion Guide to the Science of Reading: Translating Research to Reignite Joy and Meaning in the Classroom
Driggs, Colleen
Woolway, Erica
Lemov, Doug
Paperback
New Art and Science of Teaching: More Than Fifty New Instructional Strategies for Academic Success
Marzano, Robert J.
Paperback
Specially Designed Instruction: Increasing Success for Students with Disabilities
Beninghof, Anne M.
Paperback
The Vocabulary Workbook for 7th Grade: Weekly Activities to Boost Your Word Power
McLellan, Kelly Anne
Paperback
New Jersey Student Learning Assessments (NJSLA) Test Practice: Grade 4 English Language Arts Literacy (ELA) Practice Workbook and Full-length Online A
Njsla Test Prep, Lumos
Learning, Lumos
Paperback
Explicit Direct Instruction (Edi): The Power of the Well-Crafted, Well-Taught Lesson
Ybarra, Silvia E.
Hollingsworth, John R.
Paperback
The Active Learning Revolution: Dynamic Engagement Strategies for Every Classroom
Biegun, Daniel
Paperback
Relationship, Responsibility, and Regulation: Trauma-Invested Practices for Fostering Resilient Learners
Souers, Kristin Van Marter
Hall, Pete
Paperback
Making Words Stick: A Four-Step Instructional Routine to Power Up Orthographic Mapping
Ness, Molly
Miles, Katie Pace
Paperback
The Megabook of Fluency, 2nd Edition: Strategies and Texts to Engage All Readers
Rasinski, Timothy V.
Cheesman Smith, Melissa
Paperback
Powerful Writing Structures: Brain Pocket Strategies for Supporting a Year-Long Writing Program
Gear, Adrienne
Paperback
Teach Like a Pirate: Increase Student Engagement, Boost Your Creativity, and Transform Your Life as an Educator
Burgess, Dave
Paperback
MARYLAND TEST PREP MCAP Practice Test Book English Language Arts Grade 5: Preparation for the MCAP ELA/Literacy Assessments
Hawas, M.
Donovan, Mitchell
Paperback
Scholastic Success with Multiplication & Division Grade 3 Workbook
Scholastic Teaching Resources
Paperback
Next Steps in Literacy Instruction: Connecting Assessments to Effective Interventions
Glaser, Deborah, Ed D.
Smartt, Susan, PH. D.
Paperback
ASVAB Study Guide Premium, Fourteenth: 8 Practice Tests + Comprehensive Review + Online Practice (Barron's Test Prep)
Duran, Terry L.
Paperback
The Writing Strategies Book: Your Everything Guide to Developing Skilled Writers
Serravallo, Jennifer
Paperback
180 Days(tm) Reading for Fourth Grade, 2nd Edition: Practice, Assess, Diagnose
Slepian, Curtis
Kemp, Kristin
Paperback
The English Grammar Workbook for Adults: A Self-Study Guide to Improve Functional Writing
Digiacomo, Michael
Paperback
101 Answers for New Teachers and Their Mentors: Effective Teaching Tips for Daily Classroom Use
Breaux, Annette
Paperback
Science in Seconds for Kids: Over 100 Experiments You Can Do in Ten Minutes or Less
Stier, Samuel Cord
Potter, Jean
Paperback
50 Graphic Organizers for Reading, Writing & More: Reproducible Templates, Student Samples, and Easy Strategies to Support Every Learner
DeVitis, Linda Irwin
Modlo, Marcia
Bromley, Karen
Paperback
Universal Design for Learning in English Language Arts: Improving Literacy Instruction Through Inclusive Practices
Parker, Brianne
Novak, Katie
Hinkle, Ryan
Paperback
The Structured Literacy Playbook: Preplanned Lessons for Building Phonics and Fluency Skills
Osburn, Alexandria
Orkin, Melissa
Gannon, Sarah
Paperback
Instructional Rounds in Education: A Network Approach to Improving Teaching and Learning
Elmore, Richard F.
Fiarman, Sarah E.
City, Elizabeth A.
Paperback
The Empowered ELA Teacher: Be the Teacher You Want to Be, Do Great Work, and Thrive
Mitchell, Caitlin
Cannata, Jessica
Paperback
Stay Curious and Keep Exploring: 50 Amazing, Bubbly, and Creative Science Experiments to Do with the Whole Family
Calandrelli, Emily
Hardcover
Untangling Data-Based Decision Making: A Problem-Solving Model to Enhance Mtss (a Practical Tool to Help You Make Sense of Student Data for Effective
Potter, Jon
Harlacher, Jason E.
Collins, Adam
Paperback
Discipline with Dignity, 4th Edition: How to Build Responsibility, Relationships, and Respect in Your Classroom
Mendler, Allen N.
Mendler, Brian D.
Curwin, Richard L.
Paperback
Universal Design Daily: 365 Ways to Teach, Support, & Challenge All Learners Using UDL
Kluth, Paula
Paperback
The Science of Reading in Action: Brain-Friendly Strategies Every Teacher Needs to Know
Hollowell, Malia
Paperback
180 Days(tm) Reading for Second Grade, 2nd Edition: Practice, Assess, Diagnose
Schwartz, Heather E.
Sturgeon, Kristi
Schwartz, Heather
Paperback
Strive-For-Five Conversations: A Framework That Gets Kids Talking to Accelerate Their Language Comprehension and Literacy
Zucker, Tricia
Cabell, Sonia
Paperback
Irreplaceable: How AI Changes Everything (and Nothing) in Teaching and Learning
Bialik, Maya
Nilsson, Peter
Paperback
Rock Your Literacy Block: Mighty Moves to Organize Your Day and Optimize Student Learning
Kemeny, Lindsay
Paperback
Executive Skills and Writing Instruction: Developing Self-Regulated, Thinking Writers
Laud, Leslie E.
Paperback
180 Days(tm) Science for Sixth Grade: Practice, Assess, Diagnose
Homayoun, Lauren
Bayne, Bebra
Paperback
Interacting with Color: A Practical Guide to Josef Albers's Color Experiments
Horstman, Fritz
Paperback
7 Mighty Moves: Research-Backed, Classroom-Tested Strategies to Ensure K-To-3 Reading Success
Kemeny, Lindsay
Paperback
Daily Word Ladders Content Areas, Grades 4-6
Smith, Melissa Cheesman
Cheesman Smith, Melissa
Rasinski, Timothy V.
Paperback