I have participated in three different types of book studies throughout my adult life: traditional book clubs, Bible studies, and professional book studies with colleagues or other practitioners.
I will say that I have learned the most from the Bible study groups to help inform my personal practice in leading and participating in book clubs, but also in writing this blog. These groups met weekly with people I often didn’t know well—or, in some cases, were strangers. Through that experience I have found that the most enjoyable studies are the ones where we spend more time talking about our feelings and experiences related to the subject matter, and where I am extremely vulnerable in front of a group of semi-strangers. I rarely remember exactly what chapter we discussed each week, but I vividly remember the conversations.
I have also been in studies where we laboriously trudge through a book page-by-page, dissecting every word but never making meaningful connections to our own lives or experiences. Those were the studies where I found myself doodling through the meeting and eventually deciding I had better ways to spend my time, so I quietly dropped out. Looking back, I realized it wasn’t the book that determined whether I stayed—it was the quality of the conversations. That’s a lesson I’ve carried into every professional book study I’ve led since.
I say this because I believe the best facilitators never stop thinking like learners. If you're leading a book study, I encourage you to read this through the lens of someone sitting around the table. What would make you excited to come back each week? What kinds of conversations would challenge your thinking? What would make your time feel worthwhile?
And if you're participating rather than facilitating, I hope you'll keep reading as well. These ideas can help you contribute to meaningful discussions and perhaps even encourage your facilitator to create the kind of learning experience adults truly want.
If you've never participated in a professional book study, you're missing more than another professional learning opportunity. You're missing the chance to think alongside colleagues, challenge your own assumptions, and deepen your understanding through conversation. Reading introduces us to new ideas, but discussing those ideas with others is what helps us make sense of them.
Recently, Compass co-founder Carrie and I were both reading Teach Like a Champion: The Science of Reading. We weren't participating in a formal book study—we simply knew we were both reading the same book. One day she said, "There are things in this book that I don't agree with."
Naturally, I wanted to know more.
As she explained her thinking, I realized we had interpreted some of the same passages very differently. Neither of us was trying to convince the other to change our mind or prove ourselves to be right. Instead, we were trying to understand why we had reached different conclusions and gain a better understanding of each other’s thinking.
By the end of the conversation, I hadn't necessarily changed my opinion, but I had gained something just as valuable. I came to better understand how another thoughtful educator could read the same text and walk away with a different interpretation. Since then, I've recommended this book to many educators, and our conversation has changed how I introduce it. I now anticipate questions and perspectives I might never have considered if I had simply read the book alone.
That conversation reminded me that one of the greatest benefits of a book study isn't finding the "right" answer. It's expanding your own thinking by hearing someone else's perspective.
Cornelius Minor captures this idea beautifully in the foreword to Breathing New Life into Book Clubs:
His words perfectly reflect my own experience. Books may bring us together, but conversations are what change us. They help us question assumptions, refine our thinking, and consider perspectives we might never encounter on our own.
Could you read a professional book by yourself? Absolutely. But I don't believe you'd get nearly as much from it. Every meaningful conversation has the potential to affirm an idea, challenge a belief, or inspire you to try something new. Reading provides information; conversations transform it into understanding.
When inviting colleagues to participate, begin with the purpose—not the title of the book. Yes, the book matters, especially if it is a district initiative or a highly anticipated release, but the book itself is rarely what motivates adults to invest their time. Adults join professional learning because they are trying to solve a problem, answer a question, or improve their practice.
If the book study is required, identifying the purpose becomes even more important. The last thing you want is a room full of reluctant participants who are simply checking a box. Genuine learning and lasting change happens when educators understand why the work matters.
As the facilitator, you should know the book well before inviting others into the study. Reading it ahead of time helps you to identify the key ideas that connect directly to your colleagues' needs rather than simply assigning chapters.
Your purpose might be rooted in:
When discussions continually return to that shared purpose, participants leave feeling that their time was well spent—not because they finished another chapter, but because they made progress toward solving a real problem.
Once you've identified your purpose, it's time to think through the logistics. Decide who will participate, how often you'll meet, where you'll gather, and how long the study will last.
If you're meeting during lunch or another established part of the workday, much of the scheduling has already been solved. Your focus becomes creating an experience people want to attend—not because they have to, but because the conversations are worth their time.
If you're meeting outside the school day, think carefully about the setting. While meeting at school may be convenient, a more relaxed location can encourage more open and honest conversations. Keep in mind that many educators—especially at the secondary level—coach, sponsor activities, or have other commitments after school. Flexibility will go a long way in sustaining participation.
Virtual meetings are certainly an option, but if possible, prioritize meeting in person. In my experience, face-to-face conversations create stronger relationships and richer discussions.
Think about when you're leading the study in relation to the school year.
If you're reading a book that focuses on long-term systems or instructional shifts during the middle of the year, help participants identify ideas they can implement now while also encouraging them to think ahead to future changes.
If you're meeting during the summer and the book emphasizes day-to-day classroom practices, build in time for participants to plan lessons, adapt strategies, or collaborate on how they'll apply the learning once school begins.
The goal is always the same: make the learning immediately useful, even if the implementation happens later.
I'll admit it—I am a procrastinator. Give me a month between meetings, and I'll probably wait until the last day to read. That's one reason I prefer meeting weekly whenever possible. It creates enough urgency to keep the momentum going without allowing the book study to fade into the background.
As a former high school English teacher—and now the parent of high school students—I also know how frustrating it is when a short book stretches across six or eight weeks. The same thing can happen in professional book studies. Dragging out the reading can sap the excitement and discourage people from joining future studies.
Today's world doesn't help. We've become accustomed to consuming information quickly, whether that's binge-watching an entire season of a show or scrolling through endless content online. While meaningful learning takes time, long gaps between meetings can make a book study lose its energy.
Before your first meeting, map out a realistic reading schedule. Rather than assigning a set number of pages each week, let the content guide your decisions.
Consider:
There's no perfect formula. Some books lend themselves to a chapter each week, while others require smaller chunks and more discussion. The key is finding a pace that keeps participants engaged without making the workload feel overwhelming.
The success of a book study is rarely determined by how much of the book you cover. Instead, it depends on the quality of the conversations that happen because of the book.
As the facilitator, your role isn't to lecture or summarize each chapter. Your job is to create opportunities for educators to think together, challenge ideas respectfully, and connect what they're reading to their own classrooms.
Whether participants have thirty years of experience or are beginning their first year of teaching, everyone brings valuable perspectives to the conversation.
Consider asking questions like:
For example, a veteran teacher may share how a strategy reminds them of something they've successfully used for years, while a newer teacher might explain how it addresses a challenge they're facing for the first time. Both perspectives deepen everyone's understanding.
As facilitators, we should leave each meeting believing we learned just as much as everyone else. This should be evident in the conversations that took place beyond the content of the book. If you simply stick with prescribed questions about the text at hand, it will be difficult to leave feeling like you, the facilitator, have gained just as much as your participants. Remember the goal isn’t to read together, but to grow together.
Adults don't attend a book study to hear another lecture.
As you prepare each session, think about how participants will actively engage with the ideas rather than simply talk about them.
Some possibilities include:
Instead of asking, "What did everyone think about this chapter?" consider asking, "What is one idea from this chapter you could try tomorrow?" That small shift moves the conversation from summarizing the text to applying it.
The goal of every meeting should be helping educators leave with something they can use—not simply holding them accountable for completing the reading.
Let's be honest. Someone will inevitably arrive without finishing the chapter. Show them grace.
Rather than allowing the discussion to become about who completed the homework, invite everyone into the conversation through questions that don't require perfect preparation.
For example, instead of asking, "Did everyone finish Chapter 4?" ask, "Who tried one of the strategies this week, and what happened?" Even participants who didn't finish the reading can contribute by asking questions, making connections, or reflecting on similar classroom experiences.
Learning should feel inspiring and practical—not evaluative.
Every meeting should conclude with one simple question:
Now what?
Before participants leave, challenge everyone to identify one concrete action they will take before the next meeting.
That commitment might be:
Keeping the commitment small makes implementation more likely and gives the next meeting an authentic starting point for discussion.
One of the biggest mistakes facilitators make is believing success means finishing every chapter.
It doesn't.
Success is measured by changed thinking and improved practice—not by checking off the final page.
Give yourself permission to
If your group leaves with meaningful conversations, practical ideas, and renewed excitement for teaching, you've had a successful book study—even if the bookmark never reaches the back cover.
When I think back to the professional learning experiences that have stayed with me over the years, I rarely remember every chapter I read. I remember the conversations. I remember the questions someone asked that challenged my thinking. I remember hearing a colleague describe a classroom experience that completely changed how I viewed an idea. I remember feeling encouraged to try something new because someone else was willing to be vulnerable enough to share what worked—and what didn't.
That's exactly why I began this article by talking about my experiences in Bible studies. The studies I continued attending weren't necessarily led by the best teachers or centered around the most interesting books. They were the ones where people felt safe enough to share, question, wrestle with ideas, and grow together. The content brought us into the room, but the conversations kept us coming back.
The same is true for professional book studies.
The book is simply the catalyst. The real learning happens when educators bring their experiences, questions, successes, and struggles to the table. When discussions are grounded in purpose, centered on authentic problems, and focused on practical application, a book study becomes far more than a professional development activity—it becomes a community of learners committed to growing together.
At the end of the day, the goal isn't to finish a book.
It's to become a better educator because of the people who read it with you.
Cherry-Paul, S., Johansen, D., & Minor, C. (2019). Breathing New Life into Book Clubs: A Practical Guide for Teachers. Heinemann.
Lemov, D., Driggs, C., & Woolway, E. (2025). The Teach Like a Champion Guide to the Science of Reading: Translating Research to Reignite Joy and Meaning in the Classroom. Jossey-Bass.