Beyond the Book Club

MSTA’s “Beyond the Book” Club: Professional Development Book Studies for Missouri Educators

Looking for meaningful, flexible professional development hours or Career Ladder credits?
MSTA’s Beyond the Book Club connects Missouri educators with impactful books on pedagogy, instructional strategies, and classroom management through facilitated online book studies.

What is the “Beyond the Book” Book Club?

The Beyond the Book program is an educator-focused book club that offers monthly and quarterly book studies on current topics in education. Each session includes:

  • A curated book aligned to effective teaching practices.
  • An online discussion platform to connect with educators statewide.
  • At least one live virtual session per month.
  • Opportunities to reflect, collaborate, and apply new learning directly to your teaching.

All participants must purchase their own books.
Registration is required and space is limited.

Extended Book Studies: Flexible, Deep-Dive PD for Teachers

Need more time to complete a study? MSTA also offers Extended Book Studies, ideal for busy teachers seeking deeper support. These two-month studies:

  • Allow educators more time to read and reflect.
  • Include bonus content and implementation support.
  • Focus on high-impact topics like student behavior support and trauma-informed practices.
  • Are led by experienced facilitators 
  • Extended Book Studies are a great way to meet your PD goals on your schedule.

Book Studies

July: Educator Wellness: A Guide for Sustaining Physical, Mental, Emotional, and Social Well-Being
Join MSTA for our July book study: "Educator Wellness: A Guide for Sustaining Physical, Mental, Emotional, and Social Well-Being" by Timothy Kanold and Tina Boogren.
Explore the four dimensions of educator wellness and develop practical strategies for sustaining well-being throughout the school year. Together, we will focus on actionable self-care practices, goal setting, and cultivating balance in our personal and professional lives, with an emphasis on creating habits that support long-term success and prevent burnout.
This book is facilitated by MSTA Member Sunnie Miller. Sunnie is a Special Educator and Behavioral Intervention Specialist for the Branson School District. She has more than 20 years of experience working with students of all ages.
Participants are responsible for obtaining their copy of this month's text before the beginning of the book study.
Participants are required to participate in Zoom meetings to provide an opportunity to network with other participants over the concepts shared. The time of the Zoom meeting will be determined by the facilitator with book study participants.
At the end of the month, PD certificates will be emailed to participants who complete all course requirements.
The Learning Management System, Teachable, is used to house discussion board conversations and group materials. Guiding questions and tasks are posted in the Teachable course. These questions allow participants to share and reflect on the topics and ideas presented in the reading. Teachable courses are by design asynchronous