Books
Books That Started Conversations
Whether you’re supporting one child or improving an entire school system, I hope these ideas help you create places where children can flourish.
the big idea behind the books
Optimism, Positivity, (and a little Humor) Build Resilience
My mom was an English teacher and my dad was a Special Educator. I guess you could say writing and helping others are in my blood. These books are my best effort at both.
Eliminating Aggressive Behavior in School
This book includes my best attempt to thread the needle between Coercion Theory, MTSS/RTI, applications of Positive Psychology and principles of Applied Behavioral Analysis for school teams. It also serves as the source material for the de-escalation program, ASPEN. (Who knew it would become a bestseller?)
Optimism is More Than Just an Attitude
Where “Happy Kids” presents a strong case for why we need to modernize our approach to aggression, “Optimistic Teaming” is more about how to do it. Spoiler alert: Implementation can be awful. Yet, with a remarkably strong evidence-base, training teams to be more optimistic is the single greatest predictor our implementation will be a success.
My Parent Coaching Classes in Book Format
This one contains almost two decades of facilitating community-based parent coaching classes in a book format. My editor at Corwin asked me to write for the “Pandemic Era Parent,” so I included the content from my parent coaching classes and a little bit about resilience and distant learning.
Reader response
Representative feedback themes that reflect the value readers often seek from Dr. Ben Springer’s work.
★★★★★
Clear, grounded, and immediately useful. The ideas translate research into action without losing nuance.
Paul Sweat
Superintendent
★★★★★
A thoughtful blend of psychology and practice. The writing is approachable, credible, and highly relevant.
Bridgett McFall
Instructional Coach
★★★★★
Insightful and practical. The content supports better conversations, better decisions, and better outcomes.
Leah Luchs
Leadership Team Member