Encouragement and inspiration for the new year

Usually I wait until after Christmas to mention anything about January, but I know that some of you a) like to read over your break, b) use your break to gear up and prepare for next month, and/or c) have a cloud hanging over you for the entire winter break because part of you just dreads going back to school. If you fall into any of those categories, this post is for you.

Last January, I started an online book club for teachers based on Awakened: Change Your Mindset to Transform Your Teaching (which is for all teachers) and a separate one for the Awakened Devotional Study Guide (which is designed for Christian teachers.) I’m really passionate about sharing these books with teachers during this time of year, because so many of us are desperate for practical tips to help deal with the stress that awaits us after the break. Awakened provides simple steps to help you feel peaceful, energized, and inspired no matter what kind of craziness is happening around you. The book draws from principles of stress management, cognitive behavioral therapy, biblical and spiritual truths, and my personal experiences to help you develop thought habits that produce an unshakeable sense of contentment, motivation, and purpose.

Over 1,500 teachers signed up for last January’s studies and participated in some way.  But this year, I want to try something different. It’s very difficult for teachers to keep up with a formal book study during the school year, so I’m only going to offer that in July 2014. For January, I want to move our group to a place that many of us are already visiting on a regular if not daily basis and enjoy posting to informally: Facebook.

Once a week from January 1st until the end of the school year, I’ll post a reflection question in the private Facebook group Encouraging Teachers. You can read one chapter of Awakened each week and respond to the reflection question, or read the whole book now and use the weekly questions to help you continue practicing the principles of a positive mindset in the classroom … or tackle the book in any time frame you choose.

Right now, we have about 7,000 educators in the Encouraging Teachers Facebook group. It’s functioning as a casual place for educators to inspire one another throughout the school year by sharing images, videos, links, questions, personal reflections, funny anecdotes, and success stories. It’s a group that’s free of complaining/venting and debates about controversial educational topics: our members want to talk about what’s GOOD in teaching and create a positive space that is uplifting to visit.

You can click here to join the group, and once you’re in, you can add your friends, as well. I manually approve all members once per week so a few days will probably pass before you get a Facebook notification that you’ve been added.

You don’t need to read Awakened to participate in the Encouraging Teachers Facebook group–just scroll on by my weekly reflection question post. But if you do want to read, I’m offering the eBook versions of Awakened and The Awakened Devotional Study Guide for half price ($5) from now until January 15th.  And now that I’m thinking this out…I’ll discount The Cornerstone: Classroom Management That Makes Teaching More Effective, Efficient, and Enjoyable and The Cornerstone webinar half price, too, for those who want some new ideas for organization, behavior management, and instructional routines.

Use the discount code NEWYEAR14 to get any of my eBooks or the webinar half price from now until 1/18/14.

I don’t want a single teacher to return to school in the new year still feeling defeated and hopeless. If you need a fresh mindset for teaching, new ideas that get you excited about teaching again, and the support of positive educators, I encourage you to check out the resources I’ve made available and join us in the Encouraging Teachers Facebook group. Let’s make 2014 our best year yet–enjoy your well-earned time off, my friends!