Deliberate Optimism: Reclaiming the Joy in Education

by Debbie P. Silver, Jack C. Berckemeyer, Judith R. Baenen

Beat burnout and bring joy back to teaching―and learning!

Recharge the optimism that made you an educator in the first place! Choosing optimism―even in the face of tough challenges―helps restore the healthy interactions and positive relationships necessary for enacting real school change. Filled with research-based strategies, practical examples, and thought-provoking scenarios, this inspiring, humorous book gets you ready to

* Rediscover motivation
* Take a positive view of events beyond your control
* Build an optimistic classroom where students flourish
* Partner with other stakeholders to create an optimistic learning environment

 

Genres: Nonfiction, Teaching, Education

184 pages, Paperback

First published September 2, 2014

Reviews

[Monica Hills · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book for any educator. This had some great examples for how to connect with students and your colleagues. It also gave great advice for how to be happier in the classroom no matter what challenges one might face. I look forward to putting these strategies to use. There was also humor added to the book as well as discussions for teachers and administrators. I would especially recommend this to veteran teachers who may have become complacent or disillusioned after many years in the classroom. Excellent resource!

[Lisa Houston · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book had disjointed ideas. I was looking for an uplifting read due to COVID-19 and this is not what I thought it would be. I did get a couple of tips and some I already do. I would not spend money to buy this book.

[Karen S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect read for the summer...I feel like I just attended a church revival service!

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book at AMLE last year after hearing Debbie Silver speak. She was funny and inspiring, and I was a teacher on a long, slow journey toward burnout (was it a bad sign that I already knew that in October? Probably.) Overall, would give the information presented in this book 5 stars. None of it is rocket science, but being reminded of what we can control as educators (including our own self-care) and how to change things that are within our control while staying positive is important. However, as much as I enjoyed hearing Dr. Silver speak, I found the writing style and tone of the book somewhat off-putting: the odd pseudonyms given to teachers (yes, they were connected to their quirks, which were clearly exaggerated for comedic effect), some of the jokes, which probably I would have enjoyed more in a shorter format, like an article, but became a little much in the book. I'd give the style 3 stars. We'll go with 4 overall (although sometimes the writing style got to me so much, I'd say 3.5. That said: I do highly recommend this book if you're a teacher who needs to hit the reset button for next school year and figure out how to combat burnout and bring back the joy you feel in the classroom. This book was full of things that I know but fail to practice. I'm setting some intentional goals for this school year to help make sure I really do practice them.

[Alexis Armit · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t often read a professional development book from start to finish but the structure of this book made me keep reading for the next step. Also the book was infused with Dr. Debbie Silver’s humour, wit, and sarcasm. I definitely loved the list of 5 things I can do as an educator to be proactive about reclaiming the joy in my experiences with education. The appendices are FILLED with reference material, links, suggested tasks etc as well.

[Kelley Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read for teachers at any point in their career. Given our current circumstances, I’m struggling to be optimistic even more so than usual. I have my bookmarks that I will read over and over all year.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made me think differently while I was reading it. It helped me reflect some and was valuable.

[Tedi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book offers useful strategies for things to focus on to stay positive in a profession that can be challenging. Definitely worth a read.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a good effort to remind educators how to find happiness in their job. I don’t think there was anything earth shattering or revealing in it. Just good reminders.

[Christine Fay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read for the exhausted educator.

[Keri Skeeters · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciate the overall message of Deliberate Optimism, and it was a fantastic reminder to me that people are not always what they may seem at first glance. I'm trying to keep that in mind as I attempt to practice deliberate optimism.