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The Zen Teacher: Creating Focus, Simplicity, and Tranquility in the Classroom
You can thrive in the classroom. All it takes are a few moments of peace and a little focus. If you're like many teachers, your day is busy, demanding, even chaotic. But just because you live in a fast-paced, always-on world, doesn't mean your life has to feel rushed and crazy. In The Zen Teacher, educator, blogger, and speaker Dan Tricarico provides practical, easy-to-use techniques to help teachers slow down and create a sense of focus, simplicity, and tranquility in the classroom - and in life. As a teacher, you have incredible power to influence, even improve, the future. By being at your best - unrushed and fully focused - you ensure that every interaction with your students is beneficial, for them and for you. If you're new to the concept of Zen, don't worry. In this introductory guide, Dan Tricarico explains what it means to develop a Zen practice - something that has nothing to do with religion and everything to do with your ability ability to thrive in the classroom. The Zen Teacher will help Maximize your performance while lowering your stress. Transform your classroom and experience a better quality of life. Focus on things that really matter and let go of things you can't control. Find time to take care of yourself, so you can be at your best!
174 pages, Paperback
First published September 21, 2015
63 people are currently reading
366 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
August 4, 2018
Great reminder to create a healthy work-life balance or else you will burn yourself. You need to take care of you first. Anyone could benefit from reading this book, not just teachers. I will be referring back to this book throughout the school year.
December 27, 2015
I liked this as a reminder to find tranquility in life rather than just in the classroom.
November 22, 2021
1/What is Zen? When you notice your world exactly as it is – free from judgement and with detachment from anticipated outcomes – that is Zen.
2/Zen Practice: Disneyland Zen – so in the moment that its over before we know it. Flow - a state of being in which you are so totally engaged by an experience that everything else melts away. The archer ceases to be conscious of himself. Surfer Zen. Teacher Zen is being completely focused on your students or captivated by the lesson you’re presenting. Being open to what may happen, without sticking to the rigid, anticipated outcomes. There is no goal. There is no finish line. It’s the doing – the routines, rituals, and techniques that rewards you.
3/Beginner’s Mind: practice of approaching a situation with an open mind, a vulnerable heart, and a willingness to learn. They spent our conversations espousing their opinions, white-knuckling their preconceived notions, and insisting on the rightness of their position. Enjoy the adventure of exploration and discovery that comes with learning.
4/The Living Dead: The unpardonable sin is the sin of inadvertence, or not being alert, not quite awake. To be a zombie in this world is to waste the gift we’ve been given, to disrespect and devalue our lives to neglect the beauty around us for a machine. Waking up means wanting less stuff, tolerating less noise, and engaging in fewer obligations. You’ll be aware of the student who is struggling, academic or personally.
5/Intention: It is by logic that we prove, but by intuition that we discover. Intuition will tell the thinking mind where to look (Jonas Salk). Intuition is emotion and intellect joining together. It’s more difficult to recognize intuition when you’re doing a million things at once.
6/Non-judgement: To set up what you like against what you dislike – this is the disease of the mind. By refusing to make judgements, we can endure challenges more effectively, and we can learn to persevere. Let’s trade all of our judgement for appreciating. Notice when you are judging and learn more about the situation, think of alternatives, forgive yourself.
7/Lovingkindness: Lovingkindness means approaching the world with a sense of tenderness, compassion, love, gentility that increases our inner peace and serenity. My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness (Dalai Lama). The difference between misery and happiness depends on what we do with our attention (Sharon Salzberg). You will need lovingkindness the most when you feel overwhelmed with the busyness of teaching and the insanity of the profession starts to wear on you.
8/Compassion: As teachers we have ample opportunity to show compassion in every hour of every class of every day (to students, colleagues, and ourselves). Who is in need? How can I help?
9/Gratitude: You have to be grateful whenever you get to someplace safe and okay, even if it turns out it wasn’t quite where you were heading. Whom can I thank? Gratitude journal is a list of reasons to be grateful that I can review at any time. Use a gratitude sentence when you feel stressed. Remember to express gratitude about yourself to yourself.
10/Detachment: comes from separating yourself from a desire that if unmet will leave you depressed or disappointed. All things will work out as they are supposed to. By disengaging from an ‘expected’ or anticipated’ outcome, we can create a more authentic learning experience because we haven’t invested our mental and emotional energy into an outcome that is ‘supposed’ to happen. You don’t give up the intention, and you don’t give up the desire. You give up your attachment to the result. If that happens, great. But if it doesn’t happen, that’s okay too.
11/Acceptance: We all hope that moments in our lives will turn out a certain way (expectations). But even when things go well, they rarely, if ever, go exactly as planned. Wow, I didn’t expect that, But I can still make do. Primary types of acceptance: acceptance of ourself (I accept my weight and love myself as I am), acceptance of others (complex & contradictory), acceptance of Events (welcome for what it is).
12/Quiet Mind: To a mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders (Lao Tzu). Quiet mind = time to be still and silent. Quiet mind is a state of non-doing.
13/Meditation: The purpose of meditation practice is not enlightenment; it is to pay attention even at unextraordinary times, to be present, nothing-but-the-present, to bear this mindfulness of now into each event of ordinary life. The practice of attempting to focus on one thing at a time so we can see it accurately and with intention. Types of meditation: gazing (using a focal point), mantra (May I be free of suffering), walking (focus on body, breathing, or surroundings).
14/Mindfulness: You can’t stop moments from happening, but you can learn how to handle them so they will be easier to endure. We hardly ever structure our lives to focus on a single moment. We are distracted, fragmented, and unfocused. We rarely ask ourselves what is happening around us, and we never stop to ask if this is how we want to spend our finite time on this earth. Zen teacher: why am I doing this worksheet, this lesson, this book? You can never step twice into the same stream (Catherine Ryan Hyde). Learning to view the places where you spend your life as places of awe, wonder, and infinite possibility. Paying deep, genuine attention is not something our culture rewards. Paying close attention to something can take energy, some moments of our lives may seem boring, average, or bland and unworthy of recognition. That’s probably because we just are not looking hard enough at the beauty, possibility, and potential before us. Pay attention to the details and you’ll find the moment. Everyday mindfulness: showering, eating breakfast, driving to work. Be Here Now. Intention: What happens in my classroom is by and large up to me. Rituals: create balance and help us focus our attention on the moment. Friday fun prep can include eating popcorn, sitting outside, walk to the park, read something for pleasure (classroom sabbath).
15/Space: When every box in our calendar is filled in, every moment accounted for, every room has clutter, and our lives are hyper organized, unscheduled obstacles cause great conflict because we do not have the wiggle room we need. If we give ourselves permission to create physical and mental space, to give ourselves some breathing room, it suddenly becomes easier to navigate the bumpy parts of our journey and adjust to life’s surprises. Space is a choice, and the choice is up to you. Subtraction: the more junk and clutter we have in our lives, the worse we teach. Subtracting what you don’t need, mentally and physically, can create peace, focus, and simplicity in your classroom – and your mind. Decluttering: start now, think small, 15 min a day, choose a single surface (desk), save/give away/throw away piles, handle everything once, give everything a home, something in/something out.
16/Stillness: Learning how to be still, to really be still and let life happen-that stillness becomes a radiance (Morgan Freeman). Most people I know tell me that they never have time to slow down (let alone stop), never have time to take a moment, never have time to reflect or enjoy or appreciate their lives. You might not have a full day to devote to what you want, but everyone can find 5 minutes for an activity that means something to them. Silence: When there is no sound, our mind calms down. True silence rests the mind and is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment (William Penn). Serenity: he goes to the beach, looks at the water, sits on a certain bench and watches people. Put down your sword: it is easy to get caught up in the heat of the moment. You know yourself best, and you will have to determine when it is in your best interest to fight the battle and when it is better to let things go. A warrior in constant battle is a tired warrior. Yield and overcome: a flexible branch bends to let the snow slide off. If the branch is stiff and unbending, it will eventually break. It actually requires strength to bend, to be so flexible that you can allow burdens to glide right off you (Tao Te Ching). Choose your battles (you don’t have to engage in every conflict), You don’t always have to be right (energy is best spent elsewhere), walk away (drama isn’t worth time, energy, emotions). Non-doing requires making a conscious decision to resist always being on the go and always being active. Work at allowing more things to unfold in your life without forcing them to happen and without rejecting the ones that don’t fit your idea of what ‘should’ be happening (Jon Kabat-Zinn). If you ask me what I am doing and I say, ‘Nothing’ that doesn’t mean I’m free. That means I’m doing nothing. With practice, non-doing can relax us, renew us, and re-focus us. It can reduce our stress, tension, and anxiety. Where’s the fire: I realized that I was tired of hurrying, tired of rushing through activities because there was always something else that needed to happen in the next few minutes. The key to slowing down is structuring your schedule so that, no matter what obligations you have, you have margin – pockets of time without anything scheduled – surrounding a task so you can focus on it without feeling like you have to hurry up and be done because you have somewhere to be or something else to do. Learning – real learning, happens in the gaps where students think, reflect, and take their time. If you present even one concept to your students as if it’s the only thing of real importance in that moment, you radically increase the chance for deeper, more meaningful learning that will linger in both of your memories much longer than a rushed lesson ever could. Idleness: Over scheduled children are kept so busy that they don’t know how to entertain themselves. As they grow older, the continual and urgent need to ‘do’ will become an impediment damaging their spirit and crippling their productivity. Busyness serves as a kind of existential reassurance, a hedge against emptiness; obviously your life cannot possibly be silly or trivial or meaningless if you are so busy, completely booked, in demand every hour of the day (Tim Krieder). We use the crutch of keeping busy to increase our self-esteem and sense of security to justify our existence, to stave off loneliness and the possible ‘nightmare’ of finding ourselves alone with nothing to do, no goal, no anticipated outcome. Everything about our culture tells us that we must keep moving, we must keep going, we must keep trying. Stopping, on the other hand, is for laggards, loafers, and do-nothings. Doing absolutely nothing at all gives us the opportunity for reflection, insight, and skill-building that will benefit us the rest of our lives.
17/Self-Care: Love yourself first, and everything else falls in line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world (Lucille Ball). We don’t keep driving our cars when the ‘check engine’ light comes on, but we have this uncanny ability to ignore the signals that our bodies send us. If you ignore the signs and signals that your body is giving right now, you run the risk of greater health issues down the road. Just say no: our habits and behaviors are deeply ingrained and must be fought. Say no to extra possessions, activities, or responsibilities can improve the quality of our lives because it gives us the opportunity to pursue the life enriching behaviors, we previously didn’t have time for. Saying no shows people that you value your personal time and energy and that you respect requests and honor commitments. Just because someone throws you a ball doesn’t mean you have to catch it. Pace yourself. The extra energy, time, and space you create can be spent on your children. Saying no makes you a rebel with the courage to follow your own personal vision. Taking Care of you: on an airplane, parents are supposed to put on their oxygen mask first. Stopping to refuel and give yourself a little TLC would allow you to produce more, help more, and provide greater quality work. Radical self-care (Anne Lamont). The world is a roller coaster, and only you are in charge of the brakes. Be your own best advocate and guard your own health and sanity by taking care of yourself. Caring for my self is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation.
Conclusion: It is not about the destination, but the journey.
2/Zen Practice: Disneyland Zen – so in the moment that its over before we know it. Flow - a state of being in which you are so totally engaged by an experience that everything else melts away. The archer ceases to be conscious of himself. Surfer Zen. Teacher Zen is being completely focused on your students or captivated by the lesson you’re presenting. Being open to what may happen, without sticking to the rigid, anticipated outcomes. There is no goal. There is no finish line. It’s the doing – the routines, rituals, and techniques that rewards you.
3/Beginner’s Mind: practice of approaching a situation with an open mind, a vulnerable heart, and a willingness to learn. They spent our conversations espousing their opinions, white-knuckling their preconceived notions, and insisting on the rightness of their position. Enjoy the adventure of exploration and discovery that comes with learning.
4/The Living Dead: The unpardonable sin is the sin of inadvertence, or not being alert, not quite awake. To be a zombie in this world is to waste the gift we’ve been given, to disrespect and devalue our lives to neglect the beauty around us for a machine. Waking up means wanting less stuff, tolerating less noise, and engaging in fewer obligations. You’ll be aware of the student who is struggling, academic or personally.
5/Intention: It is by logic that we prove, but by intuition that we discover. Intuition will tell the thinking mind where to look (Jonas Salk). Intuition is emotion and intellect joining together. It’s more difficult to recognize intuition when you’re doing a million things at once.
6/Non-judgement: To set up what you like against what you dislike – this is the disease of the mind. By refusing to make judgements, we can endure challenges more effectively, and we can learn to persevere. Let’s trade all of our judgement for appreciating. Notice when you are judging and learn more about the situation, think of alternatives, forgive yourself.
7/Lovingkindness: Lovingkindness means approaching the world with a sense of tenderness, compassion, love, gentility that increases our inner peace and serenity. My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness (Dalai Lama). The difference between misery and happiness depends on what we do with our attention (Sharon Salzberg). You will need lovingkindness the most when you feel overwhelmed with the busyness of teaching and the insanity of the profession starts to wear on you.
8/Compassion: As teachers we have ample opportunity to show compassion in every hour of every class of every day (to students, colleagues, and ourselves). Who is in need? How can I help?
9/Gratitude: You have to be grateful whenever you get to someplace safe and okay, even if it turns out it wasn’t quite where you were heading. Whom can I thank? Gratitude journal is a list of reasons to be grateful that I can review at any time. Use a gratitude sentence when you feel stressed. Remember to express gratitude about yourself to yourself.
10/Detachment: comes from separating yourself from a desire that if unmet will leave you depressed or disappointed. All things will work out as they are supposed to. By disengaging from an ‘expected’ or anticipated’ outcome, we can create a more authentic learning experience because we haven’t invested our mental and emotional energy into an outcome that is ‘supposed’ to happen. You don’t give up the intention, and you don’t give up the desire. You give up your attachment to the result. If that happens, great. But if it doesn’t happen, that’s okay too.
11/Acceptance: We all hope that moments in our lives will turn out a certain way (expectations). But even when things go well, they rarely, if ever, go exactly as planned. Wow, I didn’t expect that, But I can still make do. Primary types of acceptance: acceptance of ourself (I accept my weight and love myself as I am), acceptance of others (complex & contradictory), acceptance of Events (welcome for what it is).
12/Quiet Mind: To a mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders (Lao Tzu). Quiet mind = time to be still and silent. Quiet mind is a state of non-doing.
13/Meditation: The purpose of meditation practice is not enlightenment; it is to pay attention even at unextraordinary times, to be present, nothing-but-the-present, to bear this mindfulness of now into each event of ordinary life. The practice of attempting to focus on one thing at a time so we can see it accurately and with intention. Types of meditation: gazing (using a focal point), mantra (May I be free of suffering), walking (focus on body, breathing, or surroundings).
14/Mindfulness: You can’t stop moments from happening, but you can learn how to handle them so they will be easier to endure. We hardly ever structure our lives to focus on a single moment. We are distracted, fragmented, and unfocused. We rarely ask ourselves what is happening around us, and we never stop to ask if this is how we want to spend our finite time on this earth. Zen teacher: why am I doing this worksheet, this lesson, this book? You can never step twice into the same stream (Catherine Ryan Hyde). Learning to view the places where you spend your life as places of awe, wonder, and infinite possibility. Paying deep, genuine attention is not something our culture rewards. Paying close attention to something can take energy, some moments of our lives may seem boring, average, or bland and unworthy of recognition. That’s probably because we just are not looking hard enough at the beauty, possibility, and potential before us. Pay attention to the details and you’ll find the moment. Everyday mindfulness: showering, eating breakfast, driving to work. Be Here Now. Intention: What happens in my classroom is by and large up to me. Rituals: create balance and help us focus our attention on the moment. Friday fun prep can include eating popcorn, sitting outside, walk to the park, read something for pleasure (classroom sabbath).
15/Space: When every box in our calendar is filled in, every moment accounted for, every room has clutter, and our lives are hyper organized, unscheduled obstacles cause great conflict because we do not have the wiggle room we need. If we give ourselves permission to create physical and mental space, to give ourselves some breathing room, it suddenly becomes easier to navigate the bumpy parts of our journey and adjust to life’s surprises. Space is a choice, and the choice is up to you. Subtraction: the more junk and clutter we have in our lives, the worse we teach. Subtracting what you don’t need, mentally and physically, can create peace, focus, and simplicity in your classroom – and your mind. Decluttering: start now, think small, 15 min a day, choose a single surface (desk), save/give away/throw away piles, handle everything once, give everything a home, something in/something out.
16/Stillness: Learning how to be still, to really be still and let life happen-that stillness becomes a radiance (Morgan Freeman). Most people I know tell me that they never have time to slow down (let alone stop), never have time to take a moment, never have time to reflect or enjoy or appreciate their lives. You might not have a full day to devote to what you want, but everyone can find 5 minutes for an activity that means something to them. Silence: When there is no sound, our mind calms down. True silence rests the mind and is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment (William Penn). Serenity: he goes to the beach, looks at the water, sits on a certain bench and watches people. Put down your sword: it is easy to get caught up in the heat of the moment. You know yourself best, and you will have to determine when it is in your best interest to fight the battle and when it is better to let things go. A warrior in constant battle is a tired warrior. Yield and overcome: a flexible branch bends to let the snow slide off. If the branch is stiff and unbending, it will eventually break. It actually requires strength to bend, to be so flexible that you can allow burdens to glide right off you (Tao Te Ching). Choose your battles (you don’t have to engage in every conflict), You don’t always have to be right (energy is best spent elsewhere), walk away (drama isn’t worth time, energy, emotions). Non-doing requires making a conscious decision to resist always being on the go and always being active. Work at allowing more things to unfold in your life without forcing them to happen and without rejecting the ones that don’t fit your idea of what ‘should’ be happening (Jon Kabat-Zinn). If you ask me what I am doing and I say, ‘Nothing’ that doesn’t mean I’m free. That means I’m doing nothing. With practice, non-doing can relax us, renew us, and re-focus us. It can reduce our stress, tension, and anxiety. Where’s the fire: I realized that I was tired of hurrying, tired of rushing through activities because there was always something else that needed to happen in the next few minutes. The key to slowing down is structuring your schedule so that, no matter what obligations you have, you have margin – pockets of time without anything scheduled – surrounding a task so you can focus on it without feeling like you have to hurry up and be done because you have somewhere to be or something else to do. Learning – real learning, happens in the gaps where students think, reflect, and take their time. If you present even one concept to your students as if it’s the only thing of real importance in that moment, you radically increase the chance for deeper, more meaningful learning that will linger in both of your memories much longer than a rushed lesson ever could. Idleness: Over scheduled children are kept so busy that they don’t know how to entertain themselves. As they grow older, the continual and urgent need to ‘do’ will become an impediment damaging their spirit and crippling their productivity. Busyness serves as a kind of existential reassurance, a hedge against emptiness; obviously your life cannot possibly be silly or trivial or meaningless if you are so busy, completely booked, in demand every hour of the day (Tim Krieder). We use the crutch of keeping busy to increase our self-esteem and sense of security to justify our existence, to stave off loneliness and the possible ‘nightmare’ of finding ourselves alone with nothing to do, no goal, no anticipated outcome. Everything about our culture tells us that we must keep moving, we must keep going, we must keep trying. Stopping, on the other hand, is for laggards, loafers, and do-nothings. Doing absolutely nothing at all gives us the opportunity for reflection, insight, and skill-building that will benefit us the rest of our lives.
17/Self-Care: Love yourself first, and everything else falls in line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world (Lucille Ball). We don’t keep driving our cars when the ‘check engine’ light comes on, but we have this uncanny ability to ignore the signals that our bodies send us. If you ignore the signs and signals that your body is giving right now, you run the risk of greater health issues down the road. Just say no: our habits and behaviors are deeply ingrained and must be fought. Say no to extra possessions, activities, or responsibilities can improve the quality of our lives because it gives us the opportunity to pursue the life enriching behaviors, we previously didn’t have time for. Saying no shows people that you value your personal time and energy and that you respect requests and honor commitments. Just because someone throws you a ball doesn’t mean you have to catch it. Pace yourself. The extra energy, time, and space you create can be spent on your children. Saying no makes you a rebel with the courage to follow your own personal vision. Taking Care of you: on an airplane, parents are supposed to put on their oxygen mask first. Stopping to refuel and give yourself a little TLC would allow you to produce more, help more, and provide greater quality work. Radical self-care (Anne Lamont). The world is a roller coaster, and only you are in charge of the brakes. Be your own best advocate and guard your own health and sanity by taking care of yourself. Caring for my self is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation.
Conclusion: It is not about the destination, but the journey.
August 24, 2017
If you are a teacher who ever feels a bit overwhelmed by the enormity of your career or stressed by the demands of being the best teacher you can be...have I got a book for you! The past several years I have really tried to find more balance in my life and maintain my passion for teaching/learning. The Zen Teacher really speaks to me. Taking care of myself is essential in order to be the teacher I want to be, not to mention the wife, mother, friend, sister, daughter, neighbor...I care to be. Filled with simple practices that anyone can incorporate into their daily routines-this book is all about creating the space in your life that you deserve, the self-care that will sustain you, and the purposefulness that our students need. Check it out!
December 30, 2016
Taking It to the Classroom and Beyond
Dan Tricarico sets the reader on a journey to a more mindful and focused approach to being truly present and grateful in the moment at work and home. The Zen Teacher is a must read for all educators whose lives are non-stop. Take a step in caring for yourself by reading The Zen Teacher. You won't want to put it down. Keep it on your desk to reflect on again and again.
Dan Tricarico sets the reader on a journey to a more mindful and focused approach to being truly present and grateful in the moment at work and home. The Zen Teacher is a must read for all educators whose lives are non-stop. Take a step in caring for yourself by reading The Zen Teacher. You won't want to put it down. Keep it on your desk to reflect on again and again.
February 23, 2019
This book would be a great introduction for teachers (or anyone in the caring professions) on the importance of the various contemplative arts, but not as much for those who have more experience with those practices. It is a good reminder for everyone to take time for stillness, awareness, and equanimity.
August 22, 2017
This book is incredible. I read it cover to cover today and plan to dip in and out during the school year to keep myself focused on the ideas presented. I can't wait to discuss these ideas with my team.
February 26, 2021
Love this book SOOOOOOOO much! I read it twice a year. 😊💜👍
August 18, 2019
Permission and Instructions to Savour Life
Teaching is a profession that can fIll every crevice, every thought, and every intention. This book shines a light on the value and necessity of margin, self-care and experiencing life not a full sprint! As a practicing teacher, Dan Tricarico lives the precepts of his book, so each suggestion, anecdote and example are relevant, tested and timely. This book is the gift of permission every educator, really every human, needs to embrace and follow. It is the type of book that can change everything on a deeply personal level. How inspiring is that?
Teaching is a profession that can fIll every crevice, every thought, and every intention. This book shines a light on the value and necessity of margin, self-care and experiencing life not a full sprint! As a practicing teacher, Dan Tricarico lives the precepts of his book, so each suggestion, anecdote and example are relevant, tested and timely. This book is the gift of permission every educator, really every human, needs to embrace and follow. It is the type of book that can change everything on a deeply personal level. How inspiring is that?
July 6, 2019
I absolutely love this book and will go back to it again and again as a place of calm. What it does for me is help remind and ground me in being intentional--creating a teaching space where I am happy being with students. My beliefs and goals line up with what I'm putting out there and my time is scheduled so that there is time for work and play, for solitude, self-care--whatever is right for the moment. Thank you, Dan, for giving me the words to explain what I've been trying to do that I can share it with other teachers.
February 12, 2026
In The Zen Teacher, Tricarico writes with wit, wisdom, and grace, offering guidance for navigating the always stressful world of education. He understands the emotional demands of the classroom and provides thoughtful, practical ways to remain grounded amid daily pressures. Through relatable examples and meaningful self-care practices, he offers choices teachers can realistically weave into their lives. Insightful, compassionate, and deeply encouraging, The Zen Teacher is a must-read for educators who want to sustain both their passion and peace.
January 12, 2018
Nothing super ground-breaking here, but Tricario does have a certain, frank writing style that led to some legitimately thought-provoking moments. His Zen suggestions are pretty basic to anyone who has studied any bit of Zen before, but I did find good, reflective worth in the chapters focusing on taking time to do things for yourself and your own health first.
June 16, 2019
I loved this book for reiterating the essential nature of self-care for teachers as well as the practicality of the text overall. From the explanations of each principle to the steps to implement them, this book is a great tool for teachers who are looking for peace in their classrooms and life in general!
July 14, 2024
Finding zen is an interesting idea. In this book, Dan writes about the importance of finding peace and finding ways to balance your life. Throughout the book he uses a lot of popular self-care strategies such as meditation, relaxing, decluttering, and slowing down and focusing on important things. Overall it is a decent book and it is a relatively quick read.
October 26, 2018
A little pithy and not quite what I was expecting, but over all quite readable. If you're after practical tips for your classroom, this is not the book for you! If you're wanting to change your perspective on how you approach your classroom, this book is worth reading.
June 1, 2019
This book not only helped me keep a clear mind in the classroom, but it also helped me remain calm and tranquil outside the classroom as well. The part about not getting angry and accepting things the way they are really helps you be mindful of your actions and be accepting of the world around us.
June 15, 2017
I read this in one sitting this afternoon. Mindfulness, saying NO, and radical self-care: YES. Great bibliography.
August 25, 2017
I love this book. I had never read anything like it as it relates to teachers. It is definitely a book I will refer back to for inspiration during the year.
November 5, 2017
So much to take in here. Loved it. Inspirational for teachers and administrators.
January 5, 2018
Take time to read this book!
I will buy copies of this book to give as gifts. Dan is an incredibly kind and responsive author, this book might just change your life. 🧘♂️
I will buy copies of this book to give as gifts. Dan is an incredibly kind and responsive author, this book might just change your life. 🧘♂️
February 14, 2018
Dan takes you on a self reflective journey to help you find that balance that we all need as educators. A phenomenal book indeed! I know what I'm buying my teacher friends for Christmas!
May 31, 2018
It was okay but you could probably do as well to read a generic book on the basic tenets of Zen.
June 26, 2018
This book was a good reminder of how to take care of yourself and your students. I didn’t really find anything new or an amazing revelation, just good reminders of what we should be doing.
November 17, 2018
Worth while read to be revisited continually throughout life.
January 2, 2019
.
This book is just what I needed to read over the holiday break. It gave me a fresh perspective and offered a guilt-free outlook!
This book is just what I needed to read over the holiday break. It gave me a fresh perspective and offered a guilt-free outlook!
June 14, 2019
I needed this desperately this year. Thank you Dan for putting this out into the world and making it more acceptable for us to slow down and breathe! This is an invaluable message.
January 7, 2020
So, so good. Only took 5 months to finish it, haha.
Overall, a quick, self-care focused, encouraging read.
Overall, a quick, self-care focused, encouraging read.
February 19, 2020
Great strategies to help teachers calm down, relax and enjoy their students.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews