The Onward Workbook: Daily Activities to Cultivate Your Emotional Resilience and Thrive

by Elena Aguilar

An empowering journey that keeps great teachers in the classroom The Onward Workbook is a collection of tools and strategies that help teachers banish the burnout and cultivate true resilience. Keyed to the framework presented in Onward , this companion piece augments the text with practical exercises, coaching, and step-by-step walkthroughs of beneficial practices. Deep introspection allows you to verbalize your feelings, name your challenges, and identify the tools you have and the tools you need―from there, you’ll explore each of the 12 Key Habits and learn how to put them into practice every day. In cultivating resilience within yourself and your teaching practice, you improve your health, your outlook, and your relationships while building an environment in which every child succeeds. This workbook takes you on a journey of specific self-discovery that changes your perspective, renews your confidence, and empowers you to make the much-needed changes that allow you to continue inspiring young minds.   Resiliency is an underrated skill―one that can make all the difference in our schools. Challenges will always arise, but it is your response that dictates the outcome. Can you think of a more important lesson for your students? When some 70 percent of teachers quit within their first five years, it is clear that changes must be made. The Onward Workbook equips you to make the changes that you can, and flourish into the future. While this book can be used by individuals, it is also designed so that groups, teams, departments, or an entire staff can take up the learning together. There are specific suggestions in the workbook for using this with a group, and educators will reap even more reward from discussing the practices and experiences with colleagues. 

Genres: Education, Teaching, Nonfiction, Health

672 pages, Paperback

Published May 8, 2018

About the author

Elena has trained thousands of educators across the United States and abroad in transformational coaching. She is the author of four highly acclaimed books: The Art of Coaching, (2013) and The Art of Coaching Teams, (2016) Onward: Cultivating Emotional Resilience in Educators (2018) and the Onward Workbook (2018), and the forthcoming Coaching for Equity (August 2020). She is a regular contributor to Edutopia and ASCD’s Educational Leadership, and she was a blogger for EdWeek Teacher for many years.

Elena Aguilar is an author and the President of Bright Morning Consulting. Her expertise derives from twenty five years as a classroom teacher, instructional coach and leadership coach working in diverse school environments. In her role as a consultant, she has partnered with leaders in public and private organizations across the United States and abroad. Elena is also the co-founder of Kenya Big Picture Learning, and she’s on the advisory board of UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center. Elena holds a BA in history and Latin American Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and an MA in Anthropology from the University of California, Berkeley. She received her teaching credential from California State University, Hayward, and she also holds an administrative services credential.

Elena lives in Oakland, California, with her husband, son, and two cats. When she’s not coaching or writing she enjoys traveling abroad, photographing birds, hiking, drinking coffee and reading fiction.

Reviews

[N.D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent resource. I had the pleasure of participating in one of Aguilar's three-day coaching teachers professional development courses and to work with her facilitators. Her integration of social, emotional, and cultural intelligence into her the body of work on coaching and leadership is critical.

[Donniesands · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent mental health workbook for teachers. There are probably about 700 exercises or more in here. Some i didn’t find helpful for where i’m at given how much literature i’ve read on mental health already but mostly meaningful.

[Cindy Wise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a treasure trove of valuable activities and ideas as you work through the Onward text. I am really enjoying how this could be put to use next year with both other teachers in my school and with students. The ideas for building resilience are solid and match with everything else I've read on topics of thriving--in work and personally. Thanks Elena for putting all these resources together.

[Kyrstin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This really isn't a book to "read," and I haven't done every page. However, I'm tired to carrying it around on my Goodreads feed. It's a workbook. So, I'll continue to work on it.

The companion book is amazing and I'm so glad I've got a chance to read it as part of my learning project this year.

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

This workbook is jam packed with several resources that help foster reflection and deep thinking regarding resiliency. I will definitely be using it as I coach others through the development of their own resiliency and strengthen my own.

[Ann Viveros]

Excellent. Highly recommend.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my lifeline right now.

[Traci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great

[Christine Fay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent activities for developing your inner core of well-being and resilience.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got a lot out of parts of this book. And there are some activities I will certainly do with faculty. I do love a theme and a workbook.

[Natalie Cardon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoughtfully and skillfully written. An utterly essential companion to the book.

[Mar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good activities. Some good reminders. Lots of common sense reflection activities.

[Shelly Carman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not finish this as I became too busy.

[Sophia miller242i · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love 💖 it

[Michelle Chatres · Rating 5 out of 5]

Your book is truly a masterpiece. You really have a gift of storytelling