Create a Circle of Light
 |
When I wrote Teaching With Light: Ten Lessons for Finding Wisdom, Balance, and Inspiration I wanted to share the positive ideas and messages I had learned over my career in teaching. I didn’t realize at the time how important teacher wellness would be to all of us today.
I decided to add teacher voices to the book because I believe when we hear each other’s stories and messages verbally it infuses us with energy. These podcasts are available at no cost, and they bring the real stories of teachers and teacher leaders alive. https://anchor.fm/teachingwithlight The back of the book includes reading plans for personal reflection on the content as well as how it can be read with others. Teachers encouraged me to take it a step further to create a course that they could use for professional credit. I am happy to report that schools and universities are finding this content a useful enhancement to their current curriculum. |
 |
BOOK STUDY COURSE:
https://mentoringinaction.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/ALL-Teachers-TWL-Book-Study-Course-.pdf |
 |
Practice mindfulness by intentionally integrating mindful living actions into your life.
The Teaching With Light book includes; 1) a mindful topic to focus on in each lesson, 2) a short assessment to reflect on your life, and 3) specific ways to practice mindfulness at home or at school. Another way to bring calm to your body, mind, and spirit is to use hand mudras. Watch these videos to learn more about each of the Mindful Living Actions in the book and learn a hand mudra! Click here to view the videos.. |
 |
Step 1 ~ Download the course to your desktop and open the link for the journal. Review the course content and reflection questions in the journal. Read the Sample Agenda for creating your own Circle of Light. Modify the course to meet your needs. Purchase a book and review the content.
Step 2 ~ Share the course and the book with administration. Ask for approval to earn in-district professional hours for participating in this “wellness” book study. Explain that this focus on teachers will support retention and create a more positive school culture. Step 3 ~ Decide who will lead the course, read the journal reflections, and verify that teachers have completed the book study for credit. Decide whether the district will purchase the books for each teacher or if teachers need to purchase them. If your district is large, consider purchasing options directly from the publisher. https://us.corwin.com/en-us/nam/teaching-with-light/book274670 Step 4 ~ Invite teachers to participate and earn credit from the district. Schedule the dates for beginning the course, the three circles of light meetings, and when journals are due. This course has been successfully offered with circles remotely as well as in person. Step 5 ~ Begin the course! |