Happy Teacher Revolution The Educator's Roadmap to Claiming and Sustaining Joy

Preserve your mental health while meeting the demands of the education profession using proven tools and research

Happy Teacher Revolution helps educators address burnout and jumpstart their own practices to claim joy. Using the latest developments in neuroscience and her experience as a teacher, author Danna Thomas introduces you to self-care practices that help you prioritize your wellbeing while handling the difficulties of a demanding profession. This research and evidence-based handbook amplifies the voices of a wide range of changemakers, providing data and deliberate action steps to support well-being on both an individual and systemic level in order to enact transformational change. Realize increased self-worth and learn to decrease prolonged stress by pushing back on expectations of time, money, and emotional capacity.

You will:

• Access tools and videos that explore caregiver burnout, vicarious trauma, and the importance of self-care in the field of education
• Understand why it?s essential to claim happiness as your own "best practice" to help students
• Discover practical techniques for identifying your limits and authentically setting boundaries
• Learn to support peers in your community and work together to address the social-emotional and intellectual demands of teaching

Educators, including both teachers and school leaders, will appreciate the practical and person-centered approach in Happy Teacher Revolution. With the techniques in this book, you can build a more resilient classroom, a more resilient community, and, most importantly, a happier you.

Foreword xiii

Introduction xvii

My Why xviii

A Momentous Road Trip xxi

Part I Investing in Yourself 1

Chapter 1 Tending to Your Basic Needs 5

Discover What Works for You 7

Practice Self-Care Competence 8

Maintain Your Self-Care 9

Listen to Your Body 9

Present Your Authentic Self 12

Show Up for Yourself 12

Center Your Well-Being 15

Chapter 2 Cultivating Belonging 19

Identify Belonging versus Fitting In 20

Aim for Belonging 22

Fulfill Your Authentic Self 24

Go to What You Know 25

Reach Out for Support 26

Chapter 3 Feeling Competent 29

Manage with Mindfulness 30

Accept Some Discomfort 31

Affirm Yourself 33

Create Routine 34

Stay Focused on You 35

Drop Something 36

Face Procrastination 37

Strengthen Your Knowledge 39

Chapter 4 Reaching Beyond Everyday Life 41

Dance. Sing. Create. 43

Put Things Down 45

Plan Rest 46

Schedule Dates with Yourself 48

Chapter 5 Engaging in Self- Care with Students 1 51

Start a Win Journal 51

Exercise Your Best Self 52

Practice Mindfulness Together 53

Chapter 6 Establishing Boundaries 1 57

Create Containers 57

Cultivate Spaciousness 58

Part II Reflecting/integrating 1 59

Guided Meditation: Cultivating Joy and Connection with Self 63

Somatic Embodiment Experience 64

Breathing Experience 64

Scent Experience 65

Soundtrack Experience 65

Taste Experience 65

Poetry Experience 67

Part III Nurturing Relationships with Colleagues, Families, and Kids 71

Chapter 7 Modeling and Building Community 75

Create Space to Foster Connection 77

Value Collaboration over Competition 78

Practice “Unmasking” 80

Consent to Vent 81

Find a Polyvagal Partner 83

Chapter 8 Offering and Requesting Meaningful Appreciation 87

Cultivate Gratitude 89

Consider “Code Lavender” 92

Know Your “Why” 93

Practice Celebration 95

Appreciate by Listening 97

Chapter 9 Supporting Students Who’ve Experienced Trauma 101

Study the Science of Trauma 103

Bear Witness, Offer Compassion 105

Favor Connection over Compliance 109

Remember: It’s Not About You 111

Practice Responding Without Harming 112

Chapter 10 Engaging in Self-Care with Students 2 117

Create a Playlist Together 117

Regulate by Embodying 118

Share a Meal Together 118

Rest and Digest 118

Chapter 11 Establishing Boundaries 2 121

Specify Your Limits 121

Choose Boundaries over Burnout 122

Express Yourself 122

Be Gentle with Yourself 123

Part IV Reflecting/integrating 2 125

Naming Your Support 125

Guided Meditation: Cultivating Joy and Connection with Others 126

Somatic Embodiment Experience 127

Breathing Experience 128

Scent Experience 128

Soundtrack Experience 128

Taste Experience 128

Poetry Experience 130

Part V Advocating for Yourself and for Systemic Change 133

Chapter 12 Letting Yourself Be Autonomous 137

Be a Pioneer 139

Make the Invisible Visible 141

Advocate for Accessibility and Equality 143

You Can’t Spell “Resist” Without “Rest” 144

Give Yourself Filler Episode Days 147

Chapter 13 Focusing on What You Know Is Right 151

Work to Change That Which Harms Students 153

Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable 154

Manage Your Expectations 156

Identify the Fear 157

Identify Imperfection versus Dysfunction 158

Create Community 160

Amplify Your Authentic Self 162

Break Stuff and Rebuild It 163

Chapter 14 Addressing Vicarious Trauma 167

Tune In to the Wisdom of Your System 168

Check in with Yourself and Know You Aren’t Alone 171

What You Witness, You Need to Bear Witness To 172

Advocating for Yourself Is Advocating for Others 174

Chapter 15 Engaging in Self-Care with Students 3 177

Cultivate Emotional Wellness 177

Be a Lifelong Learner 178

Trust in Your Own Timing 179

Chapter 16 Establishing Boundaries 3 181

Prioritize Your Well- Being 181

Front- Load Self- Care for Activism 182

Express Emotions Constructively 183

Part VI Reflecting/integrating 3 185

Guided Meditation: Cultivating Joy and Collective Change 186

Somatic Embodiment Experience 188

Breathing Experience 188

Scent Experience 188

Soundtrack Experience 189

Taste Experience 189

Poetry Experience 191

Part VII Finale 193

About the Author 201

Acknowledgments 203

Glossary 205

References 209

Index 219

DANNA THOMAS, a former Baltimore City Public School teacher, is founder of Happy Teacher Revolution—a global initiative to support the mental health and wellness of educators. The organization has supported the social-emotional welfare of thousands of teachers across the United States, Canada, Nigeria, Brazil, and Senegal.