This is the central question addressed by Angela Watson's second book, Awakened: Change Your Mindset to Transform Your Teaching. Watson, creator of The Cornerstone and longtime veteran of the classroom, has a simple, yet thought-provoking answer: change the way you think.
The mental game is of course, the key to longevity in this job. If you don't master the game, it will consume you: at best, you'll quit and at worst, you'll keep teaching but be ineffective and miserable.
Watson makes it clear that the source of her own shift in mindset was a spiritual awakening, a reconnection to her Christian faith that had been lost to her for a time. While her lessons are grounded in faith, those who don't consider themselves very religious won't feel that they are being preached to at all. Watson explains that she hopes her experience and ideas will be something you "wrestle with... and use your questions and disagreements to bring you closer to the truth."
That being said, as you dive into the rest of Awakened, there's actually relatively little mention of God or religion. Watson instead dives deep into tons of relevant research on the types of habits and mindsets that create problems for you and how to overcome them.
This is an incredibly practical, easy to read book that deal with issues most of you reading this confront each day. I noticed many parallels to Teaching is Not a Four Letter Word, but Watson focuses exclusively on changing your mindset and expectations to help you survive and thrive in the classroom. If you're searching for answers, Awakened may indeed have them.
I have a copy of Awakened that I'm going to give away to a lucky reader. I would like to share this book with someone who is in the classroom now, but struggling and wondering whether to continue teaching next year. If that description fits you, send me an email (teachforever@gmail.com) by Friday 11:59pm CST and let me know you're interested in the book.
Have you already read Awakened? Share your thoughts on it in the comments.