Are You an Untamed Teacher?

Summer. . . the few weeks in the year that teachers have the time to relax and catch up on reading! I'm super excited about the first book in our summer book series for teachers: Untamed by Glennon Doyle! 
Now I know we teach our kids to not judge a book by its cover, but LOOK at this cover!! It is GORGEOUS!  And the content is just as fabulous as the cover! What a thought-provoking and inspirational book to begin summer!
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Untamed is part memoir and part wake-up call. "We strive so mightily to be good: good partners, daughters, mothers, employees (teachers), and friends. We hope all this striving will make us feel alive. Instead, it leaves us feeling weary, stuck, overwhelmed, and underwhelmed." Wow. Can you relate? I know from the influence of social media (there was no such thing when I first started teaching in 1987) and fast forward to this year of distance learning, I often felt inadequate and overwhelmed!

Along with my We Teach So Hard podcast buddies, we discuss the book and Tracy of Wild Child's Mossy Oak Musings came up with these scrumptious recipes to go with each of Doyle's keys. This Watermelon Feta Salad is THE BEST to feel it all!! It has become a weekly staple for my family!
My dad's motto was always "Work hard, play hard." Doyle, too, not only gives permission to play, but emphasizes the need for rest. I've been called (more than once) a workaholic by family & friends, and I used to view this as a badge of honor.  But I'm a much better teacher (and wife, and mom) when I am rested and not thinking about school all the time! Truthfully, being at home during this quarantine has made the lines between home and school even more blurred, but setting a timer on my phone to take breaks and having friends hold me accountable to get outside and walk has helped! 

Making soup is always one of my go-to meals and this chicken lemon rice soup does not disappoint! 
Dare to imagine the type of teacher you can be! Instead of trying to copy the perfect Instagram teachers' classrooms or lesson transformations, what are your own strengths and skills? (Nothing wrong with elaborate, over the top classrooms or teachers; I can admire them but not work myself up to try and be something or someone I am not!) Summer is the perfect time to relax with a cold & fruity sangria, as you dream of the ideal teacher you can be, aligned with your beliefs and skill set.
Doyle's fourth key is Build & Burn. In order to make way for something new, we must let go of old habits. What are you doing in your classroom (or virtually) that has not been working? What do you envision yourself saying, doing, creating?

Every good meal needs a satisfying dessert! Peach Melba Pavlova is to die for! Rethink your dessert and rethink your teaching! 
Our book discussion is one of my favorites yet! You can listen to it HERE or by clicking on the We Teach So Hard image below.
This last quote resonated with me, as I continue to grow and become the teacher (& woman) I am today. Reading Untamed was the perfect segue into an awesome book study on Teach Like Yourself.  I hope you can join me: every Wednesday in July! Click on the book image below to order your copy!

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