Alphabet Meditations for Teachers: Everyday Wisdom for Educators

by Nancy Oelklaus

""Alphabet Meditations for Teachers" tugs at the heartstrings of all teachers who yearn for wisdom in seeking the answers to those struggles and frustrations faced by our profession. Nestled in the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1932690883
• ISBN13: 9781932690880
• Release Date: March 2009
• Publisher: Loving Healing Press
• Length: 52 Pages
• Weight: 0.16 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

For Teachers and Parents alike

As you stare out at a classroom of little eyes starting right back at you. Sometimes you wonder am I reaching them? Do they understand the information I am presenting? A sense of panic goes through the body. They you begin to say to yourself... Am I a good teacher? When the same information is presented why does child one receives A's and child two get F's? Most fall into the cycle of present test then grade. We stop seeing the children as individuals with different needs and levels of understanding. Teaching becomes a routine instead of a desire to relay knowledge. Alphabet Meditations offers a chance to block out the negative and remember why we teach and what is it about it we love. It reminded me that a successful classroom needs to have laughter, happiness and imagnation. I'm not saying grades, curriculums and benchmarks are not important. They are just a portion of what should record a student's progress. I loved this book it made me smile and take a moment to think about why I want to be a teacher. I am a certified teacher w/o a classroom right now but I can relate to everything in the book. There were two sections that really spoke to me the one on change and the one about parents. In the section on change it states "Change is such a normal part of my daily existence.... So why am I so reluctant to change my lesson plan ... the way I teach?" I have found myself in this pattern before about seventy percent of the class understands how I taught something. The other thirty percent look at me with glazed expressions! As an educator I am not happy until I've reached them all. I think about it and realize for those that didn't understand I have to change my approach. In the back of my mind I know that not everyone learns the same way. I myself learn in non-traditional ways most of the time. Yet it is hard for me to change a perfectly good lesson half of the time. This section made me realize that I have to be more willing to change for the benefit of my students. The parent section made me laugh. It is so true to help our students learn the most they can we have to work with not against the parents. We both want the best for the kids. Teachers work with the kids during the night. The parents have them the rest of the time. We need to cooperate not bicker over methods and homework assignments! Nancy Oelklaus did a fantastic job with this book. It is easy to read and heartfelt. It gives good examples of the things that teachers sometimes do. It also helps remind them what not to do and why. I feel this book would not only be a great asset to educators but even to anyone in a leadership position. I could even see the guide with small adaptations being a wonderful parenting guide. I would highly recommend this book as an addition to any professional or even personal book collection!

Stories for Children Magazine 4 Star Review

Reading this book reminded me of my time in school as a student. Even though the book is written for teachers, I think that even high school and college students can appreciate what educators go through on a daily basis. Alphabet Meditations for Teachers contains 26 verses that cover topics from excellence to summer vacations. From A through Z, each poem topic is one teachers can relate to and has a meaningful message along with a photo that many teachers may even want to photocopy and put up as a reminder to help get them through a tough week or weeks. As teachers read Alphabet Meditations for Teachers, they will be reminded why they chose this profession. With the rhythmic cadence of each poem, teachers will get back in touch with themselves, understand why they care about kids, sharpen their intuitive abilities, and simply enjoy the relationships with students, parents, and other teachers.

Divine Love

Alphabet Meditations for Teachers, by Nancy Oelklaus, Ed.D., is a collection of poetic meditations on the subject of teaching, with topics ranging from A to Z. I fell in love with the book and had to share with all of my blog readers. Even if you are not a teacher, you certainly know a teacher or two. In the "back-to-school" spirit that pervades the northern hemisphere right now, let me recommend this book as a fabulous gift for the godly teachers in your lives. This book is all about the real reason for teaching. Not the test scores and report cards, but the children, the children of Divine Love. An excerpt from the G - Grades meditation: How many times Does a student who makes F Need to be told He's an F Before his spirit breaks? Or a C student, That she's mediocre? Or A students, That they're grand? Or me, that I'm powerful? Oh, help me know That in your eyes We're all precious, Perfect children of Divine Love. Help me reflect that love. My copy of the book is dog-eared with the excerpts I'd love to share with you. Alas, I'm not sure that would be appropriate given copyright laws! There's a short section in the back of the book on using the book for professional development, so it's not only a pleasure read. It's a way for teachers to get back to the reason they started teaching in the first place. If I were the publisher, I would expand the photos and market this currently 52-page paperback as a hardback "coffee table" gift book for all teachers! The words really are beautiful, meaningful, and deserving of a beautiful package. [...]

A Teacher's Treat

There are people out there who do not understand what the life of a teacher is like. They're not difficult to find. They're the ones who think teachers have an easy job, one that pays far too much for only nine months of work out of the year. They're the ones who might not admit it, but really think our educators are nothing more than glorified babysitters. Only those of us who have gotten a glimpse at a teacher's life, either by doing or purposefully observing, truly understand how much work a teacher is expected to do. There are lessons to plan, papers to grade, parents to meet, meetings to attend, classrooms to design and decorate, fights to settle, discipline to be determined, etc. Contrary to popular belief, a teacher's job does not end when the final bell rings. Nancy Oelklaus is someone who understands all the stresses and strains of an educator. In her book, Alphabet Meditations for Teachers, she provides teachers with a way to refocus themselves and prepare for a new day in the classroom. Filled with numerous gentle and rhythmic meditations, Oelklaus addresses all those dark thoughts teachers have, but are too ashamed to admit. Her writing is brutally honest, and in that way, gives the reader a chance to also be honest with him or herself. The selections in the book focus on various difficult aspects of a teacher's job, such as respecting diversity, changing instruction when results aren't being achieved, grading, noise control, enforcing rules, and determining what students really need to know. The meditation that focuses on parent-teacher relationships will ring true with every educator, especially the passage that reads, "Give me the grace not to be defensive when they attack, but to calmly and confidently explain myself to them." Oelklaus understands the worries of a teacher like only a teacher could. There is also a guide for using these meditations as a professional development activity included in the back of the book. This could be a relaxing and rewarding way to bond with your colleagues. It would make an excellent gift for anyone involved with children on a consistent basis, as its underlying messages speak of loving children for their differences and giving them the best we have.

A perfect gift for a teacher

Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (3/09) "Alphabet Meditations for Teachers," contains twenty-six poems that cover topics, from A through Z, which teachers will relate to. Each meaningful poem has a colorful photograph to accompany it. The author did an awesome job of finding topics which every educator will find meaningful. As a community college instructor of students with disabilities, I found myself totally understanding the topics that were covered. I feel that they reach beyond the K-12 level. Reading this book reminded me that we are here for our students, not vice versa. Being from a variety of backgrounds it is important for us to accept them no matter what their socio-economic status is. As educators we have to love them and believe in them no matter what. Dr. Oelklaus's words really touched my heart. Reminding me to replace fear with love and to accept change as it appears, makes the education world a more exciting, adventuresome place. "Alphabet Meditations for Teachers: Everyday Wisdom for Educators" by Nancy Oelklaus would make the perfect gift for any teacher, especially if they might be feeling burnout. It will inspire them to remember why they chose to teach. It also would make a perfect gift for a brand new teacher. As they begin to experience the good and bad things that come with the profession, it will let them know that others have had the same thoughts and feelings.