An empowering journey that keeps great teachers in the classroom

The Onward Workbook is a collection of tools and strategies that help teachers banish the burnout and cultivate true resilience. Keyed to the framework presented in Onward, this companion piece augments the text with practical exercises, coaching, and step-by-step walkthroughs of beneficial practices. Deep introspection allows you to verbalize your feelings, name your challenges, and identify the tools you have and the tools you need—from there, you’ll explore each of the 12 Key Habits and learn how to put them into practice every day.

In cultivating resilience within yourself and your teaching practice, you improve your health, your outlook, and your relationships while building an environment in which every child succeeds. This workbook takes you on a journey of specific self-discovery that changes your perspective, renews your confidence, and empowers you to make the much-needed changes that allow you to continue inspiring young minds.  

• Dig deeper within to discover what you’re truly made of
• Decode complex emotions, body language, and nonverbal communications
• Challenge your beliefs, build community, and navigate difficult interactions
• Learn more, feel more, play more, and practice effective self-care

Resiliency is an underrated skill—one that can make all the difference in our schools. Challenges will always arise, but it is your response that dictates the outcome. Can you think of a more important lesson for your students? When some 70 percent of teachers quit within their first five years, it is clear that changes must be made. The Onward Workbook equips you to make the changes that you can, and flourish into the future.

While this book can be used by individuals, it is also designed so that groups, teams, departments, or an entire staff can take up the learning together. There are specific suggestions in the workbook for using this with a group, and educators will reap even more reward from discussing the practices and experiences with colleagues. 

ELENA AGUILAR is the founder and president of Bright Morning Consulting, an educational consulting group that works around the world supporting educators to meet the needs of children. She is the author of The Art of Coaching and The Art of Coaching Teams and has also been a longtime contributor to Edutopia and EdWeek.

Preface xvii

Introduction 1

1 Know Yourself 7

2 Understand Emotions 75

3 Tell Empowering Stories 129

4 Build Community 205

5 Be Here Now 267

6 Take Care of Yourself 309

7 Focus on the Bright Spots 369

8 Cultivate Compassion 413

9 Be a Learner 467

10 Play and Create 507

11 Ride the Waves of Change 549

12 Celebrate and Appreciate 591

Conclusion 629

Appendix: Resources for Further Learning 641

About the Author 650