TEACHING IN MAGENTA

As an Educator looking toward this school year with so much uncertainty, the one thing I am certain of is that students will be craving connection and engagement in the classroom! James Sturtevant's Teaching in Magenta: 100 Paths to Joy and Well-being for You and Your Students is the perfect companion to spark engagement and bring life back into the classroom. 

Jim Sturtevant has put together 100 daily ideas (paths) organized under 5 qualities that every veteran and inspiring teacher should examine and use. Starting with the title he explains the meaning of what the color Magenta is to him and why he used it. It shows that Mr. Sturtevant is more than merely the the presenter of a lesson each day. He is about life and relationships. Each of the paths is only 1 page long or less and gives the teacher 1 quality to work on each day and each comes with a very unique title. All 100 cover almost any relationship issues and behaviors a teacher might encounter during his/her tenure and is presented in a way that makes for positive relationships. They are about you the teacher and how you can be more impactful in each student's life. The paths are organized into 5 qualities that cover it all: Compassion, Optimism, Balance, Adaptability, and Contentment. As a retired teacher of 38 years I found myself doing a self examination as I read through the pages. I tried to find examples in my past when I used each of the paths and examples of when I should have. If I were a starting teacher today, I would try to read and apply 1 path each day and I would do it every year. After some time the paths would hopefully become a part of me and help me to always be an effective, meaningful teacher who makes the classroom a safe, enjoyable, and important place in each student's life. Thank you Mr. Sturtevant for this simple, inspiring book that can help large numbers of teachers.