Pause. Breathe. Flourish.

Pause. Breathe. Flourish.: Living Your Best Life as an Educator explores the habits, practices, and mindset necessary for growth as both an educator and a person. Research shows that teachers and principals are leaving the profession of education at alarming rates. Some of the causes stem from the rising expectations and demands that educators find difficult to manage. Unfortunately, for many educators, taking care of others often means neglecting their own health and well-being. How can educators continue doing work they love while also making sure they are protecting themselves in the process? William D. Parker has served schools for more than twenty-five years as a teacher, administrator and education consultant. In Pause. Breathe. Flourish., he provides practical strategies and common-sense approaches for taking better care of yourself so that you can better serve and lead others. Each chapter begins with a mental image and unpacks specific tips for cultivating personal or professional growth. In the pages ahead, you will discover how your thoughts, relationships, commitments, values, and habits play an essential role in who you are as a person. Understanding 'who you are' plays heavily in your ability to weather storms, maintain perspective, work with purpose and effect meaningful change in the lives of others. Applying those insights can be challenging. By reading this book, you will be challenged to reconsider your mindset, reading habits, personal health, financial commitments, relationship priorities, and legacy building. To help you move forward, each chapter ends with reflection questions so that you can take immediate actions for thoughtful application and improved outcomes. Don't become another statistic in the rising number of educators who feel burned out. Instead, reimagine the possibilities that can happen for yourself and those whom you serve when you take time to pause, breathe, and flourish!