The Heart-Centered Teacher: Restoring Hope, Joy, and Possibility in Uncertain Times (January 19 - March 13, 2026)

Content
11 modules

Rating

Course length
15 hours

Instructor
Lisa Weier

Released
09 Dec 2025

Price
$0 - 50

Description

This book is best suited for ELA educators. 

How do we find hope and possibility in challenging times? How do we bring our truest selves into our teaching and personal lives? In this unique, inspiring book, beloved author Regie Routman artfully blends stories and strategies to show how we can introduce more joy and gratitude in our classrooms and in our lives.

Regie invites us to focus on what matters most in our work and in our relationships with those we hold dear. She shares ideas and practical takeaways for teaching, learning, and living:

  • Seeing and celebrating each learner’s gifts and strengths

  • Creating a storytelling culture

  • Ensuring equitable opportunities for all

  • Co-creating welcoming spaces and routines

  • Developing professional knowledge

  • Teaching up-and-coming readers and writers

  • Fostering resilience and hope

  • Taking care of ourselves and our students

 

"Here’s what I know for sure," writes Regie. "Living a good life is about developing, nurturing, and sustaining caring relationships―in our teaching lives, our home lives, and in the happy intersection of both." Wherever you are on your journey, no matter what loss or hardship you may face, The Heart-Centered Teacher will offer you a refreshing chance to pause, take a breath, and reflect on how you and your students can live more compassionate, generous, and authentic lives.

 

Book: The Heart-Centered Teacher: Restoring Hope, Joy, and Possibility in Uncertain Times by Regie Routman

Website: https://sites.google.com/view/theheartcenteredteacher/home

Objectives

Participants will: 

  • identify at least three heart-centered teaching practices from Routman’s framework and explain how they can be applied to build stronger connections with students.

  • develop and facilitate at least one activity based on the book's themes of hope, joy, and possibility to enhance your teaching practice.

  • design and share at least two concrete strategies that foster student engagement and teacher well-being, demonstrating an understanding of Routman’s heart-centered approach.

 

The Heart-Centered Teacher – Alignment to Charlotte Danielson Framework

Danielson Domain

Description

Alignment with The Heart-Centered Teacher

Domain 1: Planning & Preparation

Teachers design instruction using knowledge of content, pedagogy, and student needs.

The book encourages planning that centers relationships, student voice, and authentic learning. It highlights the importance of designing lessons with hope, joy, and purpose so students feel seen and valued.

Domain 2: Classroom Environment

Teachers create a respectful, supportive, and safe culture for learning.

Routman emphasizes cultivating belonging, trust, and compassion in the classroom. A heart-centered approach fosters resilience and joy, creating an environment where students feel safe to take risks and engage deeply.

Domain 3: Instruction

Teachers engage students in learning through questioning, discussion, and assessment.

The book advocates for responsive teaching practices that honor students’ strengths, curiosity, and creativity. Instruction is framed as a way to nurture possibility and hope, encouraging meaningful dialogue and authentic assessment.

Domain 4: Professional Responsibilities

Teachers reflect, collaborate, and grow as ethical professionals.

Routman calls for educators to sustain their own well-being and humanity while modeling joy and balance. Reflection, self-compassion, and collaboration are framed as essential for sustaining hope and possibility in uncertain times.

1.
Read First!
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2.
Additional Resources
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"The Heart-Centered Teacher: Restoring Hope, Joy, and Possibility in Uncertain Times" by R. Routman
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4.
Week 1: Chapters 1 and 2
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Week 2: Chapters 3 and 4
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Week 3: Chapters 5 and 6
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Week 4: Chapters 7 and 8
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Week 5: Chapters 9 and 10
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9.
Final Assignment and Conclusion
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10.
Upload Your Final Reflection Paper Here
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11.
Graduate Credit or Continuing Education Contact Hours?
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