The Garden at Night: Burnout and Breakdown in the Teaching Life

I cannot imagine a person who would not find guidance in what Mary Rose says for all the far reaches of being alive, well beyond the work we do and the places where we do it.
- Parker J. Palmer, author of The Courage to Teach

It's no wonder that burnout plagues the teaching profession. Teachers are on the front lines every day, meeting the needs of too many students at once. Meanwhile, they must also address an increasingly complex assortment of third-party expectations and deal with the politics of their schools and their departments. Throw in piles of essays to grade, and it's easy to see why so many teachers simply opt out.

Whether you're a beginning teacher trying to sustain your idealism, or an experienced professional courting burnout, take a deep breath and read Mary Rose O'Reilley's The Garden at Night. As she did in Radical Presence, O'Reilley draws on numerous experiences from the classroom and collegial life and identifies strategies that tap your own courage and strength. The Garden at Night will help you find the quiet well of energy within that nourishes your teaching by aligning it to the present moment and revitalizes it during darker, more stressful times.

Mary Rose O'Reilley deals frankly with the realities of the profession and suggests ways to transcend the limitations of our culture and indoctrination. Read The Garden at Night and rediscover how satisfying your practice can be.