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Every once in a while a book comes along that you wish had been published much earlier. "Zen and the Act of Teaching" is such a book. Written by David Deubelbeiss, this book is very philosophical and reflective in nature. I believe it is an extremely rich and motivational resource for all teachers, whether they are at the start of their careers, or in mid-career, or even at a much later "veteran" stage.

What I like most is the clear, simple, classic feel of "Zen and the Act of Teaching". The cool grey/white background on each page has an image of 5 tranquill-looking pebbles, which for me immediately symbolise inner peace, calm and contentment. The scene is... More > therefore set for an enriching and truly thought-provoking personal voyage of discovery and contemplation. This well-written book is also a self-help guide written for teachers to reflect upon their teaching practice and outlook. It contains useful nuggets of information, and many insightful prompts, which can be easily digested and then acted upon. It could also be successfully incorporated into a teacher training course.

"Be the change you want to see in the world" by Mahatma Gandhi is one of my favourite quotes that the author has included in his book. I like it because it is a powerful and motivational set of words. Only you yourself can change what you want to be and do. Nobody else can do it for you. It's good to read such words often, in order to remind oneself of what can be achieved, only if you put your mind to it.

A powerful message of positivity runs through the whole book. Inspirational words of wisdom, poems, stories, sayings - all lead the reader to question and analyse in depth the "act" of good teaching. In particular, I like the quotes below:

"Teach so that the lesson is an experience. Still waters run deep. Don't rush to the end, there is no end. Knowledge is everywhere and infinite". You can never "finish" learning. "The future of teaching is learning". This message is so simple, and yet so true. We as teachers have to progress with the times in the best way possible.

Would I recommend "Zen and the Act of Teaching"? Absolutely! It's an uplifting, feel-good reflective journal, which will help all teachers to become the best they can be. < Less

If you'd like to review this book - please send me an email at ddeubel@gmail.com and I'll send you an electronic copy. Appreciate the interest and any ideas of further developing and promoting this book and the power of reflective writing in teacher development. David