Lisa J. Lucas





Dr. Lisa Lucas has over thirty years of experience in education, as a teacher, instructional coach, administrator, consultant, and Professor. She has taught in public, private, parochial and pre-school settings, and knows firsthand that education is a rewarding profession, but also a stressful one. In her current role as a teacher educator at West Chester University she researches and develops practical self-care stress reduction strategies for teachers. Why the focus on stress? According to a 2014 Gallup survey, 46 percent of teachers experience high daily stress during the school year—and that adversely affects teachers’ health, which negatively impacts student well-being.

Lisa’s strategies, based on empirical research, are designed to help teachers reduce stress by fostering presence through self-care and an inner awareness. Students learn from teachers who project enthusiasm, optimism and clearly enjoy what they do.  They are present for their students. You can’t fake presence, but you can learn to cultivate it—which is what Lisa has focused herself on, personally and professionally, for more than two decades.

The old adage is true: You teach what you need to learn. Lisa has learned that cultivating presence is clearly an inside job: it begins with bringing attention to your own thoughts and feelings.

As a coach, Lisa is respected by her clients for her ability to challenge their mental models, helping them to successfully reframe from a traditional fixed mindset to focusing on a growth mindset, enabling them to create innovative and sustainable solutions to their everyday challenges.

Her vision is to work with as many school systems as possible to provide professional development that is focused on establishing habits and routines to foster a healthy school climate.

Lisa and her husband Andy have two wonderful children, a daughter Chelsea who is an elementary school teacher and a son Craig who is studying to become an architect.

When Lisa isn’t reading, she is biking, hiking, baking or on her yoga mat.

Lisa J. Lucas


Website: practicingpresence.life

Twitter: @drlisajlucas

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Practicing Presence
Practicing Presence
Lisa J Lucas
Paperback
$36.00 $27.00 Save $9.00
Lisa J Lucas:::100225

Practicing Presence

9781625311917

$36.00 $27.00 Save $9.00
Most teachers enter the field of education to make a difference in children’s lives. But many end up, as author Dr. Lisa Lucas puts it, “tired, wired, and running in circles.” This leads to many new teachers abandoning the profession or to burnout among veteran teachers.

In Practicing Presence: Simple Self-Care Strategies for Teachers, Dr. Lucas invites the reader to learn how to fully inhabit the present moment. Written in an informal and conversational tone, Practicing Presence is filled with ideas, exercises, checklists, personal anecdotes, and practices you can use to reframe and establish a mindset that will enhance your focus and engagement in the classroom.

With approximately 50% of new teachers leaving the education field before the 5-year mark, it is more important than ever for educators to prioritize self-care. Each chapter of Practicing Presence includes self-care strategies that explore how to self-regulate, nurture self-acceptance, and promote compassion. Inside you’ll find:
  • Quotes and affirmations throughout the texts
  • Scientific research and reflections on how these theories and practices can apply to your own life
  • Paths to Mindful Teaching and how to integrate into your daily life
  • Additional resources and online content to further support your practice
 
When teachers care for themselves deeply and deliberately, they are better able to care for the people that matter most in their lives—their students, friends, and families.  Practicing Presence focuses not on doing, but rather on being present in the life of the classroom.
 
Practicing Presence