Awakened Book Review

awakened cover
Are you facing challenges in the classroom this year that seem impossible at best? Have budget cuts, high-stakes testing, and widespread political shenanigans {you know what states I’m talkin’ bout!} taken a toll on you? If you’re at the end of your rope and you can’t seem to find a way to tie a knot and hang-on then the latest book, Awakened: Change Your Mindset to Transform Your Teaching from Angela Watson is the book for you.

Let’s be honest with each other, nobody can be a “Positive Peggy” all of the time, there are plenty of times our jobs get us down -usually because of the adults and not the children. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I have said (on more than one occasion) that I would rather be a greeter at my favorite yellow and blue big box store than put up with any more of the bureaucratic you-know-what that abounds in public education. I might be able to rock that blue smock like nobody’s business but it isn’t something I’m passionate about, I was born to be an educator.

Awakened addresses all of these issues {and more} and offers suggestions for dealing with them in practical ways that will help you re-evaluate your outlook on teaching. Angela speaks openly and honestly about her personal experiences as a teacher and shares those struggles with readers. Her heartfelt stories really resonated with me and I found myself constantly reaching for my highlighter {school supplies- yippee!}. You will be left wondering where Awakened has been your entire career.

P.S. – Angela had me at Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle!

Would you like to have your own autographed copy of Awakened? If you reside in the U.S. please leave a comment below sharing one thing that has you excited about the coming school year. If your answer involves lunch and planning time then you really NEED this book!

If you would like to share this review with others by tweeting or liking Pre-K Pages or Angela’s page on Facebook then leave additional comments below- one for each action.

Make sure to include your e-mail address in your comments so I can contact you if you become the new owner.

Here is an example tweet: “Autographed copy of Awakened, new book from @Angela_Watson http://goo.gl/rXnY7 via @PreKPages #teachers #education”

I will congratulate the new owner of Awakened on Wednesday, August 3rd via e-mail.

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Tagged as: book, book review, burnout, classroom, education, self-help, teacher, teachers, teaching

{ 20 comments }

1 Jodi July 27, 2011 at 6:11 pm: After attending a Kim Asdit conference, I visited her sight and clicked on her links. I found your website. I am one who is looking to find a sense of renewed excitement as a classroom teacher. I want to move forward this year. I want to improve my literacy curriculum, but still maintain the integrity of the prekindergarten environment.
I am excited to have found a web-site that is specific to prekindergarten and
is more than cut and paste activities.
2 Jamie Armbruster July 27, 2011 at 8:48 pm: Yeah! I get to comment first! I am excited about this school year (my 3rd in pre-k) because of all of the learning that I have been doing regarding literacy. I am reading the Literacy Beginnings and following the blogs. I have also had quite a bit of staff development on literacy. I have so many new ideas to incorporate into my classroom; I can’t wait!!
3 Sarah July 28, 2011 at 10:52 am: I am excited about trying bookmaking for the first time and about ABA, a method I learned about to work with my children on the spectrum. Also have high hopes for our new curriculum, it has to be better than the old one!!
4 Sherry Taylor July 28, 2011 at 5:49 pm: I am excited about this school year (my 21st!) because my district decieded to keep all day Pre-K and let us keep our assistants! I have lots of fun and educational projects to do this year!
5 Amanda July 28, 2011 at 6:24 pm: I adore Angela. The Cornerstone has become my favorite book for organizing my room. I am most excited about starting this school year in a new school and new grade level. I have already met some of my awesome teammates and I am just excited to work with teachers who are still excited to teach!
6 Stacy Schmidt July 28, 2011 at 9:45 pm: I have never heard of this book but i’m very interested! I am excited about everything with the new school year! I can’t wait to see my returning students and meet new ones. I am eager to see the progress that each of my special needs preschoolers has made over the summer!
7 Kathron Griffin July 28, 2011 at 10:31 pm: Reading Literacy Beginnings really has gotten my Pre-K juices flowing! This will be my 28th year teaching (7 in public school kindergarten, 21 in a wonderful church Pre-K situation), and it’s exciting to learn new techniques to add to the repertoire! It is so much fun to see those sweet young faces light up when leaning a new song, story or rhyme, and I never tire of introducing excellent books to young children. Four and five year olds are more fun than a barrel of monkeys!
8 Isabel Z July 29, 2011 at 5:44 am: I am excited about the upcoming school year because I am reading Literacy Beginnings as well as following along on the participating blogs and am looking forward to implementing many of the things that I have learned. It’s also my second year teaching preschool so this year will be a bit easier than last!
9 Tina Allen July 29, 2011 at 6:04 am: I am excited about this year (3rd year in PreK) because I will be able to “just teach”. I have been working on my Master’s in IECE since I started teaching. All that work coupled with family responsibilities, KTIP (Ky’s teacher training), state review (ECERS-R) and additional trainings has made the last 3 years SO stressful. I am looking forward to devote all my energy to the students in my class. Even though it was hard, I have learned SO much that I am excited to implement in my classroom. Teaching preschool is so exciting and I am looking forward to being fully present for my students this year!
10 Maureen July 29, 2011 at 8:38 am: I am so excited this year to try out some new and exciting projects. I am also a little nervous because my classroom has moved and I’m now surrounded by people who have not really “befriended” the Pre-K class :/ Here’s hoping for a fantastic year and new opportunities to prove that Pre-K teachers are “actual” teachers too!
11 Cynthia July 29, 2011 at 10:52 am: I have a new Smartboard! I think that it will revolutionize my teaching, and I can’t wait to get started! Pre-K is the BEST!!!
12 Mrs. H July 29, 2011 at 10:53 am: I am excited about this school year as I am every year. I became a teacher in my late 30′s because it took that long for my dream to come true. I constantly refer to PreK Pages and Vanessa’s ideas as I consider room arrangement, center set up, and classroom management. Also, I appreciate all of the links you give us for other websites. I feel like I know each of you! I am looking forward to reading this book and practicing the valuable information I know there is to be gained from it. Vanessa never lets us down. If she says it is wonderful and practical then it is truly wonderful and practical.
Thank you!
13 Mrs. D. July 29, 2011 at 12:56 pm: Hi, I currently have Literacy Beginnings and Cornerstone on my Barnes and Noble list! I have literally PORED over your site this summer since I’m moving from Kindergarten to a new grade our district is starting this fall: Jr. Kindergarten. I am so excited to start this adventure, but I also think I need to read Awakened in light of this new position. Even after 26 years in Kindergarten, I feel it is crucial to continue to grow as a teacher! Have a super year and thank you for your inspiration!
14 stacy July 30, 2011 at 3:34 pm: I completely get what you said about all the bureacracy stuff. This past spring our center went through our state review and my classroom was chosen for the classroom visit. I could not believe the nit pickiness of this woman. We had to evaluate ourselves before she came and I gave myself pretty high scores (and they were honest high scores). She went through my cabinets and drawers…dinged me because my water table was outside the classroom that morning (even though I explained it was outside because it was 50 degrees outside…we had a planned outdoor activity for the children later that morning and I didn’t want any wet children. When she went over the review later that week she said she never believed it when she would come into a center and teachers give themselves high scores. Well, I proved her wrong. She admitted my scores were accurate…but, still dinged me on not having enough pictures of children on the walls like the kind you buy in Lakeshore catalogs and not enough diversity when it comes to the handicapped. I am rolling my eyes big time here because I had REAL pictures of the children and their families all over the room and REAL equipment in the classroom for the mainstreamed children in my room including the stuff for the child with cerebral palsy. Oh wait…that didn’t count because it needed to be toys/pictures from a catalog.
My director told me later to just let it go because if they don’t find something wrong then there’s no justification for their jobs right? And she still gave us a great write-up.
I would love to read this book and share it at my center.
15 Sue G July 30, 2011 at 8:07 pm: I went through some health issues last year and was out for 3 months of school, so I am looking forward to a healthy year. Our district is going through constant changes as it funnels down from our state with less money, no unions and just a lot of upheaval, but besides that I am looking forward to a new group of eager 4 year olds embarking on their first public school experience. I too have been going through the Fountas and Pinnell Literacy book and will be having to implement 3 days a week of a “writer’s workshop” format. I am hoping what I glean from their book and from what I already know about literacy, reading and writing that I can make it developmentally appropriate but still ‘deliver’ what our district has in mind for this more structured writing approach.
16 Beckie Nieman July 30, 2011 at 11:14 pm: I want to get it and read it! I love your website and blog!
17 Tiffany Hoerning July 31, 2011 at 7:21 pm: I am excited about finding and reading this book. The beginning of the year is so exciting with new children and families, however, it is so easy to quickly fall into a routine that leaves me wishing for summer. Hopefully this book will return some spark to my everyday life. Thanks for recommending it.
18 Jenny August 1, 2011 at 2:14 pm: I could really use that book right now!! I am excited to see the kids again and inspire their love of school and build their curiosity and interest in the world (and, of course, math and literacy) BUT I am having some major struggles with my center and the super big push on high academics. Whether I win a copy or not, I NEED this book so I can refocus on what’s really important – why I became a teacher in the first place … and why I’m still doing it 15 years later.
19 Tracy Rosen August 3, 2011 at 6:21 am: I’m excited about finding out where (and not thinking about the if…!) I will be teaching this year! Waiting for schools in my area to fill their last minute needs positions. I’m excited about getting back into the classroom after being away for a little over 1/2 a year on maternity leave

I do not live in the United Stated but my sister does and if it has to do with shipping I can get the book from her!
20 Krista August 3, 2011 at 10:32 am: I am excited to delve deeper into Daily 5 and new Word Study program this year for my 1st graders!!