A Need for Renewal...

In their inspiring book, “Resonant Leadership”, Richard Boyatzis and Annie McKee highlight the importance of renewal in one’s life. Although the book discussess the strategies needed to become a resonant leader, it gives insight into managing one’s own and others’ emotions in ways that drive success. And to this end, renewal is one of the techniques suggested by the writers.

The inevitable result of constantly running headlong into the stiff winds of life is to be in need of renewal. This renewal might be in any form: physical, mental or emotional...

Preoccupied with workplace demands (teaching, reading papers, writing our latest book, “The Compass: Route to Academic English 1”) for a long time, I’ve realized that I needed a new challenge which would renew me by taking me away from my routines.  

That is why when I was asked to teach a methodology course to a group of pre-service English teachers, I accepted it... 

Although I had experience in in-service teaching training, I did not have the opportunity to work with pre-service teachers before. This teaching experience reminded me, once again, of why I wanted to become a teacher.  Meet these inspiring people: 

We inspired each other throughout the semester, and as Boyatzis suggests, I was renewed physically, mentally and emotionally thanks to my lovely students.  Some of you might wonder how one can be renewed physically while teaching? Dodds (2013) claims “successful renewal invokes brain patterns and hormones change our mood, while returning our body to a healthy state.”