Happy Teachers Change the World

A Guide for Cultivating Mindfulness in Education

Thich Nhat Hanh shares teacher-friendly guidance on bringing secular mindfulness into your classroom—complete with step-by-step techniques, exercises, and insights from other educators.

Discover practical and re-energizing guidance on caring for yourself and your students!

The Plum Village approach to mindfulness in schools stresses that educators must first establish their own mindfulness practice as a basis for their work in the classroom. These easy-to-follow, step-by-step techniques are designed by teachers to help their colleagues cultivate this important foundation and better support their students. You’ll find:

• Basic mindfulness practices taught by Thich Nhat Hanh
• Guidance from educators using these practices in their classrooms
• Ample in-class interpretations, activities, tips, and instructions
• Inspirational stories from teachers, administrators, and counselors

With motivational anecdotes from colleagues and tried and true mindfulness exercises from Thich Nhat Hanh and the Plum Village community, this loving and supportive guide is an invaluable tool for educators to calm, focus, and reenergize their classrooms.
“A wonderful resource for those searching for ideas to bring mindfulness to their own lives as well as to their students. The voices and expertise of classroom teachers resound throughout this rich volume.”—Mark T. Greenberg, PhD, Pennsylvania State University
 
“At last: a book about mindfulness meditation for teachers—and thus for students—that preserves the depth and the wisdom of its Buddhist roots. And a practical one at that, full of elegant suggestions that today's stressed youngsters ought to jump at. It will do much good.”—Guy Claxton, PhD, What’s the Point of School? and Building Learning Power
 
“The contributions of Thich Nhat Hanh and Katherine Weare to the field of contemplative pedagogy are many. With this important book they bring not only their own depth of experience to the task, but also that of hundreds of teachers to aid teachers and students everywhere in attaining genuine happiness through the practice of a mindful and compassionate education.”—Arthur Zajonic, PhD, The Heart of Higher Education
 
“This book is both a joy to read and a very practical resource for teachers who want to pass on the practice of mindfulness to their students. Grounded in research evidence and in the experience of teachers who have travelled this path before, it shows the transformative power of mindfulness to bring education to its senses. A must for any teacher in any setting who has ever wondered if what they are doing could be done with more fun and less effort.”—Sarah Stewart-Brown, PhD, Warwick Medical School, UK
 
“This book should not only be a required reading for teachers and educational personnel, but also for those who are concerned about the future of our children. The contemplative practices and experiential exercises … are indeed capable of fostering more resilient, happier and compassionate teachers and pupils, and thus have the potential to change the world.”—Rony Berger, PsyD, The Center of Compassionate Mindful Education, Tel Aviv University; Ben Gurion University; The Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education at Stanford University
 
“What an important book! Thich Nhat Hanh is a global leader dedicated to bringing mindfulness, happiness, well-being, and peace to educators, students, and society. He has keenly felt the responsibility of helping young people …and has dedicated his whole life to the mission of communicating timeless, universal values in an accessible way. Katherine Weare is an educator with decades of experience in bringing well-being and mindfulness into schools and universities. …To have these two co-authoring this book is a wonderful and precious gift to us all.”—Vidyamala Burch, Mindfulness for Health and Mindfulness for Women
 
“For educators everywhere who yearn for wisdom and partnership in their courageous efforts to form young hearts and minds in an increasingly fragmented world, this book is a trustworthy and wise companion… It is essential reading for all those interested in mindfulness in education today.”—Robert W. Roeser, PhD, co-editor of Handbook of Mindfulness in Education
 
“In this outstanding book, Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, with his profound teachings and deep practices, and Professor Katherine Weare, with her considerable experience of emotional education, child development, and mindfulness in education, collaborate to provide a step-by-step detailed sequence of mindful practices for everyday activities such as breathing, walking, eating… Beautifully written, highly accessible, knowledgeable and deeply practical, this book will be an invaluable to teachers and students alike.”—Paul Gilbert, PhD, OBE, Centre for Compassion Research and Training, University of Derby, The Compassionate Mind
 
“‘Mindfulness is a path not a tool.’ Thich Nhat Hanh, Katherine Weare, and the Plum Village teachers illuminate this path with precision and clarity. Enlivened with the diverse and precious experiences shared by those who walk the path in their classrooms and lecture halls across the globe, this book is an extraordinary offering to all educators and their students.”—Christine Burke, PhD, Australian Catholic University
 
Happy Teachers Change the World is an enormously valuable compendium of mindfulness practices for those working in education.”—Richard Burnett, Mindfulness in Schools Project, UK
 
“Bursting with wisdom and compassion in an era when our teachers and students need it more than ever, this book is a gift to the future of our communities and larger society. [It]reminds us that the best way to cultivate happy, mindful children is to cultivate happiness and mindfulness in the adults around them…Nhat Hanh and Weare teach us exactly that, drawing deeply on both science and spirit to nourish the seeds of mindfulness in ourselves and future generations, truly changing the world.”—Christopher Willard, PhD, Growing up Mindful and Child’s Mind
 
“When I first read this book a single word came up over and over, ‘beautiful.’ The book’s intention; the potential to change the culture of schools, to affect the trajectory of young people’s lives; the confluence of ancient wisdom and contemporary education practice; the clarity of the writing—beautiful. I hope this proves to be a seminal text for educators around the world with an interest in how best to support the learning and well-being of young people and those who teach them.”—Willem Kuyken, PhD, Oxford Mindfulness Centre, University of Oxford[It]
 
“This wonderful book gives us wise insights and tools to integrate mindfulness into education, in order to enhance the full human-beingness of teachers, students, and parents. [It] allows us to teach best what we most need to know—the art of living.”—Nimrod Sheinman, ND, Israel’s Center for Mindfulness in Education, The Center for Mind-Body Medicine, and Mindful Schools, Israel
Thich Nhat Hanh was a world-renowned spiritual teacher and peace activist. Born in Vietnam in 1926, he became a Zen Buddhist monk at the age of sixteen. Over seven decades of teaching, he published more than 100 books, which have sold more than four million copies in the United States alone. Exiled from Vietnam in 1966 for promoting peace, his teachings on Buddhism as a path to social and political transformation are responsible for bringing the mindfulness movement to Western culture. He established the international Plum Village Community of Engaged Buddhism in France, now the largest Buddhist monastery in Europe and the heart of a growing community of mindfulness practice centers around the world. He passed away in 2022 at the age of 95 at his root temple, Tu Hieu, in Hue, Vietnam.

About

Thich Nhat Hanh shares teacher-friendly guidance on bringing secular mindfulness into your classroom—complete with step-by-step techniques, exercises, and insights from other educators.

Discover practical and re-energizing guidance on caring for yourself and your students!

The Plum Village approach to mindfulness in schools stresses that educators must first establish their own mindfulness practice as a basis for their work in the classroom. These easy-to-follow, step-by-step techniques are designed by teachers to help their colleagues cultivate this important foundation and better support their students. You’ll find:

• Basic mindfulness practices taught by Thich Nhat Hanh
• Guidance from educators using these practices in their classrooms
• Ample in-class interpretations, activities, tips, and instructions
• Inspirational stories from teachers, administrators, and counselors

With motivational anecdotes from colleagues and tried and true mindfulness exercises from Thich Nhat Hanh and the Plum Village community, this loving and supportive guide is an invaluable tool for educators to calm, focus, and reenergize their classrooms.

Reviews

“A wonderful resource for those searching for ideas to bring mindfulness to their own lives as well as to their students. The voices and expertise of classroom teachers resound throughout this rich volume.”—Mark T. Greenberg, PhD, Pennsylvania State University
 
“At last: a book about mindfulness meditation for teachers—and thus for students—that preserves the depth and the wisdom of its Buddhist roots. And a practical one at that, full of elegant suggestions that today's stressed youngsters ought to jump at. It will do much good.”—Guy Claxton, PhD, What’s the Point of School? and Building Learning Power
 
“The contributions of Thich Nhat Hanh and Katherine Weare to the field of contemplative pedagogy are many. With this important book they bring not only their own depth of experience to the task, but also that of hundreds of teachers to aid teachers and students everywhere in attaining genuine happiness through the practice of a mindful and compassionate education.”—Arthur Zajonic, PhD, The Heart of Higher Education
 
“This book is both a joy to read and a very practical resource for teachers who want to pass on the practice of mindfulness to their students. Grounded in research evidence and in the experience of teachers who have travelled this path before, it shows the transformative power of mindfulness to bring education to its senses. A must for any teacher in any setting who has ever wondered if what they are doing could be done with more fun and less effort.”—Sarah Stewart-Brown, PhD, Warwick Medical School, UK
 
“This book should not only be a required reading for teachers and educational personnel, but also for those who are concerned about the future of our children. The contemplative practices and experiential exercises … are indeed capable of fostering more resilient, happier and compassionate teachers and pupils, and thus have the potential to change the world.”—Rony Berger, PsyD, The Center of Compassionate Mindful Education, Tel Aviv University; Ben Gurion University; The Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education at Stanford University
 
“What an important book! Thich Nhat Hanh is a global leader dedicated to bringing mindfulness, happiness, well-being, and peace to educators, students, and society. He has keenly felt the responsibility of helping young people …and has dedicated his whole life to the mission of communicating timeless, universal values in an accessible way. Katherine Weare is an educator with decades of experience in bringing well-being and mindfulness into schools and universities. …To have these two co-authoring this book is a wonderful and precious gift to us all.”—Vidyamala Burch, Mindfulness for Health and Mindfulness for Women
 
“For educators everywhere who yearn for wisdom and partnership in their courageous efforts to form young hearts and minds in an increasingly fragmented world, this book is a trustworthy and wise companion… It is essential reading for all those interested in mindfulness in education today.”—Robert W. Roeser, PhD, co-editor of Handbook of Mindfulness in Education
 
“In this outstanding book, Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, with his profound teachings and deep practices, and Professor Katherine Weare, with her considerable experience of emotional education, child development, and mindfulness in education, collaborate to provide a step-by-step detailed sequence of mindful practices for everyday activities such as breathing, walking, eating… Beautifully written, highly accessible, knowledgeable and deeply practical, this book will be an invaluable to teachers and students alike.”—Paul Gilbert, PhD, OBE, Centre for Compassion Research and Training, University of Derby, The Compassionate Mind
 
“‘Mindfulness is a path not a tool.’ Thich Nhat Hanh, Katherine Weare, and the Plum Village teachers illuminate this path with precision and clarity. Enlivened with the diverse and precious experiences shared by those who walk the path in their classrooms and lecture halls across the globe, this book is an extraordinary offering to all educators and their students.”—Christine Burke, PhD, Australian Catholic University
 
Happy Teachers Change the World is an enormously valuable compendium of mindfulness practices for those working in education.”—Richard Burnett, Mindfulness in Schools Project, UK
 
“Bursting with wisdom and compassion in an era when our teachers and students need it more than ever, this book is a gift to the future of our communities and larger society. [It]reminds us that the best way to cultivate happy, mindful children is to cultivate happiness and mindfulness in the adults around them…Nhat Hanh and Weare teach us exactly that, drawing deeply on both science and spirit to nourish the seeds of mindfulness in ourselves and future generations, truly changing the world.”—Christopher Willard, PhD, Growing up Mindful and Child’s Mind
 
“When I first read this book a single word came up over and over, ‘beautiful.’ The book’s intention; the potential to change the culture of schools, to affect the trajectory of young people’s lives; the confluence of ancient wisdom and contemporary education practice; the clarity of the writing—beautiful. I hope this proves to be a seminal text for educators around the world with an interest in how best to support the learning and well-being of young people and those who teach them.”—Willem Kuyken, PhD, Oxford Mindfulness Centre, University of Oxford[It]
 
“This wonderful book gives us wise insights and tools to integrate mindfulness into education, in order to enhance the full human-beingness of teachers, students, and parents. [It] allows us to teach best what we most need to know—the art of living.”—Nimrod Sheinman, ND, Israel’s Center for Mindfulness in Education, The Center for Mind-Body Medicine, and Mindful Schools, Israel

Author

Thich Nhat Hanh was a world-renowned spiritual teacher and peace activist. Born in Vietnam in 1926, he became a Zen Buddhist monk at the age of sixteen. Over seven decades of teaching, he published more than 100 books, which have sold more than four million copies in the United States alone. Exiled from Vietnam in 1966 for promoting peace, his teachings on Buddhism as a path to social and political transformation are responsible for bringing the mindfulness movement to Western culture. He established the international Plum Village Community of Engaged Buddhism in France, now the largest Buddhist monastery in Europe and the heart of a growing community of mindfulness practice centers around the world. He passed away in 2022 at the age of 95 at his root temple, Tu Hieu, in Hue, Vietnam.