Everything Is Awe-some: Showing Young Students the Power of Awe

Advertisement

Originally published in TEACH Magazine, January/February 2025 Issue

By Carol Gutierrez

A double rainbow, yes. The first time you see the Grand Canyon or Michelangelo’s David, sure. An astonishing goal in the game’s last 30 seconds, definitely. This is the stuff that leaves you awestruck. But a herniated disc? Sounds unlikely, but that’s what did it for me.

I was recovering from a spinal injury last summer when I read The Power of Awe by Jake Eagle and Michael Amster, and it changed my mindset. The book blends scientific and sensory, talking about ways we can bring more awe into our lives using what the authors call the “A.W.E. Method”:

  • A (Attention): Turn your undivided attention to things you appreciate, value, or find amazing
  • W (Wait): Slow down and pause
  • E (Exhale and Expand): Amplify the sensations you are experiencing

So, while I was resting at home during summer vacation, rather than relying on medication, I decided to use the lessons from The Power of Awe to help me reduce my pain. The book encouraged me to focus on all the awe I had before me: the view of the bay from my balcony, breakfast in bed, the movement of the leaves on the trees outside my window, visiting with family members, the extra time I had to read and learn.

The Hypothesis

The topic of awe itself couldn’t be more timely. After 35 years of teaching elementary school, I’ve never seen such an urgent need to address social-emotional issues in and out of the classroom as I do now, post-COVID. I began wondering whether the power of awe could help not just me, but my students as well.

Subscribe to Keep Reading

🔑 You’re one step away from unlocking premium content.
Subscribe now for just $15.99/year and get full access!
If you’re already subscribed, please .
Avatar photo

Carol Gutierrez is an elementary teacher in Hillsborough, CA, and a parent of three wonderful adults—Nik, Katie, and Joe—with her husband, Mike.

Education News

Helping Students Become Lifelong Readers

The best way to inspire today’s youth to read is by building a culture that celebrates their book choices and makes reading as fun and engaging as the media they already love.

How (and Why) to Make Classrooms More Musical

Music is a language that reaches across age, culture, and ability. And when we learn to use it with care and creativity, it becomes one of the most accessible and powerful tools we have in education.

Reading in America: Five Years Since COVID

While we continue to understand and measure the pandemic's impact on education, more and more evidence is confirming that, even five years later, students are still a long way off from rebounding academically.

GIA GemKit Brings Gem Science to Any Classroom

Young students anywhere in the world can now experience the wonder of gems and minerals with GemKit™ by GemKids ®.

Join Our Newsletter

Get 10% off a subscription, monthly giveaways, and the latest updates—straight to your inbox!

Carol Gutierrez
Carol Gutierrez
Carol Gutierrez is an elementary teacher in Hillsborough, CA, and a parent of three wonderful adults—Nik, Katie, and Joe—with her husband, Mike.

Advertisement

Read More

Paths to Success: Practicing Hope Theory in the Classroom

Throughout the decade I have spent working in education, I’ve seen the most positive impact when I’ve incorporated hope-based strategies into my teaching.

Helping Students Become Lifelong Readers

The best way to inspire today’s youth to read is by building a culture that celebrates their book choices and makes reading as fun and engaging as the media they already love.

How (and Why) to Make Classrooms More Musical

Music is a language that reaches across age, culture, and ability. And when we learn to use it with care and creativity, it becomes one of the most accessible and powerful tools we have in education.

Whose Face Belongs Here? Navigating Race in the World of AI

Teachers need support not only in understanding the tools, but also in managing the ethical, cultural, and emotional complexities that AI brings to the classroom.

Reading in America: Five Years Since COVID

While we continue to understand and measure the pandemic's impact on education, more and more evidence is confirming that, even five years later, students are still a long way off from rebounding academically.

GIA GemKit Brings Gem Science to Any Classroom

Young students anywhere in the world can now experience the wonder of gems and minerals with GemKit™ by GemKids ®.