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A Teaching Handbook for Wiccans and Pagans: Practical Guidance for Sharing Your Path
As the Pagan and Wiccan communities grow, so does the need for teachers, mentors, and role models. For those who want to share their knowledge, teaching can be a very empowering and spiritual experience. But practicing the Craft and teaching it are two very different things. In this timely guide, popular Wiccan author and teacher Thea Sabin presents clear techniques for creating a curriculum, including sample syllabi. She also provides instruction and guidance on crucial aspects of becoming an effective and inspiring teacher of Wicca and Paganism. You will also find interviews and advice from several respected Pagan teachers, such as Patrick McCollum, Holli Emore of Cherry Hill Seminary, Christopher Penczak, and T. Thorn Coyle.
312 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2012
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February 22, 2023
I couldn't recommend this book highly enough, to be honest.
I've crowed a lot over the last few years about how far too many people in the Pagan community tend to think they're ready and qualified to be teachers when they're far from it. I've also spoken at length many times about how other religions have significant vetting and training systems in place for their religious teachers- and how even secular educational professionals are required to undergo years of education before they're allowed to step into a classroom. And I've made it clear that the fact Paganism does not have similar vetting systems in place is a significant problem that needs to be addressed, and addressed quickly, and that I believe it's a root cause of many of our community troubles.
Each time I've spoken about it, I've been speaking from a place of my own experiences in the early 2010's as someone shoved very quickly into a position of authority on the web as a teacher, which eventually culminated into increasing pressure to write books about Paganism... And then allowed to fall ungracefully to the floor when the winds shifted, and left to pick up the pieces and deal with the problems it caused on their own because they weren't ready and were too young, and had none of the actual experience or knowledge necessary to be in any sort of position like that in the first place; many people who think they should be teachers- and many people the community tries to force into a position of teaching, especially with the way that social media works- simply aren't made to, experienced enough, or ready to be teachers, let alone have any of the necessary training to be, and we need to be significantly re-evaluating the systems we're using to determine authority in these matters.
I've by no means been quiet over the years about the fact that, especially after my own experiences in these very matters, I find it completely unacceptable that not only does Paganism not have any educational vetting systems in place, but that the community largely rallies against their implementation and considers any such vetting systems a failure of Paganism; that when people even remotely begin to talk about how we as a community really do need to start re-examining how we approach teaching, and makes these suggestions about how we should be a bit more "choosey" about who we let teach us, and start taking things more seriously in a way that actually reflects the true seriousness of spiritual mentorship and leadership (and the seriousness with which other religions handle their own spiritual teachers and leaders)... All hell tends to break loose.
So imagine my surprise in finding a book written in 2012 about the very topic... And not just written, mind you. But written well , by someone who was both a Pagan and a secular educational professional. And which is well researched. And which holds true to the promise in the title of covering the practical. And which also speaks to many of those same themes: Of knowledge alone not being qualification. Of the importance of training and emotional and mental readiness. Of the seriousness of spiritual mentorship, and its impacts on both students and teacher alike, and more.
There are, of course, some topics that I wish would have been covered- such as why one should take legalities into consideration when it comes to teaching minors (teens or children under 18 in most regions, but anyone considered under the age of majority in their country), and why the permission slip she cautions people not to teach without receiving happens to be so important. But for the most part this book is an incredible breath of fresh air. A much needed one, too, in an era where anyone with a social media account sharing infographics and the same copy-and-pasted materials can amass a following and be considered a teacher overnight when many of them really shouldn't be.
To put it plain and simply, this book should be recommended reading for anyone who fancies themselves any sort of "teacher", or who believes they're qualified in any regard to be passing along information about Paganism to others- whether that information is as small as a fun infographic, or as large as a circle at a Pagan Pride event, or anything in between; whether they're doing so for fun on a blog, or attempting to do so for real as a profession; if you're sharing any amount of information on any aspect of Paganism, then you qualify at least in some paltry regard and should be reading this book.
It's time for us to start getting more serious about our teachers, whether you like it or not, and I believe this book's the first stepping stone in aiding the community in doing that.
I've crowed a lot over the last few years about how far too many people in the Pagan community tend to think they're ready and qualified to be teachers when they're far from it. I've also spoken at length many times about how other religions have significant vetting and training systems in place for their religious teachers- and how even secular educational professionals are required to undergo years of education before they're allowed to step into a classroom. And I've made it clear that the fact Paganism does not have similar vetting systems in place is a significant problem that needs to be addressed, and addressed quickly, and that I believe it's a root cause of many of our community troubles.
Each time I've spoken about it, I've been speaking from a place of my own experiences in the early 2010's as someone shoved very quickly into a position of authority on the web as a teacher, which eventually culminated into increasing pressure to write books about Paganism... And then allowed to fall ungracefully to the floor when the winds shifted, and left to pick up the pieces and deal with the problems it caused on their own because they weren't ready and were too young, and had none of the actual experience or knowledge necessary to be in any sort of position like that in the first place; many people who think they should be teachers- and many people the community tries to force into a position of teaching, especially with the way that social media works- simply aren't made to, experienced enough, or ready to be teachers, let alone have any of the necessary training to be, and we need to be significantly re-evaluating the systems we're using to determine authority in these matters.
I've by no means been quiet over the years about the fact that, especially after my own experiences in these very matters, I find it completely unacceptable that not only does Paganism not have any educational vetting systems in place, but that the community largely rallies against their implementation and considers any such vetting systems a failure of Paganism; that when people even remotely begin to talk about how we as a community really do need to start re-examining how we approach teaching, and makes these suggestions about how we should be a bit more "choosey" about who we let teach us, and start taking things more seriously in a way that actually reflects the true seriousness of spiritual mentorship and leadership (and the seriousness with which other religions handle their own spiritual teachers and leaders)... All hell tends to break loose.
So imagine my surprise in finding a book written in 2012 about the very topic... And not just written, mind you. But written well , by someone who was both a Pagan and a secular educational professional. And which is well researched. And which holds true to the promise in the title of covering the practical. And which also speaks to many of those same themes: Of knowledge alone not being qualification. Of the importance of training and emotional and mental readiness. Of the seriousness of spiritual mentorship, and its impacts on both students and teacher alike, and more.
There are, of course, some topics that I wish would have been covered- such as why one should take legalities into consideration when it comes to teaching minors (teens or children under 18 in most regions, but anyone considered under the age of majority in their country), and why the permission slip she cautions people not to teach without receiving happens to be so important. But for the most part this book is an incredible breath of fresh air. A much needed one, too, in an era where anyone with a social media account sharing infographics and the same copy-and-pasted materials can amass a following and be considered a teacher overnight when many of them really shouldn't be.
To put it plain and simply, this book should be recommended reading for anyone who fancies themselves any sort of "teacher", or who believes they're qualified in any regard to be passing along information about Paganism to others- whether that information is as small as a fun infographic, or as large as a circle at a Pagan Pride event, or anything in between; whether they're doing so for fun on a blog, or attempting to do so for real as a profession; if you're sharing any amount of information on any aspect of Paganism, then you qualify at least in some paltry regard and should be reading this book.
It's time for us to start getting more serious about our teachers, whether you like it or not, and I believe this book's the first stepping stone in aiding the community in doing that.
September 30, 2012
I often hear a book described as "one I wish I'd had back when I was..." I've even had that said about my own work a few times. In this case, it's a really apt statement. I wish I'd had Thea Sabin's teaching manual when I was a young Wiccan teacher.
This book is as far as I know the first of its kind, and I'm happy to see it. I taught off and on for ten years, and while I never became a pro at it, I learned a lot--and much of what I learned that proved helpful is in this book. I checked the Handbook out from the library purely out of curiosity and was genuinely impressed.
Sabin covers a lot of ground; there's no way to go in depth in all the subjects, but what's really great about this book is that it offers you a place to start. When I was designing my first courses I had no idea how to organize my subjects, how to structure a class; I only had the classes I'd been to to go on, and since a lot of those were taught by crazy people, I felt like I was kind of making it up as I went along. That education was valuable, and I learned quickly what worked and what didn't, but I think a newer teacher getting her feet wet would benefit hugely from this book. It doesn't tell you what to do, it gives you several approaches to much of the subject, and shows the benefits and detriments of each.
Sabin discusses how to find students and screen them - and how that's different whether you're holding class in your home or giving a public presentation. She goes into the cost of teaching as well as the age-old debate about charging for teaching, and while she's not a die hard either way she offers thought-provoking reasons toward both directions and lets the reader make up her own mind. Sabin then breaks down a single class into its components, shows you how to construct them, and then how to present the material including using media like DVDs and handouts as well as helpful lecture hints.
Her chapters on what to do when the psychos come out of the woodwork would have been especially good for me back in the day, but there is also good information about teaching online, and then a VERY important section on self-care for teachers to help them avoid burnout.
I found this book actually made me want to teach again - I probably won't, since I'm not in that place anymore and what I would teach now would be very different from the average Wiccan/Pagan curriculum, but after several years of avoiding the subject entirely Sabin's book brought me back to that place in my mind, and I have to say, that's the mark of a job well done.
This book is as far as I know the first of its kind, and I'm happy to see it. I taught off and on for ten years, and while I never became a pro at it, I learned a lot--and much of what I learned that proved helpful is in this book. I checked the Handbook out from the library purely out of curiosity and was genuinely impressed.
Sabin covers a lot of ground; there's no way to go in depth in all the subjects, but what's really great about this book is that it offers you a place to start. When I was designing my first courses I had no idea how to organize my subjects, how to structure a class; I only had the classes I'd been to to go on, and since a lot of those were taught by crazy people, I felt like I was kind of making it up as I went along. That education was valuable, and I learned quickly what worked and what didn't, but I think a newer teacher getting her feet wet would benefit hugely from this book. It doesn't tell you what to do, it gives you several approaches to much of the subject, and shows the benefits and detriments of each.
Sabin discusses how to find students and screen them - and how that's different whether you're holding class in your home or giving a public presentation. She goes into the cost of teaching as well as the age-old debate about charging for teaching, and while she's not a die hard either way she offers thought-provoking reasons toward both directions and lets the reader make up her own mind. Sabin then breaks down a single class into its components, shows you how to construct them, and then how to present the material including using media like DVDs and handouts as well as helpful lecture hints.
Her chapters on what to do when the psychos come out of the woodwork would have been especially good for me back in the day, but there is also good information about teaching online, and then a VERY important section on self-care for teachers to help them avoid burnout.
I found this book actually made me want to teach again - I probably won't, since I'm not in that place anymore and what I would teach now would be very different from the average Wiccan/Pagan curriculum, but after several years of avoiding the subject entirely Sabin's book brought me back to that place in my mind, and I have to say, that's the mark of a job well done.
May 2, 2012
I liked this book. It was well researched, very well written and laid out in a way that made it easy for the reader to go back and forth as they needed to. Thea made creating a syllabus easy for those who aren't trained as teachers. There were enough stories from new and old pagan teachers that highlighted each point, I particularly liked reading Chris Penzack's quotes, he was very funny.
Even though I may not wish to become a teacher, I believe this book will make it easier for those who choose this path. Thea made you look deep within for not just what you wished to impart to your students but what you wished they would learn ( which yes, it's very different). The author pushed the reader to truly examine why they wished to teach, what were the true goals of becoming a teacher. She even tackled the sticky subject of charging or not charging for teaching. She imparted much information about how to control your class, control your message and control your image.
See the full review on my blog
Even though I may not wish to become a teacher, I believe this book will make it easier for those who choose this path. Thea made you look deep within for not just what you wished to impart to your students but what you wished they would learn ( which yes, it's very different). The author pushed the reader to truly examine why they wished to teach, what were the true goals of becoming a teacher. She even tackled the sticky subject of charging or not charging for teaching. She imparted much information about how to control your class, control your message and control your image.
See the full review on my blog
December 15, 2022
First, I think this book needed to have a bigger emphasis with the description and/or title of the book that it is an interview. Nearly every concept the author had to back up her claims with random bits from interviews with other teachers. Constantly! I’ve seen it done better in other books where multiple people collaborated on a work and this just felt like the author had little confidence in the work she was writing.
Secondly, it is extremely obvious the author has a bias for what style of teaching should be done. This book is only useful for in person, short term learning (within 6 months or less). It also assumes you will have a group, not a handful of students which isn’t realistic. The chapter for online teaching was pointless. It’s outdated, and was likely outdated when published. The author treats online community as if it’s still 2006. Of course, websites have changed and are mostly defunct now. Her attitude can be summed up with this quote:
“I suppose you could haul your laptop outside and take a pagan course (as long as you could get wifi) but it just doesn’t quite seem right to me.”
The information might be useful if you plan on doing one off classes at the local witch shop. If you are looking for a book on teaching your tradition to others, keep looking.
Secondly, it is extremely obvious the author has a bias for what style of teaching should be done. This book is only useful for in person, short term learning (within 6 months or less). It also assumes you will have a group, not a handful of students which isn’t realistic. The chapter for online teaching was pointless. It’s outdated, and was likely outdated when published. The author treats online community as if it’s still 2006. Of course, websites have changed and are mostly defunct now. Her attitude can be summed up with this quote:
“I suppose you could haul your laptop outside and take a pagan course (as long as you could get wifi) but it just doesn’t quite seem right to me.”
The information might be useful if you plan on doing one off classes at the local witch shop. If you are looking for a book on teaching your tradition to others, keep looking.
August 22, 2016
As a teacher and instructional designer, I am already well equipped to provide educational experiences and facilitate learning. This book is a fine book. It really is, but it did not meet my particular reading needs. What I mean is, I was looking for practice guidance for specific pedagogical strategies of teaching paganism (really, for a self-directed path), and instead found specific guidance for teaching. It is more of a teaching primer than a pagan-teaching book. The most useful sections were those at the end that (finally) focused on pagan-derived lessons rather than pedagogy and learning theory. This book would likely be very useful to someone who has never taught or doesn't understand teaching, though (and I can see how some Pagan-pathworkers would be just that). This book just wasn't for me.
June 7, 2012
This is one of the best books I've ever read regarding Pagan leadership...ever.
There's not much more to say than that. As I was reading this book, the #1 thought that kept coming to mind was "gee, I thought that only happened to me!". It was wonderful to read about all the thinsg that have come up for me since I began teaching seriously a couple years ago and how teachers deal with them. Im so lucky to have read this somewhat early on in my teaching practice. This would have been needed even 20 years ago I'm sure, so I'm glad its around now.
Even if you only ever plan to teach casually to one person, get this book anyways. Its worth it!
There's not much more to say than that. As I was reading this book, the #1 thought that kept coming to mind was "gee, I thought that only happened to me!". It was wonderful to read about all the thinsg that have come up for me since I began teaching seriously a couple years ago and how teachers deal with them. Im so lucky to have read this somewhat early on in my teaching practice. This would have been needed even 20 years ago I'm sure, so I'm glad its around now.
Even if you only ever plan to teach casually to one person, get this book anyways. Its worth it!
July 12, 2013
I had great timing for reading this book, because it was right before I started an outer court for seekers of Wicca. This book provided a broad overview of all of the nitty-gritty details, helping me think long-term with my plans and not miss any important practical business. This book would be especially vital to anyone who hasn't yet taken on the role of teacher in any sort of formal context.
July 16, 2012
If not for the Wiccan/Pagans stuff, this could be agreat book for theacher!
Se non fosse per tutti gli argomenti che ruotano intorno ai Wiccan/Pagans, sarebbe un ottimo libro per chi decide di insegnare.
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND LLWELLYN WORLDWIDE
Se non fosse per tutti gli argomenti che ruotano intorno ai Wiccan/Pagans, sarebbe un ottimo libro per chi decide di insegnare.
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND LLWELLYN WORLDWIDE
June 25, 2013
A great book. Extensive details that are organized and placed together in a way to maximusr your teaching efforts. I recomend this book to any attempting to aid other as well as your own personal growth.
February 9, 2013
Very helpful!! My teaching adults skills are improved!!
June 2, 2015
One of the best books I have read in a long time. Informative, demonstrative, and engaging!
May 24, 2013
review soon at thefaeryromanticlibrarian.blogspot.com
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews