THE WOODLANDS, TX — The John Cooper School is proud to celebrate Director of Wellness Dr. Juan-Diego Estrada on the publication of his new book, Beyond Thinking: Cultivating Awareness and Well-Being in Education, published by Bloomsbury Academic.
Drawing on more than two decades of experience bringing mindfulness and well-being practices to school communities, Dr. Estrada explores how educators can cultivate greater awareness, balance, and well-being in themselves and, in turn, in the students and communities they serve. The book combines neuroscience, mindfulness practices, and practical strategies designed to help educators and school leaders translate the principles of well-being into everyday practice.
Much of the work behind Beyond Thinking has been shaped through Dr. Estrada’s experiences and the School’s development of a systemic approach to well-being, articulated at Cooper as Wisdom in Action. At Cooper, Wisdom in Action reflects a commitment to educating the whole student by helping young people develop not only intellectually, but also socially, emotionally, and physically.
Dr. Juan-Diego Estrada’s Beyond Thinking brings ideas shaped through Cooper’s Wisdom in Action approach to educators and school communities worldwide
The book represents the latest chapter in work Dr. Estrada has advanced alongside Head of School Dr. Stephen Popp. Together, Dr. Estrada and Dr. Popp have presented Cooper’s approach to well-being at national conferences and contributed to conversations about student wellness and whole-child education through leading education publications.
“Diego’s work has helped us think deeply about what it means to educate and care for the whole student. Wisdom in Action reflects our belief that intellectual growth, personal well-being, and the development of character are deeply connected. It is incredibly meaningful to see ideas that have been cultivated and put into practice here at Cooper now reach educators and communities well beyond our campus through Beyond Thinking,” said Dr. Stephen Popp.
In Beyond Thinking, Dr. Estrada examines the relationship between thinking, awareness, and well-being, offering educators practical ways to recognize unhelpful patterns, develop mindfulness skills, and create healthier learning environments. A central premise of the book is that meaningful change for students begins with the adults who teach, lead, and support them.
“Beyond Thinking grew out of years of working alongside students, educators, and colleagues at The John Cooper School and asking an important question: How do we help people not only succeed, but truly flourish? Wisdom in Action has given us the opportunity to put these ideas into practice and see how greater awareness can influence the way we learn, lead, and connect with one another. My hope is that this book gives educators and leaders practical tools they can use to create healthier, more intentional communities of their own,” said Dr. Dr. Juan-Diego Estrada.
Published in 2026, the 200-page book has already received praise from leaders in the fields of education and youth well-being, including Marc Brackett, founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, and Alison Malmon, founder and Executive Director of Active Minds.
For The John Cooper School, the publication is both a celebration of Dr. Estrada’s professional accomplishment and an opportunity to share ideas that have become an important part of the School’s culture with educators beyond Cooper’s campus.
Beyond Thinking: Cultivating Awareness and Well-Being in Education is available in print and digital formats through Bloomsbury Academic and major booksellers.
The John Cooper School is an independent, non-sectarian, co-educational, college preparatory day school. The School’s mission is to provide a challenging education in a caring environment to a diverse group of select students, enabling them to become critical and creative thinkers, effective communicators, responsible citizens and leaders, and lifelong learners.
