HACKING SCHOOL CULTURE

Confession: I volunteered to read a digital pre-publication copy of this book, in part thinking that I might save some money by not having to buy a copy. Mistake. I’ve already pre-ordered three hard copies: one for me, one for a friend, and one for the faculty room bookshelf. So many of the things that I care about, like to think about, and wish I could do better in the classroom- mindfulness practice, community building, compassion and empathy, positive discipline and classroom management, school culture change, ethnography- are all here together in a wonderful to read manual with clear examples, suggestions, and resources. My school would be a better place for teachers and kids, and I’d be in school heaven, if all of my colleagues were to read this book and take it to heart and practice.

I have always thought that it's nearly impossible to teach someone how to be a teacher, a really, really good teacher. A teacher is not something you do, it's who you are. With that in mind, it makes sense to also believe that there must not be a manual, a how-to, a collection of suggestions designed to help teachers evolve into the really, really good teacher status. WRONG! I had the opportunity to review a digital pre-publication copy of this book and discovered a treasure trove of ideas to help teachers create a truly compassionate classroom environment. When students feel safe, significant and cared for, a whole lot of wonderful can happen. I can't recommend this book highly enough. The format makes for an easy read, the suggestions are clear, and the observations presented validate every single word these authors have written. They have experienced and experimented, listened and learned. And now, they are sharing their wisdom with us. Perhaps the nicest bonus in all of this is that the words in the book can be applied to school, home, business... anywhere people interact, have a choice about how they respond to others, or desire to lead by example.