Description
Book SynopsisStrong Spirits, Kind Hearts is the first practical teacher resource to provide comprehensive coverage of all aspects of developing strong spirits and caring young people. It is focused on middle years' students but most lessons can be adapted for older and younger students as well. This resource describes ways to incorporate emotional and spiritual supports into daily routines and interactions with students and provides ready-to-use activities, lessons and units that can be integrated into subject area teaching. This book helps teachers to:understand the importance of strengthening students' spirits and how this support improves students' learning and classroom moralebuild resilience and hope through their interactions with students distinguish between the development of strong spirits and religious educationuse approaches that are respectful of religious and spiritual diversity as well as more secular viewsimplement a wealth of strategies, lessons, and units that develop students' com
Trade ReviewStrong Spirits, Kind Hearts is an impressive and inspiring compilation of ideas, activities and lessons that promises to enrich students' spirits within public education. Sandra Finney encourages transformational approaches to learning. Her book is a must-read that is easy to use without oversimplifying essential ideas and processes. -- Marilyn Webb Neagley, coordinator of Talk About Wellness; author of Walking through the Seasons and co-editor of Educating from the Heart
Many people have spoken of the need to help our children and our society get from 'here'—a place where shallow materialism and dehumanizing experiences make school environments socially toxic—to 'there'—where schools are emotionally safe and spiritually affirming. Sandra Finney has done more: she has given teachers a detailed action plan and road map to help get us from here to there. I salute her! -- Dr. James Garbarino, Author of "Raising Children in a Socially Toxic Environment" and "Children and the Dark Side of Human Experience: Confronting Global Realities and Rethinking Child Development"
Strong Spirits, Kind Hearts offers teachers thoughtful language to transform the relationship between educator and student. Now more than ever, we must shift education's test-driven, factory paradigm from clinical to compassionate, compulsory to exploratory, and mechanistic to spiritual. This book is a gift to help teachers make that happen. Powerful questions, discussion points, and insightful prompts from this book can help students find a new level of belonging, reflection, and understanding. If you're ready to move beyond the box, enhance your commitment to diversity and gratitude, and raise students as whole people with whole lives, start reading. Learning will transform in this guided, safe space Finney provides. -- Lyn Fairchild Hawks, award winning teacher and teacher educator at Duke University and author of many resources for teachers including co-authorship of The Compassionate Classroom: Lessons that Nurture Wisdom and Empathy
The concepts presented in this book resonate with many of our First Nations and Metis cultural teachings regarding healthy holistic human development. I believe the subject matter in this compilation will be helpful towards restoring the spiritual balance within our community of learners, as we all strive for greater peace and harmony in education. -- Leah Marie Dorion, Metis Arts Educator and author of "The Giving Tree and Ancestors with Roots"
Strong Spirits, Kind Hearts: Helping Students develop Inner Strength, Resilience, and Meaning meets a real need by providing teachers with holistic learning strategies that can be readily used in the classroom. Sandra Finney presents these strategies in a way that is accessible and grounded in the author's teaching experience. The ideas in this book are particularly helpful to teachers in public schools who are seeking ways to engage the whole child. -- Jack Miller, PhD. , professor, curriculum, teaching and learning, O.I.S. E., University of Toronto and author of “Educating for Wisdom and Compassion and Education and the Soul”
In today’s fast paced world, the need to find meaning in classrooms requires attending to matters of the heart in addition to discipline content. Imagine entering a classroom where the complexity of subject matter is deepened and enriched by establishing a space for the emotional and spiritual needs of students and teachers. This valuable resource will help create this culture in your classroom through accessible activities that inspire awareness and stimulate creativity. -- Jane E. Dalton, Ph.D. is director and assistant professor of Art, Maine College of Art and co-author of “The Compassionate Classroom: Lessons that Nurture Wisdom and Empathy”
Strong Spirits, Kind Hearts emphasizes that children are not merely learning machines but are vulnerable beings that can best be reached through their emotional and spiritual (not religious) sides. Finney offers educators wise counsel on how to help students develop their fullest humanity, as well as academic capacity. Strong Spirits, Kind Hearts takes a systemic approach to providing a caring, safe community in our classrooms and our schools. Filled with excellent suggestions for activities that will increase children’s trust and participation in class, it supports a strong social-emotional intelligence focus to cultivate each student’s individual growth. Aimed specifically at middle school grades, teachers can utilize the important messages in their direct interactions with secondary school students as well. -- Ellen deLara, PhD, LCSW-R, co-author, “And Words Can Hurt Forever: How to protect adolescents from bullying, harassment, and emotional violence.”
This is one of those books that as a teacher I wished I had at hand as I dealt with the day-to-day trials and tribulations of my student’s lives. It provides the resources, lessons, discussion questions to guide you and your students in the exploration of their inner and outer lives. It is a spirited book that deals in actions a teacher can take with a community of learners in their classroom to provide support for their active engagement in their lives from a place of communal connections and inter-strength. This gem of a resource will assist in creating resilience and hope in our students and provide them with the strength to transform our world into one of peace and sustainability. -- Gary Babiuk, PhD. is a professor and teacher educator at the University of Manitoba and a co-facilitator of ASCD’s Holistic Learning and Spirituality in Education Professional Interest Community
Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Preface Part One: the Classroom World Chapter One: The Teacher as Compassionate Role Model A Teacher’s Creed that Supports Students’ Spirits One Small Thing About Me Chapter Two: The Classroom Community: Everyone is Safe here, Belongs here, is Needed A Teacher Talk: We are all in this Together A Process for creating a Safe and Caring Classroom Kindness Lessons A Teacher Talk: When Adults are Unkind Would everyone Please Listen to Me? What do you Need? A Teacher Talk: Thinking about Anger The Sharing Circle Chapter Three: Strengthening Bonds between Class Members A Teacher Talk: A Community Needs Diversity A Teacher Talk: Moral Courage and Diverse Views Who I am Now: A Project Getting to Know You Getting to Know you a Little Better Many Ways to be Smart Laughter is Good for the Soul Part Two: The Inner World Chapter Four: Building Resilience and Inner Strength Sources of Strength –Sources of Happiness The Gifts of Silence A Teacher Talk: The Gifts of Silence Finding the Kindness Within A Teacher Talk: Tuning in to your Heart I am More than You Think Who Needs You? A Teacher Talk: You are Needed Chapter Five: Change your Thinking—Change your Life: A Unit A Teacher Talk: Learning about your Thoughts What are You Thinking? We can Change our Thoughts A Teacher Talk: We can Change our Thoughts We can Change our Thoughts and Behaviours Paths to a Happier Life Chapter Six: A Meaningful Life From Routines to Rituals Beauty that Money Can’t Buy A Teacher Talk: What is Beautiful? We are All Creative A Teacher Talk: The Need to Create What is Your Song? Chapter Seven: Spirit Matters Exploring Questions of Meaning and Purpose The Box for Important Questions Other Ways to Explore Students’ Questions and Concerns What is the Spirit? What is the Soul? What is Sacred to You? Exploring the Many Meanings of Prayer A Teacher Talk: There are Many Ways to Pray Wondering about God Enrichment Part Three: The Natural World Chapter Eight: A Breath of Fresh Air Short Activities Outdoors Take Short Walks Regularly – Ideas for Walks Visit Local Gardens Visit Whatever Body of Water is Possible for You and Your Class The Spirit of Place Chapter Nine: the Ten Thousand Things: Supporting Awe, Wonder, and Respect What has Heart for You? How much will your Heart Hold? Take a Nature Break through the use of Multi Media Technology Explore the Diversity within and across Species Use Nature-Focused Thoughts for the Day Collect Awe and Wonder Stories Develop a List of Marvels and Mysteries Study Colours, Shapes, and Patterns Develop Students’ Interest in and Appreciation of Plants Foster a Respectful Connection to Animals A Teacher Talk: How should Animals be Treated? Wondering Chapter Ten: The Tree of Life: An Integrated Unit Introductory Lesson: the Tree of Life as a Spiritual Symbol The Trees in my Community Awe and Wonder Stories related to Trees Passionate about Trees A World without Trees Adopt a Tree Culminating Activity: Create a Tree of Life with Personal Meaning Part Four: One World Chapter Eleven: We are all One Why do we need Bears? A Circle of Life What and Who do you Need in a Day? What do we have in Common with Others? Whole People, Whole Lives: Moving Beyond Global Labels Chapter 12: Good People of the World: An Integrated Unit What is a Hero? What does it mean to be Courageous? Where does Courage Come From? True Stories of Child and Youth Heroes Heroes in My Family and Community What Causes People to Hate, Hurt, and Kill? Different Types of Good People: “Everyday Heroes”, Humanitarians, Eco-Heroes, and Philanthropists Thinking Globally: Acting Locally Respecting, not Patronizing: What it means to use an Empowerment Model A Better World The Hero within us All Appendices Appendix A: Ways to Help Parents and Administrators Understand a Focus on the Student’s Spirit Appendix B: Principles of a Restorative Approach to Classroom and School Discipline References
