As school doors open this year to welcome back students, successful schools recognize that if they want to reach and teach all students, they need to touch their hearts and their minds. Amid the dual pandemics--Covid19 and the social and civic unrest--students are entering the school year with a host of needs that must be addressed to ensure that they are successful. 

These needs cover the spectrum from a deficit in mathematics to a family hardship. Regardless, in the end, we know that student achievement improves when students feel connected and safe, when relationships flourish in the classroom. There is no substitute for a student having a meaningful connection with a teacher, counselor, paraprofessional, administrator, or other educator at school.
Our blog this month focused on 6 different ways to build SEL in schools, and we hope you found them easy to implement. As educational leaders, we realize that one of the best places to start your learning is by reading great books, which is why we curate our lists of books to help you on your path to leading better and growing faster. 

This month, we recommend two books that we believe can make a difference where it matters the most—in the classroom. The first book is The Formative Five by Thomas Hoerr and the second one is Improve Every Lesson with SEL by Jeffrey Benson.

Featured Author: Thomas Hoerr
Featured Book: The Formative Five: Fostering Grit, Empathy, and Other Success Skills Every Student Needs

The Formative Five focuses on developing empathy, self-control, integrity, embracing diversity, and grit . Each one of the five serves our students (and teachers) well as they strive to deepen their understanding and execution in each area. The five also have a unique way of focusing on the self and others. We found this to be practical for all educators. 

Focusing on others, having empathy, is something that we can all improve upon, and as we seek to understand others, we often learn quite a bit about ourselves. Lastly, Heorr recommends other reads throughout the chapters, which is a great springboard to other books that may be valuable. Don’t miss our interview with Thomas Hoerr. You can find it on our site at the schoolhouse302.com by clicking on the podcast button at the top. 

Featured Author: Jeffrey Benson
Featured Book: Improving Every Lesson Plan with SEL

Improving Every Lesson Plan with SEL demystifies the process of weaving social and emotional learning into your lessons. That last thing we want is for SEL activities to be taught in isolation or devoid of the classroom content. The more SEL can find a home within each lesson, the more students will understand the dynamic nature of so many of the topics we discuss. Consider Hurricane Ida that just devastated areas of the east coast, it’s important to know what a hurricane is, the various categories for example, but tying that to the human side of destruction and loss can teach empathy along with the content. 

Let us know what you’re reading by contacting us at contact@theschoolhouse302.com. 

We can’t wait to hear from you. 

Joe & T.J.

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Two Books On Social & Emotional Learning That Are Bound To Make An Impact On Your School

In a recent riveting conversation on "Inside Personal Growth," Guy Kawasaki, the prolific author and influential thinker, shared valuable insights from his latest book, "Think Remarkable." As we explored this guide to living a life of meaning and impact, Kawasaki delved into the essence of making a real difference in the world.

Inside Personal Growth

Podcast 1102: Unlocking the Secrets to Remarkable Impact with Guy Kawasaki

From one podcaster to another, joining us this episode is Kerry Siggins featuring her book The Ownership Mindset: A Handbook for Transforming Your Life and Leadership.

Podcast 1103: The Ownership Mindset with Kerry Siggins

Joining us this episode is visionary author and highly experienced Master Life Coach, Elaine Glass featuring her upcoming book Get Quiet: 7 Simple Paths to the Truth of Who You Are. Its release date is on April 30 2024.

Podcast 1104: Get Quiet with Elaine Glass

It is both an honor and pleasure to be joined today by one of the top five most award-winning speakers in the world and a bestselling author, a good friend of mine, Jim Cathcart. He now has 26 amazing books to his name and we're going to talk one of those, the "Intelligent Curiosity: The Art of Finding More".

Podcast 1105: Intelligent Curiosity with Jim Cathcart

My guest for this episode is a rare talent and deeply experienced senior leader, keynote speaker, healer, and consultant, Dr. Jonathan Ellerby featuring his book The Seven Gateways of Spiritual Experience: Awakening to a Deeper Knowledge of Love, Life Balance, and God.

Podcast 1106: The Seven Gateways of Spiritual Experience with Dr. Jonathan Ellerby

Joining us this episode is Certified High Performance Coach and the founder of coaching and consulting company The Growth Edge, James Williams featuring his coaching program The Business of You.

Podcast 1107: The Business of You with James Williams

In a captivating episode of Inside Personal Growth, Dr. James Doty, neurosurgeon and author of "Mind Magic: The Neuroscience of Manifestation and How It Changes Everything," shares profound insights into how our minds can shape our realities. This interview delves deep into the themes of compassion, neuroplasticity, and the power of intention.

Podcast 1108: Mind Magic with Dr. James R. Doty

We have a returning guest today and he is Scott Young. He's been here during our 742nd episode for his book Ultralearning: Master Hard Skills, Outsmart the Competition, and Accelerate Your Career. And now, he's back to talk about his newly released book Get Better at Anything: 12 Maxims for Mastery.

Podcast 1109: Get Better at Anything with Scott H. Young

In our latest podcast episode, we had the privilege of speaking with Dr. James Pinkston, a pioneering physician in the realm of regenerative medicine, based in Asheville, North Carolina. Dr. Pinkston’s practice focuses on employing innovative, non-surgical methods to alleviate pain and enhance the body’s natural healing processes.

Throughout the interview, Dr. Pinkston shared valuable insights into his approach, emphasizing the body's intrinsic ability to heal itself. He discussed various treatments, including the use of Intellifat BOD kits, which utilize adipose tissue to aid in recovery and pain management. His holistic view integrates the osteopathic philosophy, focusing on the whole patient — body, mind, and spirit — to encourage healing.

Podcast 1110:  Exploring Regenerative Medicine:  An Inside Look with Dr. James Pinkston

Helping Educators Lead Better and Grow Faster

Two Books On Social & Emotional Learning That Are Bound To Make An Impact On Your School

TheSchoolHouse302

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