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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Implement the Compassionate Classroom!, March 5, 2005
This review is from: The Compassionate Classroom: Relationship Based Teaching and Learning (Paperback)
This is a landmark book that all educators of young and elementary aged children deserve to become familiar with. "The Compassionate Classroom" has the power to transform and improve the classroom social scene and learning experiences of children and teachers alike.
Supported by the research and experience of psychologists and educators like Daniel Goleman and William Glasser, the authors' main idea is that education depends on positive relationships and that children and adults need to learn to communicate in a mutually supportive way to achieve this. They draw directly on the seminal work of conflict resolution mediator and trainer Marshall Rosenberg who says, "The objective of Nonviolent Communication is not to change people and their behavior in order to get our way; it is to establish relationships based on honesty and empathy which will eventually fulfill everyone's needs." Sura Hart and Victoria Kindle Hodson masterfully translate the principles of "nonviolent communication" so that children can understand and apply them. Some of the highlights of this book are the numerous practical activities and lessons that teachers can use with their students to improve their ability to listen with empathy to others and make requests that will be sympathetically heard.
Children learn better in a supportive environment where they feel emotionally safe. They need the tools to communicate "from the heart" in order to achieve this. On the contrary, in today's hurried world our students are often exposed to impersonal pressures and models of social interaction that promote indifference, competition, hostility and violent "solutions'' to personal or social problems. "The Compassionate Classroom" provides an antidote to all this and sets a different standard for our children, one that is humane and "life-fulfilling." Along with many fellow teachers I say a heartfelt "Thank you and congratulations!" to Sura and Victoria for this wonderful contribution to our practice.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Tools for Transforming the Classroom, March 23, 2005
This review is from: The Compassionate Classroom: Relationship Based Teaching and Learning (Paperback)
I have worked in the field of education for over 25 years. I've been a classroom teacher, consultant, trainer, administrator, and state-level bureaucrat. For the last three years, I have been a professor in a teacher education program at a small state university in Pennsylvania. I have provided the above background so that my comments about The Compassionate Classroom may have credibility with amazon.com customers.
I am delighted to agree wholeheartedly with John Zurbrigg's review here on amazon.com. I will add that my interest in The Compassionate Classroom was inspired first by my studies in Nonviolent Communication (NVC), as developed by Marshall Rosenberg. Sura and Victoria have done a masterful job translating NVC to the classroom, staying completely faithful to NVC principles, explaining them clearly, and providing examples and activities for teachers to follow and use. I will be using The Compassionate Classroom as a text in one of my undergraduate classes this fall, and I am applying the principles in all of my classes henceforth.
I simply cannot say enough about The Compassionate Classroom. It absolutely excites me by giving me hope that we can create classrooms where the passion for learning is truly nurtured. My request is that you buy it for yourself if you are a teacher, and give it to every teacher you know as a gift. On behalf of children and our future, let's start transforming education today. This book gives us the tools!
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
THE COMPASSIONATE CLASSROOM IS EXCELLENT!, August 19, 2005
This review is from: The Compassionate Classroom: Relationship Based Teaching and Learning (Paperback)
This book is written for teachers. The first part of the book focuses on research and background for using positive, non-violent language with children and teaching them how to use it. The authors talk about the difference between what they call naming/blaming language and non-violent, positive language. The last part of the book gives many useful ideas to emplement in a classroom.
With bullying coming - finally - to the forefront in schools, this book is a wonderful, pro-active way to get started.
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