Creating Emotionally Safe Schools: A Guide for Educators and Parents [Paperback]

Jane Bluestein (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2001

Something is terribly wrong with our schools. How did a place that should be a sanctuary for kids becomes a source of fear and intimidation? What has happened?

In Creating Emotionally Safe Schools, Jane Bluestein offers a plan to return schools to havens of nurturing and learning. She examines environmental, historical, developmental, psychological, sociological, interpersonal, instructional and administrative factors that contribute to the emotional climate of an educational institution. This is a comprehensive view of what makes a school feel the way it feels, and what we can do to make it feel safe for every child-and every adult-who walks through its doors.

Emotional safety has many dimensions, such as: the impact of the family and early development, childhood stress and coping, the changing role of the school, acceptance and emotional support, respect and belonging, temperament and labels, gangs and violence, instructional strategies, learning styles and multiple intelligences, teacher training and support, and the inherent need for a sense of community.

The message Jane Bluestein brings is positive: information, programs and solutions are available that can ultimately make our schools inviting, inspiring, and, yes-safe.

Includes:

• Comprehensive list of references and resources
• Complete index

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Educational counselor Jane Bluestein (21st-Century Discipline) challenges educators, parents, communities and corporate citizens to consider school safety beyond the presence or absence of violence. School safety can be measured psychologically, she claims, and is influenced by everything from a school system that does not respect the expertise and individual styles of its teachers to teachers who use grades and pop quizzes to ridicule slow learners and students who tease and harass even one classmate. In Creating Emotionally Safe Schools: A Guide for Educators and Parents, Bluestein brings together social, biological, educational and environmental perspectives in a weighty and timely book.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Emotional safety in American schools is not only about guns and violence and getting kids to and from school in one piece but also about learning styles, social interactions, discipline, and the roles schools assume in our society and economy. Bluestein, the award-winning author of such works as 21st Century Discipline, Being a Successful Teacher, and The Parent's Little Book of Lists, sets out to highlight the core issues and dynamics that keep feeding the headlines of violence or vandalism. Offering examples of schools where children and adults are reported to feel "emotionally" safe, Bluestein discusses ways in which any academic institution can become a safer place. Chapter notes and a long list of recommended resources make this a useful reference for anyone interested in school reform, educational growth, and current educational perspectives. A realistic look at what is wrong with our schools, this timely book belongs in academic, public, and school libraries. Leroy Hommerding, Fort Myers Beach P.L., FL
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 500 pages
• Publisher: HCI (August 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558748148
• ISBN-13: 978-1558748149
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #148,038 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars long-winded and redundant, June 11, 2007

By 

A. McClellan - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Creating Emotionally Safe Schools: A Guide for Educators and Parents (Paperback)

The editors of this book could have easily trimmed the 381 pages of text (not counting the appendices) to 125 pages of useful information. The content of the book is excellent. The author describes hundreds of scenarios of feeling "unsafe" physically or emotionally in school and then suggests way to remedy these problems. Unfortunately, the reader must trudge through references to countless research studies that would only interest a graduate student, as these studies have no bearing on the content of the text, and only serve to "prove" the authors point. The reader doesn't need this proof, so hundreds of pages are essentially worthless to the casual reader.

As a graduate student, I appreciate the research and time the author took compiling the information. As a teacher, I know the value of creating educationally sound environments so that students can learn. But as an avid reader of all genres of text, this was a waste of my time. I have read far more helpful and creative books that valued my time as a reader and did not meander through repetitive ideas and insinuations. For the same info you'll receive in this book, but with much more reader satisfaction, read texts by Ruby Payne, Michael Gurian, Stephen Covey, or John Maxwell.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Necessary Changes in Our School System., October 13, 2001

By 

Evelyn Mercur (York, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Creating Emotionally Safe Schools: A Guide for Educators and Parents (Paperback)

This book is an interesting read from the very beginning. Each chapter's beginning grabs your attention and I found myself turning pages to get to the rest of the story. The suggestions are logical and can be implemented to the benefit of teachers, students and parents. It's about time for this really important book.