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Schools are increasingly expected to improve mental health and well-being and academic outcomes for students. However, the debate about well-being and school improvement is often unhelpfully polarised with attachment-informed and restorative-justice approaches pitted against structures and systems that instil discipline. This book seeks to take a 'middle way', looking at how these perspectives might complement one another, and argues that healthy teacher-student relationships require an adult that is both attuned to their students' needs and able to hold boundaries with them.
Setting out conception of leadership that is clear, compassionate, and self-aware, Leading Mindfully for Healthy and Successful Schools draws on therapeutic and educational research to identify key strategies for improving well-being across schools that are sustainable in the long term. This book is divided into three sections - Leading Yourself, Leading School Culture and Leading in the Classroom - and the chapters cover the following:
Interpersonal neurobiology and the role that attachment plays in our work
Self-care and how this can be built into school life
The role of structures and relationships
Building trust
Radical inclusion
Building calm and effective classrooms
Healthy adult authority
Including reflective activities, thought-provoking case studies and key takeaways for every chapter, this is an essential read for all current and aspiring school leaders.
List of contents
Foreword, Introduction, Section 1. Leading Yourself, 1. Leading Mindfully, 2. The Imprint of Authority, 3. Self Care, Section 2. Leading School Culture, 4. A Middle Way, 5. A Safe Base, 6. Streamlined Schools, 7. Radical Inclusion, 8. Support Yourself, Section 3. Leading In The Classroom, 9. A Mindful Classroom, 10. The Mindful Teacher, Conclusion, References
About the author
Aurora Reid has worked as a senior leader in several schools. As a qualified DSL and SENDCo, she has led primarily on inclusion but has also held curriculum and teacher-development roles. She is passionate about inclusive leadership in the broadest sense, as that is how we build equity and care for all into the heart of our schools. Aurora is currently a consultant based in London. She blogs at streamlinedSENDCo.com.
Summary
Setting out conception of leadership that is clear, compassionate, and self-aware, Leading Mindfully for a Healthy and Successful School draws on therapeutic and educational research to identify key strategies for improving wellbeing across the school that are sustainable in the long term.
