Naomi Drew - Create a Culture of Kindness in Middle School

Praise for

C REATE A C ULTURE OF KINDNESS IN M IDDLE S CHOOL

Create a Culture of Kindness begins as if you are having a conversation with the wisest and most supportive teachers you have ever spoken to. This is worth the price alone, but you will soon see that the lessons also reflect wisdom and deep respect for childrens competence and potential. This book gives you the tools needed to create an organized, respectful classroom filled with students who are more mindful and therefore more ready to engage in learning and positive relationships. Its lessons on compassion, in particular, should be mandatory in every middle school.

Maurice J. Elias, Ph.D., Rutgers University and author of Assessing Social, Emotional, and Character Development and Emotionally Intelligent Parenting

The vast majority of students we talk to agree that bullying is bad and kindness is cool. But they often lack basic strategies to show compassion to their classmates. This book offers dozens of practical, hands-on lesson plans educators can use to teach students how to be kind (and why that matters so much). The lessons encourage students to stand up for what is right, and give them the tools to do it. If you want to Create a Culture of Kindness in [your] Middle School, this book is for you.

Dr. Justin W. Patchin and Dr. Sameer Hinduja, codirectors of the Cyberbullying Research Center and authors of Words Wound

This book is exactly what educators need, now more than ever: A blueprint for providing kids with the skills not only to prevent bullying, but to fundamentally change their schools and their world. With Create a Culture of Kindness in Middle School , Naomi Drew and Christa Tinari have added a timely and valuable resource to the literature on empathy, respect, school climate, and bullying prevention.

Michele Borba, Ed.D., author of The 6Rs of Bullying Prevention

Create a Culture of Kindness in Middle School is the single most impactful book Ive seen on transforming a culture of bullying into one that reliably promotes kindness. It is essential reading for every middle school educator and for every parent of a middle school student. It takes intention, courage, and powerful protocols to create a school culture that empowers students to flourish, both emotionally and academically. Naomi Drew and Christa Tinari deliver the goods in this practical, wise, and inspiring guide.

Marilee Adams, Ph.D., best-selling author of Teaching That Changes Lives: 12 Mindset Tools for Igniting the Love of Learning

Create a Culture of Kindness in Middle School brilliantly covers all the bases, with a hands-on approach to building important skills like compassion, empathy, listening, anger management, coping tools, personal responsibility, and respect for diversity. This timely and important manual includes practical activities, questions, and resources to engage students and help them recognize their interconnectedness, their capacity to change deeply held beliefs, and the potential they each have to make a differenceall while helping to preserve civility, respect, and common decency in our world.

Jane Bluestein, Ph.D., author of Creating Emotionally Safe Schools and The Win-Win Classroom

Text copyright 2017 by Naomi Drew, M.A., and Christa M. Tinari, M.A.
Illustrations copyright 2017 by Free Spirit Publishing Inc.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Unless otherwise noted, no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher, except for brief quotations or critical reviews. For more information, go to www.freespirit.com/permissions.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Drew, Naomi. | Tinari, Christa.

Title: Create a culture of kindness in middle school : 48 character-building lessons to foster respect and prevent bullying / Naomi Drew, Christa Tinari.

Description: Minneapolis, MN : Free Spirit Publishing, 2017. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2016046253 (print) | LCCN 2017005904 (ebook) | ISBN 9781631980299 (paperback) | ISBN 1631980297 (paperback) | ISBN 9781631981609 (Web PDF) | ISBN 9781631981616 (ePub)

Subjects: LCSH: Bullying in schoolsPrevention. | Middle school educationActivity programsUnited States. | CharacterStudy and teaching (Middle School)Activity programsUnited States. | Classroom managementUnited StatesHandbooks, manuals, etc. | BISAC: EDUCATION / Leadership. | EDUCATION / Classroom Management.

Classification: LCC LB3013.3 .D738 2017 (print) | LCC LB3013.3 (ebook) | DDC 371.5/8dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016046253

Free Spirit Publishing does not have control over or assume responsibility for author or third-party websites and their content. At the time of this books publication, all facts and figures cited within are the most current available. All telephone numbers, addresses, and website URLs are accurate and active; all publications, organizations, websites, and other resources exist as described in this book; and all have been verified as of November 2016. If you find an error or believe that a resource listed here is not as described, please contact Free Spirit Publishing.

Edited by Alison Behnke
Cover and interior design by Emily Dyer

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Every student who walks through your door is an unpolished gemstone. Every facet you create will stay with that student for life. Your work is that important. So we want to dedicate this book to you and your students. And we want to thank you. Thank you for the hard work you do every day. Thank you for the heart you bring to the students you educate. And thank you for caring enough to use this book. We know it is in good hands and you will teach its lessons wisely and well.

Now, go and help your students shine. Our deepest hope is that their collective light will someday change the world.

Naomi Drew and Christa M. Tinari

Acknowledgments

Heartfelt thanks to my family and friends for all their love, support, and belief in my work. A special thanks to Christa for all her insight and knowledge, plus for all the fun and laughter we shared as we brainstormed, wrote, researched, and edited. Many thanks to Cornerstone Health and Fitness for being one of my favorite places of grounding, and for all the hours spent writing in their light-filled lobby. Additional thanks from both Christa and me to the Eagle Diner, the Zen Den, and Jamie Hollander Caf for providing us with great places to caffeinate and write.