Laura Weaver - The 5 Dimensions of Engaged Teaching: A Practical Guide for Educators

A
PRACTICAL
GUIDE for
EDUCATORS

Foreword by ARI GERZON-KESSLER

LAURA WEAVER & MARK WILDING

Copyright 2013 by Solution Tree Press

Materials appearing here are copyrighted. With one exception, all rights are reserved. Readers may reproduce only those pages marked Reproducible. Otherwise, no part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without prior written permission of the publisher.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Weaver, Laura.

The five dimensions of engaged teaching : a practical guide for educators / Laura Weaver and

Mark Wilding.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-936764-48-8 (perfect bound : alk. paper) 1. Teaching. 2. Effective teaching. 3.

Teacher-student relationships. 4. Classroom environment. I. Title.

LB1025.3.W388 2013

371.102--dc23

2013008439

Solution Tree

Jeffrey C. Jones, CEO

Edmund M. Ackerman, President

Solution Tree Press

President: Douglas M. Rife

Publisher: Robert D. Clouse

Editorial Director: Lesley Bolton

Managing Production Editor: Caroline Wise

Senior Production Editor: Suzanne Kraszewski

Proofreader: Elisabeth Abrams

Text and Cover Designers: Amy Shock and Jenn Taylor

It is time for us to recognize that any positive changes will come from us, not the greater system. This book provides a compelling road map for how we navigate the difficult terrain of this time, persevere, and create educational experiences that are meaningful to kids and to us as professionals. I am grateful for this map, and also delighted by the levels of joyful collaboration that gave rise to it.Margaret J. Wheatley, Author

This book is critical to the future of education because it honors teachers and their deep commitment to being fully engaged in their work. Every teacher in America can learn deeply from the wisdom of this resource to nurture their own development and that of their students.Mark T. Greenberg, Bennett Chair of Prevention Research, Penn State University

This book offers wisdom, inspiration, and practical strategies for being an effective and connected teacher. I wish every teacher would read this book, discuss it with his or her colleagues and loved ones, and then implement some of the powerful ideas and practices the authors share. The impact on students worldwide would be very positive.Roger P. Weissberg, President and CEO, Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning

We know from both science and practice that our children do better in school and in life when they have teachers who understand and care about them in a meaningful way. Laura Weaver and Mark Wilding show us how to become that kind of teacher. Newcomers and veterans alike will delight in seeing a pathway to a more fulfilling teaching practice and the skills to attain it. Timothy P. Shriver, Chairman and CEO, Special Olympics, and Board Chair of Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning

This essential book has the power to reform educational practice in a significant way. I can open to any two pages and find much to think about and much to try with students or with myself. It canand shouldredefine teaching.Maurice J. Elias, Rutgers University, Co-developer of the Social Decision Making/Social Problem Solving curricula and Coauthor of Talking Treasure

We often forget to pay attention to how emotional engagement drives the learning of students and adults alike. I witnessed firsthand the profound positive impact of such an approach on our teachers, school culture, and students success. A must-read for anyone who is deeply committed to urban school reform.Pat Snchez, Superintendent, Adams County School District 14, Colorado

This is the most comprehensive book yet to emerge from the mindfulness in social-emotional learning movement. It is a storehouse of personalized activities for supporting teachers and students to deepen learning.Richard C. Brown, Founder of Naropa Universitys Contemplative Education Department, and Coauthor of the Garrison Institutes CARE for Teachers Program

The wisdom and advice contained within this book are a must-have for any teacher genuinely interested in educating the whole student and creating the kind of classroom in which all of us would like to be students. Scott Troy, Science Teacher, Westminster High School, Colorado

This book is a thoughtful, comprehensive, and user-friendly guide for all educators. In secular and approachable terms, Weaver and Wilding underscore the core competencies of the Engaged Teaching Approach with clear sequence and practicality. Rare is the text that speaks with equal candor and kindness to the lives of both teachers and students, and rarer still is the text that does so with practicality and purpose. The 5 Dimensions of Engaged Teaching is such a text, and I look forward to using it with my preservice teachers. David Lee Keiser, Associate Professor, Montclair State University, New Jersey, and Facilitator, CARE for Teachers Program

The 5 Dimensions of Engaged Teaching is a treasure trove of valuable information and practical tools for supporting teachers joy and commitment to teaching. It is unique in that it addresses important foundational capacities such as presence, self-observation, and social and emotional competencies that have been long overlooked in teacher preparation and professional development. This book is a must-have for teachers! Patricia A. Jennings, Research Assistant Professor, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Penn State University

What is so special about this book is that it not only draws attention to, and provides suggestions for how educators can develop these universal human qualities, but it also proposes ways that educators might bring them into the classroom in the service of culturally responsive teachingthose classroom teaching practices that celebrate diversity and equity, eschew discrimination, and recognize our shared humanity simultaneously. Robert W. Roeser, Professor of Psychology and Human Development, Portland State University

This book provides venerable and vital ideas and practices that will offer a North Star for educators on their own journey to identity, purpose, and authenticity. Herein is a guide to becoming a reflective, mindful, and emotionally intelligent mentor. Len Fleischer, Professor of Education, Keene State College, New Hampshire

This remarkable collaborative effort offers a potentially healing blend of five remedies that could bring American education back to life. From preventing school violence to promoting sustainable academic excellence, this book is an elixir that truly nourishes the soul of education. Mark Gerzon, Author of