In Humanizing the Classroom, Ms. Valdesprovides key insights about the importance and challenges of social-emotional learning (SEL) in K-12 education. This work is gleaned from her years of practice implementing SEL programs with public school administrators, teachers, and children. Ms. Valdes elevates the recognition of teachers, and their own social-emotional competencies and well-being as pivotal in the process of learning how to teach and ultimately promote social-emotional skills for children and youth, and the unique challenges and vulnerability SEL pedagogy can require of teachers. She provides a compelling analysis of role play strategies in SEL, and makes a cogent argument for the use of role plays as deliberate but safe ways for students to actively engage and practice evaluating and making decisions in social situations that are relevant to their lived experience. This book affords tools that will be useful to novice and veteran teachers alike, as well as school leaders to better understand why SEL should be a critical part of every child's education and how it can be in their schools.
Over the last fifteen years Kristin Stuart Valdes has worked with K-12 educators to promote children’s social, emotional, and academic learning. In Humanizing the Classroom, she synthesizes the many extraordinary lessons she has learned about how to practically promote middle and high school students social, emotional, and academic skills, knowledge, and dispositions. She is importantly and helpfully attuned to educational equity reform issues. I highly recommend this practical, thoughtful, and wise book that will help teachers- and potentially parents - to further social, emotional, and academic competencies. A foundation for school and life success!
As the country tries to addresseducational inequities and SELgainspopularity on the state andnational level, the need for educators trained in social and emotional learning skills has grown.Humanizing the Classroommade me realize thateducationaltheaterpractitioners andactorscould be a valuable resource on the path to equitablytransmit social andemotionallearning in our schools. Actors walkin a new person’s shoeswith every character they play, they are experts at practicing empathy.And living empathically is something we could all stand to learn a little more about right now. Humanizing the Classroom should be required reading for all of us!
Over the last fifteen years Kristin Stuart Valdes has worked with K-12 educators to promote children’s social, emotional, and academic learning. In Humanizing the Classroom, she synthesizes the many extraordinary lessons she has learned about how to practically promote middle and high school students social, emotional, and academic skills, knowledge, and dispositions. She is importantly and helpfully attuned to educational equity reform issues. I highly recommend this practical, thoughtful, and wise book that will help teachers- and potentially parents - to further social, emotional, and academic competencies. A foundation for school and life success!” —Jonathan Cohen Ph.D., Co-President, International Observatory for School Climate and Violent Prevention
“In Humanizing the Classroom, Kristin Stuart Valdes provides a valuable resource for teachers who want to help students develop stronger social and emotional skills. The extensive list of role plays includes ideas for how to direct them—a great help for teachers seeking to foster skills like self-management and social awareness.” —Tom Berger, executive editor, Edutopia
“In Humanizing the Classroom, Ms. Valdesprovides key insights about the importance and challenges of social-emotional learning (SEL) in K-12 education. This work is gleaned from her years of practice implementing SEL programs with public school administrators, teachers, and children. Ms. Valdes elevates the recognition of teachers, and their own social-emotional competencies and well-being as pivotal in the process of learning how to teach and ultimately promote social-emotional skills for children and youth, and the unique challenges and vulnerability SEL pedagogy can require of teachers. She provides a compelling analysis of role play strategies in SEL, and makes a cogent argument for the use of role plays as deliberate but safe ways for students to actively engage and practice evaluating and making decisions in social situations that are relevant to their lived experience. This book affords tools that will be useful to novice and veteran teachers alike, as well as school leaders to better understand why SEL should be a critical part of every child's education and how it can be in their schools.” —Joshua L. Brown, associate professor, Director, Applied Developmental Psychology, Fordham University
“Kristin Stuart Valdes has produced a practical, engaging book on the use of role plays in secondary classrooms to cultivate social-emotional skills. Thoughtfully organized around the five SEL competencies identified by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, the book offers a rare opportunity for middle and high school teachers to expand their pedagogical toolkit with applied strategies to help students learn and practice SEL skills ranging from persistence to understanding bias. Drawing from years of personal experience partnering with schools to integrate SEL into everyday practices, Kristin Stuart Valdes delivers a set of creative role play activities accompanied by detailed nuts and bolts guidance that is sure to help teachers weave social-emotional learning into a typical day in their classroom.” —Jason T. Downer, professor of education, director, Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning, University of Virginia
“As the country tries to address educational inequities and SEL gains popularity on the state and national level, the need for educators trained in social and emotional learning skills has grown. Humanizing the Classroommade me realize that educational theater practitioners and actors could be a valuable resource on the path to equitably transmit social and emotional learning in our schools. Actors walk in a new person’s shoes with every character they play, they are experts at practicing empathy. And living empathically is something we could all stand to learn a little more about right now. Humanizing the Classroom should be required reading for all of us!” —John Cariani, Broadway and TV actor, playwright of "Almost, Maine"
