by Aurora Reid
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.
