Ideas For Change

hooks: bell hooks idea for change is to teach critical thinking. It demands both the teachers participation as well as the students, all of the students. It also shows learning in action which means that everyone can be right all the time, "and that the shape of knowledge is constantly changing" (hooks).When the class and teacher sees that they are responsible for creating a learning community together, learning becomes useful and meaningful.
Gilyard: Keith Gilyard's idea for change is to put more funding towards humanities. He believes that it will make our society more egalitarian, substantively democratic, and make our economy more dynamic. He thinks that humanities are vital in shaping the kind of citizens we need, critical and productive.
Aronson: I think what Deb Aronson is trying to say is that teachers hardly have a say in what books are banned and that they are being banned by people who aren't educators themselves and who don't understand why the teachers pick the books they do to teach. Young people were being empowered and I guess that's seen as a scary seen to many people but that's a reason to not ban books, to empower young people and to help them find a love of reading. "In order to protect their students; best interests, teachers must become politically engaged and active." says Acosta.
Large: Jerry Large's advice for change is to build character. He says that its a better indicator of future success than test scores or IQ. When parents have a strong relationship with their children, especially in the first few years of life, it will be easier for them to overcome challenges ahead.
Boyce: Barry Boyce's suggestion for change is to teach mindfulness.
 "being able to calm yourself and regulate your emotions in a variety of situations; understand your own emotions, accurately perceive others’ emotions, and empathize; listen attentively to what someone is saying, negotiate, and confidently persuade; think through problems effectively while considering others’ perspectives"

“Kindness, caring, empathy, being able to de-center from your own point of view and listen deeply to others—these are values that should be cultivated in our classrooms"

"The field of prevention, Greenberg says, not only aims to avert school failure, depression, and extreme aggression, but to promote positive qualities like empathy, citizenship, and strong friendships."

 “Mindfulness is not just a series of practical techniques. It helps us have the ethical character we need to live in the world. It carries with it a world view of not harming others.” 

"Another prevention center program focuses on improving parenting skills. Parents take a class once a week for seven weeks."
One of the practices they use is the turtle. “We tell a story about a little turtle who has lots of problems,” he says. “The turtle sometimes gets very sad or very mad, but then the turtle goes into her shell, where it’s very quiet and she can take some deep breaths and calm down and think, ‘What’s going on with me? How am I feeling?’ Then, we teach them to do turtle, which is just crossing their hands across their chest and taking a deep breath. When children are upset, teachers and parents can prompt them to use turtle as a way of calming down and using their thinking skills.”