At Heart in Mind we believe:
Relationships are central. Connection is the nexus to positive development and success in learning and life. Connection allows us to thrive, provides us with social grounding, the strength to take healthy risks, explore who we are and who we can be, the safety to fail and the encouragement to succeed.
We believe that it is essential to greet each student with an open heart and mind. See them for their uniqueness and complexity. Develop unconditional positive regard for all students. Be genuinely pleased to meet them and have the opportunity to know them. Accept them as co-learners and teachers, because we learn together as we learn from our students. Checking assumptions and biases, both explicit and implicit, is a critical practice.
Guiding students to be the best possible version of themselves and get along well with others is perhaps the most important thing we can do in education. Our students can search the web for a mathematical formula or historical fact. They can’t google how to really listen to someone, have compassion, work together, share ideas or show support. That takes modeling and practice—lots of practice, mediated by a parents, teachers and mentors.
Creating systems that support student success requires understanding who the students are, because all students are not the same. We must avoid at all cost creating systems that confirm for students they don’t belong in school. Teaching and learning is best done with respect and compassion. We can accomplish great things with students with the right approach.
Connect insight, compassion and action to improve results for all students. Connect with Heart in Mind.