It is with incredible gratitude and enthusiasm that I can finally say my book is published! Below I share my Introduction with you in hopes that it will give you a taste for what the book is about and inspire you to read it as well as share it with others. I welcome your honest feedback. The book can be purchased on BarnesandNoble.com and Amazon.com. Enjoy!
INTRODUCTION
“For me, the greatest contribution you can make to the world is to grow in self-awareness, self-realization, and the power to manifest your own heartfelt dreams and desires. The second greatest thing you can do is to help others do the same.”
Jack Canfield
In June of 2006, as a result of being honored as Disney’s Outstanding Elementary Teacher of the Year, I left the classroom and the school system I loved to share what I had learned about bringing joy, meaning and purpose back to teaching and learning. That is the purpose of this book.
For several years leading up to my departure, I was becoming more and more disillusioned by what was and was not happening in education. Like so many other educators, I had gone into teaching to make a difference in the lives of children, and yet, now it felt as if all I was doing was pushing these kids as hard and as fast as possible. As my instructional coaching mentor, Jim Knight, wrote in his book, Unmistakable Impact, “When we take the humanity out of professional learning, we ignore the complexity of any helping relationship, and we make it almost impossible for learning to occur.”
With all the focus on NCLB, AYP, SAT and AP, where was the L-O-V-E? Love for our students, love for our vocation and the love of learning itself. It didn’t seem to matter what all of the research suggested about what was most important with regard to learning and helping children grow up to be happy, healthy, productive world citizens. Remember the three Rs of relationships, relevance and rigor? Well, we had pretty much kissed the first two Rs goodbye.
Receiving the Disney honor put me on the path that led me to The Virtues Project. I knew I had found something revolutionary, and I immediately started utilizing The Five Strategies of the project in my classroom.
The Five Strategies of The Virtues Project, outlined below, inspire individuals to live more authentic, joyful lives, families to raise children of compassion and integrity, educators to create safe, caring and high performing learning communities, and leaders to inspire excellence and ethics in the workplace.
1. Speak the Language of Virtues: Language has the power to inspire or to discourage. Using virtues to acknowledge, guide, correct and thank awakens the best within us.
2. Recognize Teachable Moments: Recognizing the virtues needed in daily challenges helps us to become lifelong learners open to the lessons of character.
3. Set Clear Boundaries: Boundaries based on respect and restorative justice create a climate of peace, cooperation and safety in our homes, schools and communities.
4. Honor the Spirit: We sustain our vision and purpose by integrating virtues into our activities, surroundings, celebrations and the arts.
5. Offer Companioning: Being deeply present and listening with compassionate curiosity guides others to find clarity and to create their own solutions.
As I worked these strategies into my daily classroom activities, joy, meaning and purpose were quickly restored. I knew I had to share these strategies with other educators.
My hope is that this book will empower veteran educators to remember why they first went into teaching. In addition, I want to help up-and-coming educators maintain their idealism and commitment to this valuable profession by learning simple and powerful strategies for creating peaceful, joyful and high performing learning communities.
In the first three chapters I share my personal journey of transformation. Perhaps you will see yourself and/or your students somewhere in my story. Many of us have gone into education because of the love and support of a teacher who has made a difference in our lives. Some have become teachers in response to a painful experience that they want to protect others from experiencing. Having experienced my share of challenges, I have come out on the other side a more grateful and stronger person. The experience, strength and hope I write about will hopefully inspire you to set your own intentions and not only live inside your dreams, but use the skills and strategies shared in this book to make them a reality for yourself. Additionally, my wish is that you will see yourself, your colleagues, the families you work with and your students through a more loving and compassionate lens.
Chapter Four is focused on the importance of character education and social emotional learning. In Paul Tough’s book How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity and the Hidden Power of Character he writes, “Character matters. There is no antipoverty tool we can provide for disadvantaged young people that will be more valuable than the character strengths… conscientiousness, grit, resilience, perseverance and optimism.” He goes onto say that “Science suggests that the character strengths that matter so much to young people’s success are not innate: they don’t appear in us magically, as a result of good luck or good genes. And they are simply not a choice. They are rooted in brain chemistry, and they are molded, in measurable and predictable ways by the environment in which children grow up… We now know a great deal about what kind of interventions will help children develop those strengths and skills, starting at birth and going all the way through college.” The rest of this book is about those interventions
Chapters Five through Nine outline The Virtues Project’s Five Strategies, powerful interventions to bring out the best in our students and ourselves. Each chapter explores one of The Five Strategies and has stories, examples, activities and research woven throughout to help you deepen in your understanding of each strategy.
Chapter Ten contains powerful examples of how The Virtues Project is transforming teaching and learning around the world.
I invite you to use this book as a valuable resource on your journey of personal and professional transformation. Personally, I hope that you open yourself to the possibilities of what The Virtues Project can bring to your life. Professionally, may your classroom community become an even more nurturing center that teaches how to learn and live in a world with love, respect and compassion.
With much caring and enthusiasm,
Dara Feldman
January 2013
Governor Christie and his corporate supporters should read – READ – this book! The authors of the CCCS, especially Mike Myles out in Colorado, should READ this book. School Superintendents and Union Leaders should READ this book. Parents should READ this book. Teachers should READ this book.
Teaching is being made too mechanical and die-cut. The higher-ups are removing the heart from the classroom.
I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy!
Hearty and warm congratulations, Dara!
Love, Missy
Dara,
You are a true inspiration to Educators, students, families around the world and everyone who wants to show up and shine more of their light and be the difference and a part of making our schools, society, and this world a better place! I am delighted about your new book and I stand with you in the celebration of wonderful waves of more love and compassion reaching out and touching more children young and old than ever before! Much Love and Gratitude to you always!