The Empathetic Classroom - (Free Spirit Professional(r)) by Maria Munro-Schuster (Paperback)

About the Book

The Empathetic Classroom goes beyond typical books on teacher well-being, focusing on holistic mindsets and strategies that support mental health in K-12 teachers and their students alike. Written by a teacher-turned-therapist, this approachable book uniquely offers a mental health perspective on classroom teaching. Maria Munro-Schuster shares tools for focusing on mental health in everyday practice Teachers will benefit from sound advice on maintaining boundaries, confronting intrusive thoughts, responding to trauma, incorporating play into classrooms, and many other methods of remaining connected to themselves and their students. The conversational tone and relatable stories make this an easy, entertaining read.

Book Synopsis

Develop a mental-health mindset and rediscover the inspiration that brought you to teaching.

In Empathetic Classroom, educator and licensed therapist Maria Munro-Schuster helps K-12 teachers navigate emotional stress, combat exhaustion, connect with students, and avoid burning out. She also gives tools for better teaching, for teaching that feels better, and for classrooms where emotional intelligence, safety, and empathy are embedded as a part of practice.

This book goes beyond typical books on teacher burnout, focusing on holistic mindsets and strategies that support your mental health and that of your students. Full of tools and strategies to incorporate into the classroom, this approachable book combines teaching best practices with research-backed techniques from the field of counseling psychology. You'll find sound advice on maintaining boundaries, confronting intrusive thoughts, responding to trauma, incorporating play into classrooms, and many other methods of remaining connected to themselves and their students. Learn how to:

• Create a safe space for students--and educators--to learn and grow
• Understand how your past and your triggers influence your teaching--and recognize trauma in students
• Validate emotions to curb disruptive behaviors

By situating mental health concepts and techniques within established teaching best practices, The Empathetic Classroom helps you adapt your approach, your environment, and your interactions with students. And by focusing on self-regulation, boundaries, and connection, you can rediscover your inspiration. Find emotionally safer and more energizing ways of doing what you love while protecting your own mental health.

Review Quotes

"The Empathetic Classroom is a refuge for educators. Supporting mental health in the classroom starts with the teacher, and this well-researched, comprehensive guide belongs in every educator's library. It takes readers on a thoughtful journey to understanding emotions while providing practical, actionable activities to create an emotionally healthy environment--for both teachers and students!"--Kelley Peel, author, teacher, and counselor

"The Empathetic Classroom?is a roadmap for creating classrooms rooted in empathy and care that support both student and educator mental health.?Munro-Schuster highlights practical strategies teachers can use to foster student growth, mental health, and positive classroom dynamics--approaches that are simple and effective for educators at any level."--Kiran Bhai, program director of Making Caring Common at Harvard Graduate School of Education and a former school counselor

"As a psychologist specializing in emotional regulation for parents and caregivers, I am thrilled to see these principles and strategies applied to educational settings. This book is an invaluable resource for teachers and school administrators, offering practical tools to create emotionally safe learning environments and responsive curricula for students. I'm excited to witness the innovative ways education will evolve with this essential resource at hand."--Dr. Amber Thornton, clinical psychologist and author of A Parent's Guide to Self-Regulation

About the Author

Maria Munro-Schuster, M.A., M.S., LCPC, is the author of The Empathetic Classroom: How a Mental Health Mindset Supports Your Students--and You and a Montana therapist and educator who has always been interested in the connection between the two fields. She wrote her first master's thesis on how student grief plays out in the college writing classroom. She previously taught middle-school English with a mental health focus, and she was selected as a Hatch North America honoree for teaching. She now works as a community therapist in Bozeman, Montana.