Welcome back to our second episode is Season Four! Today we have an SEL expert with us – Dr. Lorea Martinez-Perez: she is a researcher, author and educator. We are going to talk to her about why schools need to focus on more than just the academics, and how we can do that. We want to, of course, equip our students for this complex world they face, and help them develop the skills, knowledge and processes to feel strong and healthy, to reach their goals, to care for themselves and relate to and care for others, and to make responsible decisions. We will talk with our guest today about her book: “Teaching with the Heart in Mind”, as well as her thoughtful and informative observations and learnings regardings SEL in students, in schools and in educators.

RESOURCES:

"Teaching with the Heart in Mind" on Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08R87F5SS/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/social-and-emotional-learning-case-study-humanitas-report

https://buffettinstitute.nebraska.edu/-/media/beci/docs/7-27-20-lorea-martinez-heart-in-mind-bridges.pdf

https://loreamartinez.com

QUOTE:

“As educators, we think it’s our job to make students of color, English learners, or poor students feel good about themselves. That’s a deficit view of affirmation. In reality, most parents of culturally and linguistically diverse students do a good job of helping their children develop positive self-esteem. It is when they come to school that many students of color begin to feel marginalized, unseen, and silenced. Affirmation and rapport are really about building trust, not self-esteem.”

― Zaretta Lynn Hammond, Culturally Responsive Teaching and The Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor Among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students

BIO:

Dr. Lorea Martinez-Perez is the award-winning founder of HEART in Mind Consulting, a company dedicated to helping schools and organizations integrate Social Emotional Learning in their practices, products, and learning communities. Dr. Martinez is an educator who has worked with children and adults internationally, and she is currently a faculty member at Columbia University Teachers College, educating aspiring principals in Emotional Intelligence. Previously, she was a special education teacher and administrator.