Three Forces to Lift Well-being in Schools
Dennis Shirley
In this challenging yet inspiring ICSEI Master Class, Dennis Shirley will present his new research with Andy Hargreaves to identify three powerful forces that can bring well-being to all of our schools.
These are:
- Social prosperity that creates equity and inclusiveness in schools so that all students can succeed and be well;
- Ethical technology use to help students to access the many benefits of the digital age while shielding them from harmful digital addictions and distractions; and
- Restorative nature so that students can experience the joys and challenges of outdoor learning and optimal health while becoming lifelong stewards of environmental sustainability.
Well-being is about thriving and flourishing. It can and must have a dynamic relationship to academic success. It points to the battle to create better communities and societies everywhere that are diverse, sustainable and socially just for all.
Come to this unique ICSEI Master Class, and then read our new book on Well-being in Schools (ASCD, 2022)
You will never approach well-being or social and emotional learning in the same way again!
Dennis Shirley is Gabelli Faculty Fellow and Professor of Education at the Lynch School of Education and Human Development at Boston College. He has conducted research and led professional development workshops for teachers, principals, and affiliated staff in 30 nations in 6 continents and his work has been translated into many languages. He has two new books published with Andy Hargreaves. The first is entitled Five Paths of Student Engagement: Blazing the Trail to Learning and Success and the second is Well-being School: Three Forces to Uplift Your Students in a Volatile World.
Dennis works with educators in many countries to help with clarifying their challenges, identifying promising strategies, and implementing and assessing change. He is skilled at breaking down ill-defined problem sets to establish ambitious goals that can be attained with persistence, creativity, and dignity. Combining cutting-edge research with high levels of engagement for the educators charged with educating the young on a daily basis, Dennis is sought-after because of his respect for teachers and administrators and his enjoyment of the pleasures involved in working with students to improve their learning.
Dennis holds a doctoral degree from Harvard University. In addition to his appointment at Boston College, he is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in London, and a Richard von Weizsäcker Fellow of the Bosch Foundation in Berlin.