Start with the Heart: Igniting Hope in Schools Through Social and Emotional Learning - Paperback

by Michelle L. Trujillo (Author)

Start with the heart to build a school climate in which achievement will flourish.

You can build an empathetic school culture that promotes genuine acceptance of one another, an appreciation for diversity, and an intrinsic desire to contribute and grow academically--a school environment that is inviting, positive, and engaging!

In this easy-to-read, inspiring book, educational consultant and former high school principal Michelle Trujillo shows how positive school culture is anchored in social and emotional learning as a way of being. Through explanation, personal anecdotes, and the demonstration of problem-solving through intentional connection, she guides educators to explore their own SEL aptitudes. In doing so, she inspires a schoolwide investment in a philosophy of connection--with students and each other--that ignites a climate in which every individual is seen, heard, and valued, and academic achievement has an opportunity to thrive for all.

Drawing in readers through story and reflection, the book defines the challenges educators face and offers ample tools, strategies, and solutions for integrating 5 SEL competencies into schools. It includes

• Concrete examples of relationship-building in action in schools by modeling, integrating and explicitly teaching social and emotional learning (SEL) to students
• Practical, evidence-based strategies for explicit teaching of each SEL competency to students
• Opportunities for reflection, brainstorming, and classroom planning
• Stories that bring the student experience of empathetic school culture to life
• References to programs and practices that meet Tier 1 and 2 evidence-based curriculum requirements.

Jumpstart conscientious connections in your school community and create a foundation for trust that allows students and educators to feel appreciated, effective, and productive.

"This is a powerful and moving resource to inspire every educator who wants to make a difference!"
- Eric Jensen, Author, Brain-Based Learning and Teaching With the Brain in Mind

Author Biography

Michelle L. Trujillo is an author, inspirational speaker, and educational consultant. "Mrs. T," as she is known to her students, makes a tangible, sustainable, and positive difference through her speaking and training seminars. She shares her enthusiasm, experience, and applicable take-aways with her audience, while she imparts a philosophy that ignites hope in schools and the workplace.

Michelle is a former high school principal who touched the hearts of teenagers, their parents, and their teachers on a daily basis. As such, her experience is vast and authentically based. A former Teacher of the Year, multi-year selection to Who's Who Among American Teachers, and Nevada′s 2017 Innovative Educator of the Year, Michelle has appeared on television (including Oprah) and radio across the nation as a guest expert. Her keynotes and trainings leave audiences enthused, inspired, deeply touched and wanting more!

Michelle currently works statewide in the Office of Safe and Respectful Schools for the Nevada Department of Education (which includes Clark County, the fourth largest school district in the nation) and as an Executive Consultant with Leadership Associates, a superintendent search and leadership/coaching entity that serves over 65% of all school districts in the state of California.