Humanizing the Classroom

There is a growing trend in education for educators to support students in the development of social and emotional skills. SEL mandates are now part of many state assessments and national initiatives, and there are countless curriculum from which principals and teachers may choose. However, many of these curricular materials fail to address the question of pedagogy, or what is the best method for teaching social and emotional skills? Humanizing the Classroom: Using Role Plays to Teach Social and Emotional Skills in Middle and High School answers this question by presenting the pedagogical basis for using role plays to teach social and emotional skills, creating a clear link between SEL and the need for culturally relevant teaching, and providing over 45 model lessons that can be delivered in middle and high school classrooms. A rich resource for principals, classroom teachers, and educational theater and drama teachers, addresses the how, why and what of teaching social and emotional skills in our diverse society.

Over the last fifteen years Kristin Stuart Valdes has worked with K-12 educators to promote children’s social, emotional, and academic learning. In Humanizing the Classroom, she synthesizes the many extraordinary lessons she has learned about how to practically promote middle and high school students social, emotional, and academic skills, knowledge, and dispositions. She is importantly and helpfully attuned to educational equity reform issues. I highly recommend this practical, thoughtful, and wise book that will help teachers- and potentially parents - to further social, emotional, and academic competencies. A foundation for school and life success!, In Humanizing the Classroom, Kristin Stuart Valdes provides a valuable resource for teachers who want to help students develop stronger social and emotional skills. The extensive list of role plays includes ideas for how to direct them—a great help for teachers seeking to foster skills like self-management and social awareness., In Humanizing the Classroom, Ms. Valdes provides key insights about the importance and challenges of social-emotional learning (SEL) in K-12 education. This work is gleaned from her years of practice implementing SEL programs with public school administrators, teachers, and children. Ms. Valdes elevates the recognition of teachers, and their own social-emotional competencies and well-being as pivotal in the process of learning how to teach and ultimately promote social-emotional skills for children and youth, and the unique challenges and vulnerability SEL pedagogy can require of teachers. She provides a compelling analysis of role play strategies in SEL, and makes a cogent argument for the use of role plays as deliberate but safe ways for students to actively engage and practice evaluating and making decisions in social situations that are relevant to their lived experience. This book affords tools that will be useful to novice and veteran teachers alike, as well as school leaders to better understand why SEL should be a critical part of every child's education and how it can be in their schools., Kristin Stuart Valdes has produced a practical, engaging book on the use of role plays in secondary classrooms to cultivate social-emotional skills. Thoughtfully organized around the five SEL competencies identified by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, the book offers a rare opportunity for middle and high school teachers to expand their pedagogical toolkit with applied strategies to help students learn and practice SEL skills ranging from persistence to understanding bias. Drawing from years of personal experience partnering with schools to integrate SEL into everyday practices, Kristin Stuart Valdes delivers a set of creative role play activities accompanied by detailed nuts and bolts guidance that is sure to help teachers weave social-emotional learning into a typical day in their classroom.

Kristin Stuart Valdes is a progressive educator, instructional designer, and artist with 15 years of experience supporting teachers in the areas and social and emotional learning, conflict resolution, racial equity initiatives, and integrated arts-based pedagogy. Her work in NYC and nationally helps teachers improve classroom climate and embrace innovative student-centered learning approaches.