Dare to Connect

Dare to Connect addresses the whole teacher and how to create success in school, outside of school, and in retirement through connections with stakeholders utilizing the 6 P’s of the professional teacher: present, prepared, part of the team, positive, proactive, and patient. It concludes with the future of education: leading changes from the classroom: teachers as respected professional leaders and collaborators with their stakeholders.

Every teacher should get their hands on this book. Whether they are beginning their career, ten years in, or approaching retirement, this book has something for all. The authentic and human approach to teaching will inspire all educators., The section on communicating with parents is exactly what every prospective teacher needs to read. As a beginning teacher educator at the University of Nevada, Reno, I know my students often feel extreme anxiety about the idea of calling students’ parents. The ideas listed here not only provide students with valuable talking points but empower them to take ownership and guide some of the more difficult communications in the right direction. My family engagement course dedicates multiple weeks to learning the craft of making effective phone calls to parents. The students were so grateful for Belle O’Neill’s expertise as a guest speaker and author because they felt both relieved and reassured to make their first phone calls home.

Belle O’Neill retired in 2019 after 32 years as a public-school teacher in California and Nevada. A 2016 Fulbright Fellow for Teachers for Global Classrooms, she guest lectures at colleges and universities on topics including teacher rights, teacher credibility, communicating with parents and global education.