REVIEWS
ENSOULING OUR SCHOOLS: A Universally Designed Framework for Mental Health, Well-Being and Reconciliation Jennifer Katz with Kevin Lamoureux Portage and Main Press, 2018 260 pages, $40.00 ♥ ♥ ♥ Reviewed by Lisa Corbett
Ensouling Our Schools by Jennifer Katz includes a variety of lessons teachers in grades K-12 can follow. There are lessons on social-emotional learning, addressing mental health needs in students and reconciliation. These lessons can be used to replace or enhance learning in other programs common in many schools such as the Mind Up program or Zones of Regulation program. However, Katz’s lessons go beyond these programs and assist teachers in apply- ing the Three-Block Model of Universal De- sign for Learning and basic theories of social emotional learning. In the introduction the author states, “This vision is also offered through Indigenous practices that draw in marginalized populations, move away from deficit models of students, and focus on devel- oping student autonomy, self-regulation and academic self-efficacy.” To assist educators in doing this, the author
includes informative chapters such as “Chap- ter 1: Spirit and Soul in Education,” “Chap- ter 3: The TRC (Truth and Reconciliation Commission) and Indigenous Worldviews of Education for Well-Being” and “Chapter 10: School Culture and Staff Well-Being.” There is no new theory in this book. Instead, it acts as a summary of several approaches. These are
This picture book is the story of a girl’s cre- ating “the most magnificent thing.” She has an idea, which she sets out to create with as- sistance from her dog. She “tinkers and ham- mers and measures,” and she “smooths and wrenches and fiddles.” She perseveres. The girl tries several designs. In the process she gets mad as nothing seems to be working. She takes a break, goes out for a walk with her dog and examines her failed attempts again. She finds, in each of her failed designs, something she can use. She then gets to work, “carefully and slowly” and accomplishes what she had set her mind to. This is a charming picture book about a
THE MOST MAGNIFICENT THING Written and illustrated by Ashley Spires Kids Can Press, 2014 32 pages, $16.95 ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ Reviewed by Tanushree Krishnanand
young girl’s journey in engineering. The pic- tures are simple, and a second read will reveal that while “the most magnificent thing” is never mentioned, the initial goal was. With the play on words, “
...saws and glues and adjusts,” the book focuses on her attempts to get “it” right. I also like this book because our female protagonist is not a princess or a fairy. She is
46 ETFO VOICE | SUMMER 2021
simply portrayed as a character, who indepen- dently works to achieve her goal. This is a great read-aloud for elementary
students to discuss growth mindset, learn- ing from our mistakes and how to handle our feelings. Primary grade students will enjoy the simple pictures and the relationship between the girl and her dog as she perseveres. Junior grade students can take this discussion a bit deeper to understand how we are all capable of achieving our goals, even when the people around us do not understand them. Older stu- dents will also benefit from exploring the verbs used throughout this book. I recommend this picture book to learners of all ages to appreci- ate the process of creating and the tenacity it takes to enjoy the fruits of our labour.
Tanushree Krishnanand is a member of Durham Occasional Teacher Local.
woven together and presented in a way that is informative and educational for the reader. Of particular interest is a list of the TRC Calls to Action that specifically apply to educators and suggestions for how these can be addressed in our schools. Katz has provided a resource that will help
many educators learn more about the impor- tance of teaching mental health literacy and incorporate Indigenous philosophy into their lessons. The amount and variety of informa- tion can be a bit overwhelming, but the au- thor’s writing style makes it easy to pop in and out of each chapter at one’s own pace.
Lisa Corbett is a member of the Near North Teacher Local.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
