There¿s never been a more chaotic and tenuous time in our nation¿s educational story.Learning is the most natural thing human beings do. Yet, it seems the ¿harder¿ we work in schools helping our students to acquire the learning they need, the academic performances stay stagnant or lessen. Schools are not machines. Schools are a network of human beings who feel, think, behave, and function within a human system that is alive and never static. Schools are living systems. This living system of sentient beings are neuro-biologically wired to feel first; to think, to love, to connect, and to experience deep joy as well as deep disappointment and pain. This system is wired to thrive, even through difficult times¿ Lori and Michael believe that we can begin to create wholeness and connection within our schools, and help them to thrive, mindfully and by design.

Why do we say we have zero tolerance for bullying, but adult society is rife with it and it is an epidemic among children? Because the injuries that all forms of bullying and abuse do to brains are invisible. We ignore them, fail to heal them, and they become cyclical and systemic. Bullying and abuse are at the source of much misery in our lives. Because we are not taught about our brains, let alone how much they are impacted by bullying and abuse, we do not have a way to avoid this misery, heal our scars, or restore our health. In The Bullied Brain readers learn about the evidence doctors, psychiatrists, neuropsychologists and neuroscientists have gathered, that shows the harm done by bullying and abuse to your brain, and how you can be empowered to protect yourself and all others. Not only is it critically important to discover how much your mental health is contingent on what has sculpted and shaped the world inside your head, it is also the first step in learning ways to recover. While your brain is vulnerable to bullying and abuse, it is at the same time remarkably adept at repairing all kinds of traumas and injuries. The first part of The Bullied Brain outlines what the research shows bullying and abuse do to your brain. The second part of the book, "The Stronger Brain" provides case studies of adults and children who have undergone focused training to heal their neurological scars and restore their health. These accessible and practical lessons can be integrated into your life. Strengthening your brain acts as an effective antidote to the bullying and abuse that are rampant in society. Foreword by Dr. Michael Merzenich, "the father of neuroplasticity," and he also contributes his knowledge, insights, and research in The Bullied Brain to help show you how to empower your brain to fulfill its power and potential.

One of the five books in the Mental Health and Wellbeing Toolkit, this practical resource is designed to help young children understand how the brain affects ways we see and interpret the world. The book offers research-driven, practical strategies, resources and lesson plans to support educators and health professionals. Key sections include ‘How the brain develops’; ‘Dealing with the inner critic’ and ‘Strategies that can help us manage strong emotions’. A Complete toolkit for teachers and councillors, this book offers: Easy to follow, and flexible, lesson plans that can be adapted and personalised for use in lessons or smaller groups or 1:1 work Resources that are linked to the PSHE and Wellbeing curriculum for KS1, KS2 and KS3 New research, ‘Circles for Learning’, where the introduction of baby observation into the classroom by a teacher is used to understand and develop self-awareness, skills for learning, relationships, neuroscience and awareness of others Learning links, learning objectives and reflection questions. This book is an essential resource for practitioners looking to have a positive impact on the mental health and wellbeing of the children and young people in their care; both now and in the future.

The eyes of troubled youth are communicating in all moments. Hurt people hurt people. Our children can become violent, detached, or shut down when early development is toxic, severely disrupted and is met with significant adverse childhood experiences. Children are our nation's greatest natural resource and their emotional, mental and physiological well-being are at stake. What can we do? We begin with the awareness and research that adversity just doesn't happen to a child -- it attacks and hijacks a child's brain, body and nervous system function reprograming how they react and respond to all life. For educators, counselors, social workers, mental health professionals and law enforcement--this book presents the neurobiology of adversity and trauma in youth and the resiliency of hope and mindfulness ... and how to help.

"Absolutely what we need in these days of spreading gloom." —John Holloway, author of Crack Capitalism "A guide to a fulfilling militant life." —Michael Hardt, co-author of Assembly "Rigid radicalism" is the congealed and debilitating practices that suck life and inspiration from the fight for a better world. Joyful Militancy investigates how fear, self-righteousness, and moralism infiltrate and take root within liberation movements, what to do about them, and ultimately how tenderness and vulnerability can thrive alongside fierce militant commitment. Carla Bergman co-edited Stay Solid: A Radical Handbook For Youth. Nick Montgomery is an organizer and writer currently at Queen's University.

Scholars in many fields increasingly find themselves caught between the academy, with its demands for rigor and objectivity, and direct engagement in social activism. Some advocate on behalf of the communities they study; others incorporate the knowledge and leadership of their informants directly into the process of knowledge production. What ethical, political, and practical tensions arise in the course of such work? In this wide-ranging and multidisciplinary volume, leading scholar-activists map the terrain on which political engagement and academic rigor meet. Contributors: Ruth Wilson Gilmore, Edmund T. Gordon, Davydd Greenwood, Joy James, Peter Nien-chu Kiang, George Lipsitz, Samuel Martínez, Jennifer Bickham Mendez, Dani Nabudere, Jessica Gordon Nembhard, Jemima Pierre, Laura Pulido, Shannon Speed, Shirley Suet-ling Tang, João Vargas