Heartleader: A Trauma-Responsive Approach to Teaching, Leading, and Building Communities

Heartleader: (härt-lē-dәr) noun

1. a person who has built a compassionate, empathetic, authentic sense of themself in order to intentionally love, guide, and empower all aspects of a school community.
2. a person who believes that love in education is the first and most valuable lesson one can give or receive.
3. a person who seeks only to lead, live, and learn with love as their guiding syllabus.

From the moment you become part of a school community, it’s all about authentic relationships; all about authentic love.

From the classrooms to the neighborhoods, regardless of your role, when you lead from the heart, what kind of impact will you create with those you serve?

Heartleader begins with an origin story and becomes a trauma-responsive, K-12 field guide for safeguarding students, supporting and training school staff, and empowering community relationships.

Matthew J. Bowerman is an author, speaker, and trainer. A husband and father of six, as well as an educator of twenty-six years, Matthew currently serves as a school administrator. and presenter on trauma-responsive teaching and leading. Much of Matthew's writing and training work centers on operationalizing love to empower students, uplift families, and engage and support school staff. An Emmy-award-winning writer/director for his educational short "BusSTOP, ' addressing the bullying crisis, Matthew has published nationally on building restorative practices, supporting School Counselors, and amplifying instructional practices and leadership from a trauma-responsive lens. Matthew holds a Bachelors in Theatre, a Masters in Teaching, a Masters in Educational Leadership and is currently in his Doctoral program for Educational Leadership with a focus on Social Justice and Counseling. A mindfulness leader and certified Youth Mental Health First Aid and ACES practitioner, Matthew has also worked as a medic and professional actor, singer, dancer, and choreographer nationally and internationally.