Fostering a sense of belonging in schools creates a positive effect, boosting student success, teacher morale, and overall well-being. Using this research-based guide, educators can address challenging (but rewarding) social-emotional dynamics to help their school or district thrive. Packed with proven, practical strategies and actionable steps, this book sets the foundation for an inclusive, positive, and restorative school community.
K–12 teachers, coaches, and administrators will: - Learn the impact a feeling of belonging has on teachers and students
- Promote a culture of positivity with supportive daily practices
- Recognize and address bias to foster an inclusive school environment
- Set the foundation for a welcoming school with practical strategies and action steps
- Understand the elements of the BUILD acronym—boundaries, understanding, integrity, listening, and dependability
Contents: Introduction
Chapter 1: The Foundation—Building a Culture of Belonging
Chapter 2: A Positive School Environment—Fostering Generosity, Kindness, and Empathy
Chapter 3: Bias Exploration—Dismantling Implicit Bias in Schools
Chapter 4: Restorative Justice—Repairing Harm and Building Relationships
Epilogue
References and Resources
Index
Morgane Michael has been an elementary school educator with the Greater Victoria School District in British Columbia, Canada, since 2008. Morgane is a passionate advocate for social-emotional learning, kindness education, and educator well-being, and she leads professional development initiatives aligned with those efforts throughout her province.
Morgane pursued her interest in developing positive school culture through kindness and self-compassion practices, promoting effective social collaboration, nurturing creativity, and building self-efficacy that is responsive to students’ needs. She established a culture of high expectations by launching her podcast, KindSight 101, in 2018. She has interviewed some of the world’s biggest names in education on the topics of kindness, well-being, self-compassion, and promoting positive school culture. Morgane is also the creator and founder of the Small Act Big Impact 21-Day Kindness Challenge, which seeks to promote and cultivate safe and supportive school culture. She shares insights from her podcast and lesson ideas on her blog, Small Act, Big Impact (morganemichael.com).
As a speaker and personal performance coach, Morgane has had the pleasure of helping thousands of educators crush their personal and professional goals through powerful lifestyle changes, impactful mindset shifts, and massive action commitments to create a compelling, purpose-filled future.
Morgane received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Victoria, British Columbia, as well as a master’s degree in educational leadership. She lives with her family in Victoria, British Columbia.
To learn more about Morgane Michael’s work, visit Morgane’s website and blog (morganemichael.com); listen to her KindSight 101 podcast; or follow her @smallactbigimpact on Instagram, @Morgane Michael Consulting on Facebook, or @MorganeMichael on X (formerly Twitter). To book Morgane Michael for professional development, contact pd@SolutionTree.com.
