A Second Classroom

What does a healthy, successful school look like? Is it all about measurable outcomes, test scores, and pass/fail grades set by the government? Can learning be quantified in short-term measurements or does real learning take years to manifest in a career or biography. All seem to agree that a healthy school is also a community and that community depends on the quality of relationships - chiefly the relationships among students, teachers, and parents. This book features a comprehensive examination of the parent - teacher relationship in all its dimensions, from parent evenings and conferences to communication, conflict, and the life-cycle of parent involvement in their school. In between the chapters on practical advice are sections that consider the issues from a deeper, spiritual dimension. This book is intended to stimulate conversation, self-reflection, and relational practices that awaken community life in and around our schools. ____ "The world of parent - teacher relations has grown more complex over the years and at its worst can feel like a minefield.Torin de-mines and demystifies the experience with information, insights, stories, and warmth, creating a safe passage for teachers and parents." - Joan Almon, Waldorf educator and cofounder of Alliance for Childhood "Readers of my books will appreciate Torin's approach to parent - teacher relations. He looks at the key issues through various lenses and gives both practical and spiritual advice to all who seek to build healthy relationships around our school-age children. I highly recommend this new book!" - Thomas Moore, bestselling author of Care of the Soul "What Torin has so sensitively crafted here will give you greater simplicity and spaciousness in school community life. I highly recommend this book to all parents and teachers, but especially to those connected to Waldorf schools." - Kim John Payne, M.Ed., author of Simplicity Parenting and Beyond Winning "This book is a call for parents and teachers to work more effectively together on behalf of our children. Torin uses a variety of approaches to stimulate conversation and help us strengthen the communities around our schools. I highly recommend this provocative book!"- David Sobel, author of Place-Based Education: Connecting Classrooms and Communities

"Finser's style is warm, knowledgeable and sometimes provocative. He freely weaves his personal experiences with those of others. It's a disarming style that invites you in, and like a true friend, asks you to think about what you're doing. Into this mix, he also weaves aspects of Anthroposophy that will appeal to teacher and parent. Whether it's about Family Constellations, Spiritual Streams or the Problem of Evil, Finser presents it in a down-to-earth and, at the same time, inspiring way.

"Who would like this book or find it useful and inspiring? Highly recommended for any parent or teacher in a Waldorf school, as well as anyone interested in Waldorf education. It's a wonderful guide to accompany you and your friends on the road ahead." --David Kennedy, Waldorf Today

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"The world of parent-teacher relations has grown more complex over the years and at its worst can feel like a minefield. Torin de-mines and demystifies the experience with information, insights, stories, and warmth, creating a safe passage for teachers and parents." --Joan Almon, Waldorf educator and cofounder of Alliance for Childhood

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"Readers of my books will appreciate Torin's approach to parent-teacher relations. He looks at the key issues through various lenses and gives both practical and spiritual advice to all who seek to build healthy relationships around our school-age children. I highly recommend this new book!" --Thomas Moore, bestselling author of Care of the Soul

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"What Torin has so sensitively crafted here will give you greater simplicity and spaciousness in school community life. I highly recommend this book to all parents and teachers, but especially to those connected to Waldorf schools." --Kim John Payne, M.Ed., author of Simplicity Parenting and Beyond Winning

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"This book is a call for parents and teachers to work more effectively together on behalf of our children. Torin uses a variety of approaches to stimulate conversation and help us strengthen the communities around our schools. I highly recommend this provocative book!" --David Sobel, author of Place-Based Education: Connecting Classrooms and Communities

Torin M. Finser, Ph.D., is Chair of the Education Department of Antioch University New England and founding member of the Center for Anthroposophy in Wilton, NH. He has been an educator for three decades and has been a keynote speaker at conferences in China, Korea, Nepal, South Africa, Norway, England, Switzerland, Canada, and throughout the United States. He has also served as an organizational consultant for a variety of schools. Leadership development and support is a theme that runs through many of his books. Dr. Finser serves as General Secretary of the Anthroposophical Society in America. He is the author of Silence Is Complicity: A Call to Let Teachers Improve Our Schools\r\nthrough Action Research - Not NCLB (2007); Organizational Integrity: How to Apply the Wisdom of the Body to Develop Healthy Organizations (2007); In Search of Ethical Leadership: If Not Now, When? (2003); School Renewal: A Spiritual Journey for Change (2001); and School as a Journey: The Eight-Year Odyssey of a Waldorf Teacher and His Class (1994), which has been translated into Thai, Korean, and Chinese.

What does a healthy, successful school look like? Is it all about measurable outcomes, test scores, and pass/fail grades set by the government? Can learning be quantified in short-term measurements or does real learning take years to manifest in a career or biography. All seem to agree that a healthy school is also a community and that community depends on the quality of relationships - chiefly the relationships among students, teachers, and parents. This book features a comprehensive examination of the parent - teacher relationship in all its dimensions, from parent evenings and conferences to communication, conflict, and the life-cycle of parent involvement in their school. In between the chapters on practical advice are sections that consider the issues from a deeper, spiritual dimension. This book is intended to stimulate conversation, self-reflection, and relational practices that awaken community life in and around our schools. ____ "The world of parent - teacher relations has grown more complex over the years and at its worst can feel like a minefield. Torin de-mines and demystifies the experience with information, insights, stories, and warmth, creating a safe passage for teachers and parents." - Joan Almon, Waldorf educator and cofounder of Alliance for Childhood "Readers of my books will appreciate Torin's approach to parent - teacher relations. He looks at the key issues through various lenses and gives both practical and spiritual advice to all who seek to build healthy relationships around our school-age children. I highly recommend this new book!" - Thomas Moore, bestselling author of Care of the Soul "What Torin has so sensitively crafted here will give you greater simplicity and spaciousness in school community life. I highly recommend this book to all parents and teachers, but especially to those connected to Waldorf schools." - Kim John Payne, M.Ed., author of Simplicity Parenting and Beyond Winning "This book is a call for parents and teachers to work more effectively together on behalf of our children. Torin uses a variety of approaches to stimulate conversation and help us strengthen the communities around our schools. I highly recommend this provocative book!" - David Sobel, author of Place-Based Education: Connecting Classrooms and Communities

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