Abstract
The authors have been engaged in education and psycho-therapy for their joint professional lifetimes, and as parents and grandparents, they bring to the text an experienced and enlightened understanding of children approaching adolescence. The aim of the book is to assist teachers to educate two groups of junior high students in how to behave ethically. The need grew out of an outbreak of bullying at the Project Learn School in Philadelphia–a school they had founded and served for 40 years. The outbreak of bullying was something they had never experienced before.
The book has great potential for providing teachers and administrators with a handbook that lays out a curriculum for planning and developing a practical course on teaching ethics to children at the end of their junior high school. The theoretical background is presented clearly and concisely with snapshots of the relevant literature written so that the pupils can read and discuss main points with their teachers and, hopefully, with their parents as well.
The ten chapters are split into three sections: the first focuses on theoretical and conceptual discussions, such as laws, rules, agreements and compassion–promoting understanding of the components of ethical behaviour. The second section outlines a wide range of practical activities for promoting a real discussion on bullying, community ethics, work ethic and global concerns. The final section provides guidelines for developing an ethical classroom with older learners becoming mentors for the younger ones. The success of the project led to exhibitions of the pupils’ work in two popular coffee houses, as a public celebration of their efforts.
The book is written with a deep love and understanding of humanity with all its frailties and complexities. The writers’ experience and wisdom are profound, yet they convey their messages quite simply; their wish is to provide young learners with the skills and understanding to enable them to develop into responsible, thoughtful, caring adults who are willing and able to engage in discussing and making difficult decisions.
I recommend this very practical and wise text to all teachers and parents so that they develop some of the wisdom and understanding of the authors. It is a lovingly written and humane text!