Second-grade teacher Lorrie Heard recently participated in the UMaine Hutchinson Center’s Teaching From the Heart: Nonviolent Communication in the Classroom program, with Gina Simm. Learn about Heard’s experience in the program and how what she learned helped to build community in her classroom and empower her students to express their feelings and needs.

“This little book is an extremely rare combination of a clear, simple, and grounded curriculum to support children in learning how to sustain their humanity and open hearts in a world that’s constantly telling them otherwise, and a way for teachers to fully live, with the children, what the world could look like when we include everyone’s needs in a proactive way. Full of stories, tools, and inspiration, and drawing on years of research, it’s complete within itself, accessible, and profound. Any teacher who wants to counter the climate of dehumanization could benefit immensely from applying the lessons that Gina so deftly shares with all.”

Miki Kashtan, Co-Founder, Bay Area Nonviolent Communication