The Comfort of Little Things: An Educator's Guide to Second Chances

by Holly Elissa Bruno

Overview

The Comfort of Little Things is a thought-provoking book that empowers educators to give themselves and the people in their lives second chances in order for themselves and the children they teach to learn and thrive. This book includes stories from the author and contributors to the author's blog posts.

Holly Elissa Bruno is an author, attorney, acclaimed keynote speaker, and host of an online radio program. Her other Redleaf Press books are Managing Legal Risks in Early Childhood Programs (co-published with Teachers College Press) and Learning from the Bumps in the Road.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781605544106
Publisher:	Redleaf Press
Publication date:	06/08/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	144
File size:	628 KB

About the Author

Holly Elissa Bruno: Holly Elissa Bruno, MA, JD, is an author, attorney, professor, acclaimed keynote speaker, and host of an online radio program. She is an alumna of Harvard University’s Institute for Educational Management, teaches leadership courses for The McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership and Wheelock College, and is a frequent contributor to Child Care Information Exchange and the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s Young Children publication. Previously, Holly Elissa served as Assistant Attorney General for the state of Maine and Assistant Dean at the University of Maine School of Law. Holly Elissa’s books include What You Need to Lead an Early Childhood Program: Emotional Intelligence in Practice and Managing Legal Risks in Early Childhood Programs, and Learning from the Bumps in the Road: Insights from Early Childhood Leaders.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Part I:
The beauty and beast within. Why don’t we give ourselves the second chances we give other people? What would it take for us to change?

Chapter 1: Lyra’s Story—The teacher whose mistake led to a child’s being hurt. When you can’t forgive yourself. High stakes of being an educator. Can we fail with children? Consequences of judging ourselves as failures. What children learn by observing how we treat ourselves and others. Insights from Fred Rogers.

Chapter 2: Silly Me: When the drive to perfection kills the chance to grow; Words we use to drive ourselves: (what can we learn from) words we use with children when they fail; words that make an apology real, including to ourselves; replacing harsh words with soothing phrases like “Silly Me”.

Chapter 3: Our brain on second chances: the beauty and the beast: Our internal systems crave predictability. Changing is a threat. Threats trigger knee-jerk, unthinking reactions. The amygdala is a harsh enforcer of consistency. That’s the beast. The beauty is in the Executive Function, the imaginative, problem-solving, generous, humorous part of our brain that frees us through perspective: offers us meaning and the chance to be open.

Part II:
Opening ourselves to second chances. Stepping out of the grip of the amygdala. Stepping up to seeing our world anew

Chapter 4: Notice where you are. The art of claiming moments to see the gifts at your doorstep. The practice of noticing. Nature’s model for second chances. Nature’s continuous and endless gift of second chances.

Chapter 5: Notice how we are: Breaking the grip of judgment: Resetting brain pathways to notice how we are. Changing the repeated judgement with insistent encouragement.

Chapter 6: Notice life on life’s terms. See though the eyes of a child. The salve of beauty. Soothing of integrity. Brilliance of honesty. Comfort of little things.

Part III:
Tools for staying open and creating a culture of second chances

Chapter 7: What do you do when the door is slammed in your face? Personality conflicts at work. Seemingly impossible parents. Acknowledging what pushes your buttons and using strategies to stay open.

Chapter 8: Paying it forward. Passing it on. The spirituality of second chances. “When we are in the presence of a spiritual being, we become spiritual”. Mirror neurons and the beat of a heart: The neuroscience of compassion.

Chapter 9: Workplace second chances. What is within and beyond your control? Taking the action you can take, as a peer, as a supervisor, as a supervisee. Addressing “stuck” places. Courage to face discomfort of confronting underlying issues. Modeling second chances in unexpected places. (Creating a culture of second chances)

Chapter 10: Meeting up along the way. Finding, giving and taking second chances as a way of life. Staying open to seeing beyond your classroom, your building, your job, even our profession for new ways to see. Setting your course for renewal. Unexpected fellow travelers. Looking back on what you have learned.

Editorial Reviews

"Holly Elissa Bruno is one of my favorite keynote speakers and presenters. She writes as she speaks—as if she was addressing you personally! She brings you along in her journey of second chances, provides you with strategies for dealing with common challenges and inspires you to take the leap with her!"—Debbie Silver, Child Care Resources of Rockland

"Holly Elissa Bruno has written a delightful book which I can highly recommend to anyone seeking self-improvement, reflection and enlightenment. Holly Elissa weaves together stories, practical examples, quotes and reflective questions as she urges us to have compassion and model compassion. This is a book about choices, learning and letting go—it’s a book you can read cover to cover in one sitting easily and then dip in and out of as inspiration is required. Holly Elissa’s inimitable humour threads throughout this little gem of a book as she tackles the hard subjects like change, failure, and conflict in both confronting and deeply reflective ways."—Toni Christie, Childspace Early Childhood Institute

" The Comfort of Little Things is a true gem! Weaving together findings from neuroscience, anecdotes from practitioners in the field, sage advice from her Heart to Heart radio guests, and lessons learned from her own emotional journey of second chances, Holly Bruno presents the fundamental truths for how to live more deeply, meaningfully, and spiritually."—Paula Jorde Bloom, Founder, McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership

"The who, what, when, why, and where of becoming a more reflective early childhood practitioner and embracing second chances to get even better at it."—Kay Albrecht, Innovations in Early Childhood Education

"This book is a kind spirited and good-hearted exploration of second chances that is beautifully focused on the needs and challenges of educators. If you’ve ever felt in need of a do-over, this book can help you find the questions and answers to make it very worthwhile, and the mindset and attitude that make it possible."—Rick Kirschner, Keynotes, Training, Coaching, The Art Of Change LLC

The Comfort of Little Things: An Educator’s Guide to Second Chances blends a discussion about leadership with one of educational development, shares the author’s personal story and blends it with advice from the educational and neuroscience fields, and offers research-backed stories and examples paired with reflection questions to consider how to integrate spiritual and professional ideals with an educator’s growth and teaching process. This might seem like a lot to include under one cover; but the fact that Holly Elissa Bruno’s approach is so wide-ranging makes it a surprisingly easy read, perfect for busy educators who want a pointed yet accessible survey.—The Bookwatch: September 2015, The Education Shelf

From the Publisher