Ten Big Bets: Transforming Education During the Pandemic and Beyond (PEAR and Clover Press, 2020) is a new book by BPSI Psychoanalyst and Faculty Member, Gil G. Noam, PhD. The global pandemic has thrown schooling into disarray. Teachers, parents, and children alike face uncertainty, while distance learning strains the human connections that make schooling meaningful. In this book, noted Harvard psychologist and educator Dr. Gil Noam reminds the reader that times of upheaval demand fundamental positive change. Rather than providing a technical manual or prescriptive program, Noam introduces ten core ideas for teachers, administrators and afterschool providers to embrace both in the harrowing time of Covid and in the years of reconstruction and transformation that will follow. Paying equal attention to the needs of children and the needs of educators, Noam advocates for academic challenge rooted in strong relationships, engaged learning and positive mental health. The chapter titles reveal the author’s commitment to a transformational approach to the challenges of this moment: Optimism and Hope; Engaged Learning; Relationships; Structure and Norms; Rituals; Educators; Mental Health; Community; Processing; and Courage. By bringing us to these core ideas of what’s important, Ten Big Bets offers a clear path for all the adults who dedicate themselves to children and youth so that each and everyone learns and thrives. For more information, visit Dr. Noam’s author website.
About the Author
Gil G. Noam, EdD, Dr. Habil. is a nationally recognized developmental and educational psychologist, the founder and Advisory Board Chair of the Partnerships in Education & Resilience (PEAR) Institute, director of the Institute for the Study of Resilience in Youth at McLean Hospital, and a faculty member of the Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute, Harvard Medical School, McLean and Mass. General Hospitals. He is the 2016 recipient of The BPSI Arthur R. Kravitz Award for Community Action and Humanitarian Contributions whose career exemplifies how a scholar and clinician can innovate, integrate, and apply multidisciplinary knowledge in community settings to benefit and support our children.
Members and partners can borrow this book from the BPSI library. People can also find the book on Amazon—it’s free with Kindle Unlimited and can be bought as an eBook or printed book at a reasonable price.
