"Imagine a classroom that explores the twinned ideas of embodied teaching and a pedagogy of tenderness. Becky Thompson envisions such a curriculum "and a way of being "that promises to bring about a sea change in education. Thompson's pedagogy of tenderness encompasses a student's whole self, helping the individual to merge mind, body, spirit, and emotions to achieve true understanding. As she shows, teaching with tenderness encourages us to truly listen to one another; makes room for emotion and uncomfortable perspectives; and welcomes silence, breathing, and movement. The patience and mindful attentiveness that emerges spurs students to achieve great work drawn from their best selves. Throughout, Thompson invites readers into her classroom and the lives of her students to illuminate how methods like yoga and sleep for overworked students have led to dramatic transformations"--"Imagine a classroom that explores the possibilities of embodied teaching and a pedagogy of tenderness in its curriculum. By tenderness, Thompson means a way of being that allows us to listen deeply to each other, to consider perspectives that we might have thought outside our own world views, to practice patience and attentiveness that allows people to do their best work, and to go beyond the status quo. Thompson invites us into her own classroom experiences and the lives of her students to provide examples of transformative teaching methods--from moveable desks to create more constructive arrangements, to introducing yoga into the classroom to welcome the body into learning, to the need for a nap time for overworked students--that bring together feminist pedagogy, trauma theory, and contemplative practices.

A pedagogy of tenderness takes into accounts students' whole selves--their minds, bodies, emotions, spiritual lives--in order to help students connect their bodies and minds to achieve the deepest form of understanding"--.