Ten Big Bets: Transforming Education During the Pandemic and Beyond

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.