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Wellness-Informed Classrooms with Sustaining Climates Foster Compassionate Morality

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Second International Research Handbook on Values Education and Student Wellbeing

Part of the book series: Springer International Handbooks of Education ((SIHE))

Abstract

Wellness-informed education addresses trauma by helping students develop self-calming routines, trusting relationships, compassion, and an expanded communal imagination. Wellness-informed education supports student development with the components of the evolved nest and holistic education. A wellness-informed sustaining classroom climate provides more than a good learning environment or caring classroom. A sustaining classroom climate provides as much as possible the type of environment under which human mammals thrive. It fosters students’ sense of positive purpose, as individuals and as a group, and a peaceful moral citizenship. It is characterized by collaborative leadership, community fellowship, democratic practice, and enhancement of human potential. In Triune ethics theory terms, students learn to foster the engagement and imagination ethics while minimizing self-protectionism ethics. In sustaining classrooms, students learn skills for individual flourishing and enabling community flourishing.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The common EDN characteristics identified worldwide include soothing perinatal experiences, lengthy breastfeeding, extensive affectionate touch (and no negative touch), responsive stable support, multiple responsive, caregivers, a welcoming social climate, self-directed social play with multiple-aged playmates, nature immersion and connection, and routine healing practices (see EvolvedNest.org).

  2. 2.

    I adopt the term “moral habitat” from John Ozolins (2007), although I define it differently.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA

    Darcia Narvaez

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  1. Darcia Narvaez
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Correspondence to Darcia Narvaez .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia

    Terence Lovat

  2. Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia

    Ron Toomey

  3. The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia

    Neville Clement

  4. The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia

    Kerry Dally

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Narvaez, D. (2023). Wellness-Informed Classrooms with Sustaining Climates Foster Compassionate Morality. In: Lovat, T., Toomey, R., Clement, N., Dally, K. (eds) Second International Research Handbook on Values Education and Student Wellbeing. Springer International Handbooks of Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-24420-9_7

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