Thriveology
Resilience-Informed Teaching through the CARING Model
by HeeKap Lee
Foreword by Rhoda C. Sommers
Imprint: Wipf and Stock
Can our students learn something positive for themselves in spite of traumatic and toxic situations? Can they thrive in their cognitive, emotional, and social capacities to transform their painful and challenging current COVID-19 environment? What do teachers need to do for this? These questions guided this book to suggest a new perspective of education, called the Pedagogy of Thriveology, which challenges students to overcome the current toxic social environments based on the biblical perspective. In fact, Jesus presents many effective teaching cases in Scripture.
In this book, I identify specific cases of audiences who experienced trauma (that are related to physical, emotional, relational, spiritual, cultural, ethical identity issues) along with appropriate learning strategies and instructional processes that are used by Jesus so that the specific audience in each case would be equipped with resilience needed to overcome their trauma.
HeeKap Lee is professor and faculty coordinator of MAED in Teaching at Azusa Pacific University. He published four books on Christian education, multicultural education, and school change. Among his other works are Faith-Based Education that Constructs (2010) and Why Does a Well-Planned Innovation Fail? The Importance of Concern Analysis (2010).
“Separating education from values and noncognitive skills has given us a model that leads to SAT scores without nurturing more important factors. . . . In this book, Lee suggests resilience-informed teaching procedures through which teachers can help students thrive as whole persons.”
—David J. Agron, Editor, Christian Academia Magazine
“Lee presents a critique of the American educational system, exposing major flaws that have structured American educational settings as contexts for competition rather than collaboration. . . . This is a must-read for all educators who seek to see all their students thrive and succeed regardless of ability and cultural, socioeconomic, and linguistic differences.”
—Chinaka S. DomNwachukwu, Dean, College of Education, CSU San Bernardino
“This book should be on the bookshelf of all Christian educators. . . . Readers will gain new insights and effective strategies to transform our society through education, like Jesus demonstrated two thousand years ago.”
—Jung-hyo Kim, Professor, Elementary Education Department, Ewha Womans University
“In a moment in history when anxiety and depression among students has never been higher, Lee strips away the culturally bound paradigm of the modern American educator to provide fresh insight into the soul of education—forming young men and women to thrive by recognizing their God-given purpose. By starting with what it means to be human, Lee’s book brings a practical approach to fostering a life of thriving.”
—Benjamin Roberson, Principal, Pacifica Christian High School
“This book speaks to my heart as a teacher and leader and encourages me to focus on relationships, leading and teaching with inquiry, and engaging in community actualization. Traditional American culture is individualistic . . . ; however, Lee’s emphasis on community actualization is a biblical ideal. . . . No one is able to truly thrive without community.”
—Rhoda C. Sommers, Dean of Health, Human, and Public Services, Clark State College