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What Are You Bringing to the Potluck?
How School Leaders Set the Table for a Community of Belonging
Author Sheldon L. Eakins dishes up ways to build a school culture where students feel they belong. Through personal stories and practical tools, like the Sense of Belonging Tool, he helps educators tackle attitudes and behaviors that lead to exclusion. He offers leaders a way through their potential fears and the ingredients to create a supportive community, encourage empathy for students from all walks of life, and boost attendance and well-being.
Benefits
- Value and understand the impact of belonging on student beliefs, perceptions, and health
- Revise school policies, mission statements, hiring practices, and budget allocation to foster equitable learning communities
- Create a belonging task force that connects school, students, families, and community members
- Study how a student’s attachment style can impact how they function at school
- Understand how to respect and appreciate differences without belaboring them or tokenizing cultures
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction: Belonging Is Foundational
Chapter 1: Leaders as Lifetime Learners
Chapter 2: Leaders as Stewards of Belonging
Chapter 3: Potential Pitfalls
Chapter 4: Amplified Student Voices
Chapter 5: Intersectionality
Epilogue: Going Forward
Appendix: Sense of Belonging Tool
PRINTABLE REPRODUCIBLES
Introduction: Belonging Is Foundational
Chapter 1: Leaders as Lifetime Learners
Chapter 2: Leaders as Stewards of Belonging
- Figure 2.1: Teachers’ Creating Affirmation Practices
- Chapter 2: Leadership Self-Reflection
- Leadership Activity: Reviewing Mission and Vision Statements
- Leadership Activity: Reassessing Hiring Practices
- Interview Questions
- Candidate Evaluation Rubric
Chapter 3: Potential Pitfalls
- Chapter 3: Leadership Self-Reflection
- Leadership Activity: Attachment Lens Walkthrough
- Leadership Activity: Leading a Change Initiative for Representation and Inclusion
- Planning for Sustainable Change
Chapter 4: Amplified Student Voices
- Chapter 4: Leadership Self-Reflection
- Leadership Activity: Initiating an Affinity Group
- Leadership Activity: Initiating Student Voice Panels
- Belonging Task Force: Key Members for Consideration
Chapter 5: Intersectionality
Appendix: Sense of Belonging Tool
- Sense of Belonging Tool (Secondary Students)
- Sense of Belonging Tool (Elementary Students)
- Sense of Belonging Tool: Analysis
SUGGESTED RESOURCES
Books
- de Haan, D. (2025). STEM is for everyone: Strategies for engaging multilingual learners in the K–12 classroom. Solution Tree Press.
- DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., Many, T. W., Mattos, M., & Muhammad, A. (2024). Learning by doing: A handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work (4th ed.). Solution Tree Press.
- Ford, E. (2023). Benches in the bathroom: Leading a physically, emotionally, and socially safe school culture. Solution Tree Press.
- Valenzuela, J. (2023). Raising equity through SEL: A framework for implementing trauma-informed, culturally responsive teaching and restorative practices. Solution Tree Press.
Websites
Chapter 2
Chapter 5
