Title: “Book Study on ‘Permission to Feel’ by Mark Brackett, PhD”
Transcript:
Welcome back to another book study from School Story. The book we’re discussing today is “Permission to Feel” by Mark Brackett, PhD. In a world increasingly aware of social-emotional learning (SEL), we’re seeing pushback in our area. As an administrator, my aim is for students and adults to identify, name, and manage their emotions. Managing emotions can mean expressing them in various ways or discussing them with others.
I absolutely love this book. Growing up as a Gen Xer with baby boomer parents, emotional expression was discouraged at home. Mark Brackett discusses this in his book, highlighting the importance of having adults like his uncle Marvin who listened and helped him understand his feelings. As administrators, our role includes helping others express and share their feelings. This should be done in a genuine, caring manner, not through scripted methods.
Brackett emphasizes that emotions provide crucial information about ourselves – affecting memory, learning, decision-making, and relationships. He challenges readers to become ’emotion scientists’, observing and hypothesizing about their emotions. This approach helps in understanding how mood influences our interactions with others.
The book also addresses the skill of precisely identifying emotions. We often experience dual emotions, reflecting our difficulty in recognizing true feelings. This inability to accurately label emotions can lead to suppressed feelings and unresolved trauma.
Brackett suggests that as a society, we tend to hide our emotions, creating barriers to emotional honesty. This can prevent healing from past traumas and inhibit genuine emotional expression. The book encourages creating environments where people feel safe to express their emotions, as this fosters better learning and a positive climate.
In conclusion, Brackett’s book invites readers to reflect on the emotional environment of their upbringing and the permission they had to express their feelings. This understanding is crucial in shaping one’s role as a leader, educator, or parent.
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