Product reviews for From My Heart

In choosing to title the book From my Heart, a reader might first think that this is a soppy attempt to do a "motherhood and apple pie" job on education. However by inviting us to embark on a virtual relationship with him, Neil brings the reader on an evidence based journey getting to the heart of what education should be about - not grades and results, but what do we as a society want a well-educated 18 or 19 year old to look like. Hawkes draws the reader into a journey, not in an airy fairy way but gets to the nitty gritty of how to model the values and behaviours we seek to develop in the next generation - a generation that is open and hasn't, as yet, been tainted by experience because as Neil reminds us, it's never too late to have a happy childhood! I first heard Neil address the European School Heads Association (ESHA) Conference in Cyprus and was so impressed I invited him to Ireland. I was certain Irish School Leaders were longing to hear someone who could articulate something that I know each individual felt in their own hearts about vision and values for society. I wasn't wrong and the feel good factor that permeated conference following Neil's address to delegates lasted long after they returned to their schools. Neil's invitations to pause, his use of reflection points at the end of each chapter, his use of a positive values vocabulary, his descriptions of the impact of the adopted approaches on students and practitioners, his hints and suggestions about how to embed a values based culture make this book a must read for all who reflect on education, especially school leaders, teachers and those involved in the educational enterprise. I wholeheartedly recommend it - especially to those suffering from TBD (Too Busy Disorder).