Positive and heart-warming stories from educators as well as educator evaluations have been collected from teachers implementing Living Values Education around the world. The most frequent themes noted in the reports are positive changes in teacher-student relationships and in student-student relationships both inside and outside the classroom.
Educators note an increase in respect, caring, cooperation, motivation, and the ability to solve peer conflicts on the part of the students. Aggressive behaviours decline as positive social skills and respect increase. Living Values Education helps educators create safe, caring, values-based atmospheres for quality learning.
- Stories from Primary Schools
- Power to Blossom, a seven-minute film of a new Living Values Education program in kindergartens in Israel
- Stories from Middle Schools
- Stories from Secondary Schools
- Women of Substance, a documentary about Living Values Education at Arundel School in Zimbabwe
- Endorsements
A Few Results from Educators Implementing Living Values Education
A Montessori teacher reported: "I have used the Living Values Education Program from start to finish this past school year with my preschool students. I absolutely loved it, the children loved it, and the outcome was really spectacular. I was dealing with a very angry and aggressive boy at the beginning of the year. After the unit on respect with a few added lessons of my own, the child found respect for himself, for others, and for the environment. He was truly my 'star' this year. Through the teacher education centre that I teach at, I have encouraged many other teachers from many other Montessori schools to use the program in their schools. Several have and have found some very similar results."
- In Iceland, a veteran first-grade teacher reported seeing surprising and dramatic improvements in caring, respect, cooperation, concentration, and learning to read.
- In Lebanon, second-graders in a classroom at ACS have learned conflict resolution so well that they solve all peer conflicts themselves; the teacher reports she is free to teach.
- In Bermuda, three primary schools implementing Living Values Education as whole schools achieved an 80% drop in school disciplinary referrals within their first year of implementing Living Values Education Program.
- In the USA, a K-8 school implementing Living Values Education as a whole school is now rated as the top seventh school in Florida. The principal stated, "There simply is no bullying."
- In Kenya, teens self-reported complete changes in their behaviour, from violence to cooperation, and from being at the bottom of their class to doing well academically.
- In South Africa, formerly violent secondary students became leaders of peace and values and led Living Values Education workshops for their peers.
- Australia, a year-nine student reported, "It's not just that I like values classes, I really enjoy them. At the start I was dead against values, I didn't feel like I got anything out of the class. I distracted people and didn't put in any effort. Then I thought for one lesson I would really contribute. That lesson changed the way I felt about values. I can relate to everything that we talk about. I find myself discovering things about myself that I never knew. Values class is really worthwhile."
There are also wonderful stories from educators in special circumstances. In Thailand, one year after implementing Living Values Education, nine out of 24 refugee-camp teachers working with children and youth reported 100-percent improvement in violent behaviour; the others cited an 80-percent reduction in aggressiveness.
Within two years, smiles, kindness and cooperative and creative play had increased dramatically, and the camp leader reported that the section leaders who had spent considerable time dealing with problems of gangs of youth fighting from different sections prior to the implementation of Living Values Education no longer needed to spend even one second on this issue as there was no fighting.
The new program for street children is bringing in very positive reports. In Brazil and Vietnam, educators reported considerable decreases in aggression and at-risk behaviours, and new behaviours of caring and values. One teacher noted, "Now they are confident and friendly with adults and their peers. There is almost no conflict in the classes and they now do not get into trouble after school either. The students have also developed many skits on how to keep safe from dangerous adults and really enjoy performing them. Now when they are on the streets and see children that are new to the streets they give support and advice to the new children and invite them to meet their teacher and join their classes."
The Ministry of Labor in Vietnam reported in March of 2008 that Living Values Education's program for Drug Rehabilitation was the most successful program in government drug rehabilitation clinics. They have been using it for three years.
Stories from Primary Schools
A story from Karen Fryer - an educator at Pearcedale Primary School, Frankston, Australia
A story from Shirley Lehmann - an educator at Seymour Primary School, Victoria Australia
A story from Shelia Gooding - an educator at St. Paul of the Cross, in Sydney, Australia
Changing hearts and minds - Eleven stories from Mauritius.
Attitudes shift for teachers and students - Eight stories from Malaysia
Restless students become quieter and shy ones develop confidence - A story from Italy.