This book is a fantastic resource for educators, offering quick and practical ways to connect with students. Each connection strategy is detailed with practical tips and differentiation options for how to implement it. I love that the connection activities only take about two minutes each, which means they can be done consistently throughout the year rather than a long, isolated SEL activity one day. Curtis’ experience as an educator means he knows teachers’ and students’ reality - what they really want and need in order to connect.

The first parts of the book explain the “why” behind connection; it is safe to assume educators already have some sense of that if they want to read this book, but there were will some good reminders. The “how” - the strategies for connection - has some strategies teachers likely already know, but I learned some new things too! Curtis also reminds teachers that they should be willing to do activities along with students.

This book is a must-read for new teachers and teachers who want to better connect with students so their classrooms can fire on “all cylinders” (Curtis has a gift for great metaphors to explain concepts)! Thank you to NetGalley, Tasfil Publishing, and Victory Editing Co-op for the free eARC. I post this review with my honest opinions. This review is cross-posted on Goodreads, Amazon, and Instagram.