TL;DR: Earth Day is celebrated annually on April 22nd. When considering outdoor education, it is important to think about safety, seating, and work surfaces. Earth Day happens every year on April 22 to commemorate the modern environmental movement that began in 1970. Until then there was no EPA, no Clean Air or Water Act. The first Earth Day was actually … Read More
Schools These Days
TL;DR: Hans shares a story about how his puppy, Winnie, was demonstrating deregulated behavior on a walk. Remembering his recent conversation with Dr. Carrington, she said we need “connection before direction.” 5 keys to reconnecting are listed below. Relationships and reconnection starts and ends with the adults in our schools. Children need adults to show them how to regulate when … Read More
LEAD with HOPE: O is for Optimism
TL;DR: People with a fixed mindset do not believe qualities can be changed while those with a growth mindset believe qualities can be developed and strengthened through hard work. Having a growth mindset leads to hope and optimism which helps overcome obstacles. A story is shared about a student who was a troubled teen but turned her life around with … Read More
Educator Island
TL;DR: There is a commonality to all reality shows: Each episode tries to promote success attached to future outcomes. A new idea for an educator reality show: Educator Island where contestants would increase each others’ collective confidence, self-worth, and strength into a renewed hope to return back to the passion that once fueled their creativity and craft. Challenges should be … Read More
Effective Tools for End-of-Year Student Conferencing
TL;DR: Make sure to purposefully include time for student conferencing in your plans. During a conference, the student is able to monitor their progress and get clarification about assignments. The teacher is able to guide the student to use individualized study strategies. They can also monitor the students’ progress and help them set attainable goals. As we go into the … Read More
