TL;DR: Preparing for school with the impacts COVID-19 and racism in mind. Checking your heart and mind, becoming knowledgeable, and taking action are necessary steps to prepare for school this fall. Preparing for school with the impacts of COVID-19 and racism in mind is essential. Once students enter their classroom physically or gather virtually this school year, they will have experienced … Read More
Key Tips for Beginning a Virtual School Year
TL;DR: Contacting your local mental health community partner is a strategy to start addressing mental heath in your school. Increase the effectiveness of online learning by using learning management systems, personalized learning, creating relationships online, and incorporating social-emotional learning. A technique for transforming your student relationship building activities to a virtual setting is shared. As districts begin to finalize their … Read More
5 Design Strategies to Come Back Better
TL;DR: Qualities of a design thinking mindset. Five strategies to Come Back Better this fall, including engaging with empathy, defining needs, challenging the process, innovating, and being flexible. Seven years ago, a group of high school students participated in a design competition, building a robot to perform various jobs. Each week, they sent programming code to a company design firm for … Read More
Choice + Voice: Powerhouse Combo in the Classroom
TL;DR: Choice and voice are essential in order to engage students. Student choice is directly related to the concept of autonomy. Student voice is often communicated through their choices and behaviors. It might be the teacher in me, but when words rhyme or have a strong sense of alliteration, I’m all for it! Two of my favorites? CHOICE + VOICE, … Read More
Remembering YOU in Times of Uncertainty and Change
TL;DR: Embrace the disruption to your routines. Reconnect with yourself by starting a journal, creating fun videos and songs for your students, finding a way to laugh everyday, or using your talents to help someone else. You are important. I don’t know if anyone has told you that today. Or yesterday. Or even in the last week. But you are, … Read More