TL;DR: It is important to establish healthy habits and model them for our students. Be proactive: Focus on the things in your circle of control in an effort to be the best you can be. Begin with the end in mind: Set a mission, goals, and priorities. Put first things first & sharpen the saw: Manage your time. Practice good … Read More
The Art of Reflection
TL;DR: Reflection informs our thinking and supports continuous growth. Reflect on your priorities, core values, personal and professional goals, and determine your next steps. Tools for reflection include journaling, meditating, walking/hiking, art, sticky notes, exercise, blogging, and more. Fifteen weekly reflection questions for educators are shared. When teachers and students transitioned to remote learning, social distancing, and working from home, … Read More
Reflection Guides Continuous Improvement
TL;DR: Reflection empowers deeper thinking that can guide discussions and continuous improvement. Questions to guide reflection for teachers, students, and both teachers/students are shared. Educators should be commended for empowering hope, optimism, courage, curiosity, and resilience during this unique school year. This continues to be one of the most complicated and challenging times for education, but also an exciting opportunity … Read More
Certainties During an Uncertain Time
TL;DR: There are a number of certainties during this uncertain time that we can count on. Some certainties we can count on are that we are resilient, communication is key, relationships matter, and partnerships between stakeholders and parents help students thrive. Hybrid instruction. Zoom. Virtual open house. Remote learning. Material distribution. Virtual instruction. Synchronous learning. Asynchronous learning. Hyflex instruction. Google … Read More
Cue the Celebrations! How to Celebrate in Schools Today!
TL;DR: Celebrating is like a skill that gets easier with practice. Start by teaching students why and how we celebrate as a class by keeping a list of celebrations to share publicly each day or privately through a weekly personal journal. Celebrate students by sharing messages via email, communication apps like SeeSaw, Post-it notes, or on desks with dry-erase markers. … Read More