December 14, 2020

Focus: An Ode to Joy

Wednesday at 2:00: We had a great crowd at the OneNote drop in session last Wednesday and a few of you asked for more! Come learn about all of the features of Office 365 in the Kravis Center Zoom room.

Dear Colleagues,

One of the primary goals of the December 2nd through 4th PD days was to consider how we can keep learning fun in the online environment. In the spirit of that goal – and in honor of all current and upcoming holiday traditions that seek to infuse light into the dark winter months – I bring you this week's Monday Musing: An Ode to Joy.

Faithful readers of the Daily Bulletin will have noticed two new additions: The Counseling Department Corny Joke of the Day, brought to us by FacBrat Sophie Field, and The Chaffee Leadership Institute Positivity Project, spearheaded by junior Isabela Spina and Mike Donegan. The latter group's announcement linked to this article on the science of smiling, which details some of the biological benefits of smiling. Our students' wellbeing is of the utmost importance and helping them find ways to smile can help us do the same.

Here are some simple, fun ideas for the classroom:

Play music as students join class. Consider linking the song to the day's topic and challenging the students to determine the connection.
Begin class with a joke. Encourage students to contribute their own. Check out these teacher jokes to get started.
Challenge students to see who can complete a tongue twister quickest and with the fewest slip-ups.
Get students out of their seats. Stretch together as a class; you can assign students to be the stretching leader for a particular class. Or, have students lead the class through a warm-up related to their sport or preferred co-curricular activity. Last week, one of my French students led the class through some dribbling drills. (Only one student got yelled at from a parent working below his bedroom.)

For more ideas, check out Ways to Reclaim Joy in Your Teaching from Edutopia.

I'll end with some good news for teachers. As many have probably heard, Dr. Jill Biden will forgo the traditional role of the first lady and hopes to continue her work as a professor in community colleges, modeling the essential work of teachers. And the vaccine is coming! Note that teachers are in Connecticut's Phase 1B.

Happy Hanukkah to all those celebrating! Best wishes for a great week and joyous holiday season for all!

Rachel, on behalf of the Kravis Center

Make sure to check out the articles, resources, and PD opportunities below and a reminder about the drop-in session on Office 365, Wednesday at 2:00 in the Kravis Center Zoom room.

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Relevant articles and resources

Creating an anti-stress culture:

In her recent webinar, Lynn Lyons encouraged us to combat the culture of stress prevalent in schools like ours. She aptly noted that teachers contribute to this culture as well. Here's an account of how Case Western Reserve University took this problem head on.

Active Learning Activity Bank: Ideas for Improved Student Engagement, Created by the Penn Libraries Staff

Where we began and what we've discovered about sync and async classes at LC.

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Professional Development Opportunities

Here's the perfect opportunity to take a deep dive into creating authentic assessments with the Buck Institute, the gold standard of PBL workshops.

PBL Works Summer Workshop, June 21-24, 2021

If you have have between 2-6 years of experience, click here to learn more about the Klingenstein Summer Institute, July, 2021.

The Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning is offering numerous winter workshops: Foundational Strategies for Teaching during COVID.

The Science of How We Learn . . . at a Distance: Learning and the Brain is offering numerous PD options for teaching during COVID.

Harvard GSE programs for educators - so any worthwhile workshops for teachers!

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More interesting Articles and podcasts...

NAIS: Assessment Practices for Promoting Equity, by Amoy Walker is a must-read. Ms. Walker speaks to her experiences as a student as an an educator on the importance of examining "assessments more closely and identify best practices to combat bias."

When broken down into chunks, What works, what doesn't could serve as a valuable learning tool for our students. "Some study techniques accelerate learning, whereas others are just a waste of time—but which ones are which? An unprecedented review maps out the best pathways to knowledge." Thanks, Scott!

Another resource on teaching and learning that I always keep handy: Deans for Impact, The Science of Learning

Women of Color Need Courageous Allies in the Academy: An Open Dialogue Part One and Part Two. These interviews with seven women are outstanding, informative, and full of information about how to advance the work of allyship and accompaniment.

Reading Diversity: a tool for selecting diverse texts, Teaching Tolerance

Seeing White - podcast - and there's a study guide!

Creating Moments of Genuine Connection Online. the Cult of Pedagogy

Are you Teaching Content or Just Covering Material?, by Terry McGlynn, The Chronicle of Higher Education, A new book on science teaching makes the case for focusing on a smaller set of concepts to produce deeper learning.

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