January 11, 2021

Focus: Figuring out the now

Dear Colleagues,

I hope you had a chance to catch your breath this weekend after the historic events of last week.

A few articles over the past couple of weeks caught my eye because they made me think not only about current online pedagogical practices but also about the practices that are going to move with us as we transition back to a more traditional classroom space in the future. Make Schools More Human, by Jal Mehta, Harvard professor and co-author of In Search of Deeper Learning, outlines some of the decisions that schools made over the course of the last nine months that have buoyed learning in this unprecedented time. You will notice that he has highlighted much of what we at Loomis have embraced. Eight Predictions for Education in 2021 gives further insight into pedagogical decisions that we made that will stay with us in our more traditional classrooms.

These two articles reiterate the fact that we have all spent countless hours this year reflecting on the past, figuring out the now, and contemplating the future. Given this constant reflection and analysis, every day has felt like a day of professional learning and growth, exhausting as that might sound. I am grateful for the time built into our schedule (Tuesday, January 12) to breathe, talk, and collaborate with a colleague (or two or three). As focused as we have been on pedagogy and effective online teaching, I urge us all to take time to determine how we can continue to incorporate discussions surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion in our classroom. After the attack on the Capital last Wednesday, I immediately began to think about the strategies that I would employ to address the attack both in my advisee meeting and in my class. How would I create the space to freely share feelings, questions, opinions, and at the same time communicate the enormity of this horrific event on so many different levels? I needed to figure out how to facilitate yet another challenging conversation about protests, history, language, and race with my students.

I worry that some of my students have become immune to the devastation that has plagued the United States (partly a reaction of self-preservation, perhaps a privilege in and of itself). However, as an educator, it is important to reassure them that what they have witnessed should not and does not have to be the norm. As educators we can empower our students to be the change and give them the tools to understand what it means to be good, decent, just citizens. If you would like to learn more about the tools that White educators need to facilitate discussions around social justice, please consider attending the virtual White Privilege Conference on April 7-10: White Privilege conference sign-up. The Kravis Center team is always available to talk through any pedagogical ideas or questions as well as questions about developing strategies to engage in productive discussions surrounding challenging topics.

Have a wonderful week. I hope that you find time to rest, reflect, restore, and most importantly, breathe.

On behalf of the Kravis Center,

Sara

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Relevant articles and resources

On Wednesday, the Kravis Center and the Learning Access and Student Achievement Center will publish its first Wednesday Wins, a short blog offering one pedagogical tool and one student-centered tool for you to ponder as you develop your curriculum. An invitation to the blogpost will arrive soon.

I am in the middle of The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson which details brilliantly the Great Migration. We Need a Second Great Migration by Charles Blow, outlines how the elections in Georgia are perhaps the beginning of a second Great Migration.

Why Students Should Write in all Subjects and How Mentor Texts Provide Valuable Lessons Beyond Writing Instruction offer valuable insight into the art of writing across the curriculum and how to use mentor texts to help students learn to write.

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Professional Development Opportunities

Continue to check out the Learning and the Brain site for professional learning 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.

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

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More articles and podcasts from past Monday Musings...

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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