February 1, 2021

Focus: Teacher Self-Care

Dear Colleagues,

Welcome to Winter Term 2! This marks the official halfway point of the 20-21 school year, and we all deserve a big pat on the back. Please take a moment to congratulate yourself on making it this far in what has been an exceptionally difficult year for all educators and for all humans everywhere.

Having reached the "hump" is certainly cause for celebration; I'm sure I don't need to remind you, however, that 16 weeks without a substantial break constitutes the downward slope of this hump. To get through, we will need to keep our own self-care front and center in our minds. Now is the time to remember the "marathon not a sprint" metaphor; now is the time to recall Sheila's citation of Ernest Shackleton's preference for "live donkey" over a "dead lion."

I encourage you all to attend the conversation with Lynn Lyons for faculty and staff entitled "Where Does Your Stress Show Up? (And What to Do About it)" taking place this Wednesday, February 3rd, from 2-3 pm in this Zoom room.

In the December 14th Monday Musings, I wrote about the importance of creating opportunities for students to experience joy in our classrooms and ways for us to reclaim joy in our teaching. These continue to be essential, though challenging, goals. When the going's gotten tough in the last 10 months, I have found that laughter has truly been the best medicine. Pandemic-related memes and viral videos have helped see me through some dark days. As a teacher and mom of young children, here are some of my favorites: "Mom Silently Asks for Help in Quarantine," "Homeschool Expectation vs. Reality," "Bernie Teacher Memes," "8 Types of Teachers During Distance Learning."

Best wishes for Winter Term 2! The Kravis Center is here to help you, so please don't hesitate to reach out to any of us.

Rachel, on behalf of the Kravis Center

Kravis Center Reminders

Please fill out this Kravis Center Survey, which will guide us as we plan programming for this spring and beyond.

Stay tuned for more information coming about the Kravis Center Design Challenge in honor of Black History Month announced in last week's Community e-News and in the February 1 faculty meeting.

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Self-Care Resources

The LC Counseling Center published this list of ways to manage stress during the pandemic in the winter issue of the Loomis Chaffee magazine (p. 19)

Do you have an ergonomic set-up at your desk? A laptop stand and an external mouse and keyboard have been key to my survival.

Like many of you, I imagine, I carry my stress in my neck and shoulders. This 15-minute yoga video targeting these areas has been a lifesaver.

This two-minute morning practice will make your day better.

More resources for you to ponder

10 Days of Mental Health for Educators, ASCD Day 10: Mental Health for Black Educators

Three things to do to get back your time, Inc and Beat procrastination and improve your focus Thank you, Stu, for passing these along!

your content.

Professional Development Opportunities

Looking for an amazing line up of experts on the adolescent brain? Look no further than the The Science of Teaching During a Pandemic. Click here on the Learning and the Brain site for even more professional learning opportunities. A wealth of opportunities awaits us!

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

Another outstanding opportunity to take a deep dive into the neuroscience of learning: 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...

Media Bias Chart

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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