We use Google so much that we have turned it into a verb, yet many of us do not use it like a pro. Here are two links to help you either use Google better, or use it worse to play tricks on your class:
Since it’s almost summer vacation, I’ll give you a bonus link. This one could potentially take you on a treasure hunt to explore all the possibilities, even in Microsoft Word:
The EdCan network has many offerings that include articles, magazines, videos, and collaboration opportunities. You can read up to five articles without a subscription, and it could be well worth your while. This month’s magazine is a flipbook edition, getting people ready for a soon-to-be-normal school experience. Here’s the link:
Here’s an upstream approach to dealing with problem behaviours: back up from the behaviour (which is downstream) to see what is causing it. Three steps are described (empathy, define concerns, and invitation) to simplify problem-solving. Pretty simple, and it could give us some strategies for our collaborative meetings when we discuss social-emotional learning.
The first link is an interview that introduces this approach, the second is a collection of 2-minute videos (and more in the links on those pages), and the third link is a collection of resources to read.
As we get together for the return of students tomorrow, have you thought about how it going to be different? We’ll see action in the hallways, we’ll smell the odor of freshly washed hair in the morning, maybe we’ll bump shoulders as we go through doorways, but what will you hear? You probably won’t hear silence, so here is what you’ll hear—the noise of learning:
Maybe you’re going stir crazy with extra isolation and need to pick up a new pastime. Have you ever thought of tap-dancing? This is a cute video of a 10-year old and her grandfather that I happened to find very inspirational, especially the grande finale. Is there anywhere in town that sells tap shoes?
Have you ever completed the Briggs-Myers personality test? Sometimes, working on a team is easier when you understand your team-mates very well. It can also be fun to try to guess which personality type our colleagues fall into. Look into it and, if you choose to share, I’d love to know your type (and see if you can guess mine):
Do you ever think adolescents these days have a sense of entitlement? Ever wonder why our students are so hard to separate from their cell phones? How would we encourage innovation? This video is longer than most of the clips I share, yet it is worth the time taken to watch. Check it out here:
