Question 1: During the first face to face we used the language of Urgent vs Important to help frame our thinking around our use of TIME. Reflect on why you joined Cohort 21 and your professional goals for this year. Now that the year has begun and you have met your students what IMPORTANT goal might you like to address and leverage this community to get support with.
I joined Cohort 21 to learn about how well-being is being addressed outside of my school and to explore practical ways it is being implemented and if/how these practices support academic growth. One of my goals is to effectively use authentic strategies that support my student’s social-emotional development, meeting them where they are to maximize their academic growth and fill the gaps left by Covid and online learning. I would like to better my practice by effectively addressing wellness so that it holds the space for students to reach their academic potential.
Question 2: Which of the Season 11 Strands resonates with you and why? Share what you feel is both urgent and important about it for you and your school at the moment and some of the questions you have around moving forward.
The strand that resonates the most with me is Pedagogy, Belonging and Wellbeing (JK – 6). I think effectively assessing the needs of my students both socially- emotionally, and academically is urgent because I (educators) need to know where students are as a result of Covid and online learning. Where are their gaps related to social-emotional wellness (belonging, peer relationships, independence, and self-esteem) so they can be addressed and supported because they underpin academic growth. How might I take time each day to address wellness in a way that effectively supports academic development? What are the biggest impacts of Covid on young learners, both socially and academically? How can these impacts be addressed to maximize wellness and student achievement?
So glad you joined Cohort 21! Looking forward to your posts.
Hi Barb, I’m so excited to see where you go with these thoughts this year. It seems like you have the researcher mindset down pat and from our last check-in you have some good ideas of where you want to head. I think you would really love to read Stuart Shanker’s ‘Self Regulation for a Just Society’ as well as connecting with @vfloras who has coached in the past and did some great work on curriculum and wellness.
Thank you, Robin! I will look into those resources.
@BTries, amazing! I love that you have recognized social-emotional wellness and development as the foundation for growth in your practice and learning culture, just as I love your overall will to truly meet the students where they are at. In this time, as I’m sure many have, I have worried about the extent to which the urgency to overcome “learning gaps might further exasperate very real and present wellness needs. I look forward to participating in these discussions and watching your action plan grow, surely providing a template for all of us to access.
@emartin
@rgarrand
@ceby
@jmedved
@gnichols
Thanks, Graham. I appreciate your feedback.