Hooray For Monday

For many of us, the New Year is a time when we make resolutions – promises or commitments to ourselves or to others toward positive change. The word resolve means determination to get something done, and that’s an important goal for all of us to take into the New Year. But if you add a beautiful hyphen, the word resolve becomes re-solve, and that means to solve something again. And the word resolution becomes re-solution, meaning another, or different, solution. Written Version: https://inspiredteaching.org/new-years-re-solutions/ Lesson Planning Guide: https://inspiredteaching.org/making-re-solutions/?mc_cid=1efa1bd498&mc_eid=UNIQID Jan. 26 Virtual Speak Truth, ft. Helanius Wilkins: https://forms.gle/aPAHP1cC2B5L8yjy7?mc_cid=1efa1bd498&mc_eid=UNIQID Hooray For 2023 Desk Calendar:https://inspiredteaching.org/hooray-for-2023-calendar-request/?mc_cid=1efa1bd498&mc_eid=UNIQID January Inspired Teaching Institutes: Jan. 7: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/484315359277?aff=odeimcmailchimp&mc_cid=1efa1bd498&mc_eid=UNIQID Jan. 11: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/433474392577?aff=odeimcmailchimp&mc_cid=1efa1bd498&mc_eid=UNIQID

There’s something about the end of the year - holidays filled with dazzling light, reflections on months gone by and the new beginnings that lie ahead - that stirs our emotions. This stirring can be complicated, but also awe inspiring. Written Version: Resources: Speak Truth: Talking Across Dividing Lines registration https://forms.gle/aPAHP1cC2B5L8yjy7?mc_cid=8cce182e7e&mc_eid=UNIQID Hooray For 2023 Desk Calendar request: https://inspiredteaching.org/hooray-for-2023-calendar-request/?mc_cid=8cce182e7e&mc_eid=UNIQID January Inspired Teaching Institutes: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/394070313917?aff=odeimcmailchimp&mc_cid=8cce182e7e&mc_eid=UNIQID

When we have the opportunity to step away from a challenge – whether it’s a word puzzle or a lesson that’s not clicking or a student who’s hard to reach - we tend to come back to it refreshed. Time away offers the gift of new eyes that help us see solutions we couldn’t when we were in the thick of things. Written Version: https://inspiredteaching.org/vacation-and-brain-incubation/ Resources: "Why Do You Teach?" Aleta's article in ASCD: https://www.ascd.org/blogs/why-do-you-teach?mc_cid=83e1b28f61&mc_eid=UNIQID See With Fresh Eyes: https://www.instigatorofthought.org/seewithfresheyes?mc_cid=83e1b28f61&mc_eid=UNIQID Can Taking a Break Lead to 'Aha!' Moments?: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-refugee-experience/202103/can-taking-break-lead-aha-moments?mc_cid=83e1b28f61&mc_eid=UNIQID#:~:text=Researchers%20call%20these%20breaks%20from,solution%2C%20try%20taking%20a%20break Study Shows How Taking Short Breaks May Help Our Brains Learn New Skills: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/study-shows-how-taking-short-breaks-may-help-our-brains-learn-new-skills?mc_cid=83e1b28f61&mc_eid=UNIQID

What might happen if we asked our students to define the words interesting, important, and useful? What might happen if we asked our students to list things that are interesting, important, and useful in their lives right now? Link to Blog Post: https://inspiredteaching.org/makeup-space-exploration-politics/ Link to Activity: https://inspiredteaching.org/interesting-important-useful/

Imagine engaging students in a lesson that is so compelling, that sparks their curiosity so deeply that they find it stirring! Written Version: https://inspiredteaching.org/stirring-up-curiosity/ Resources: Tap into the Senses: https://inspiredteaching.org/building-sensory-awareness/?mc_cid=672ff055e9&mc_eid=UNIQID Consider Different Perspectives: http://%20https//inspiredteaching.org/zoom-out/ Move and Explore Materials: https://inspiredteaching.org/creating-with-materials/?mc_cid=672ff055e9&mc_eid=UNIQID

In anticipation of Giving Tuesday, we take a moment in this post to reflect on what it means for an organization to have an impact. How does an organization know if it's helping? This reflection is similar to what Inspired Teachers do when thinking about the impact they have on their students. Blog Post: https://inspiredteaching.org/hooray-for-helping/ Donation Page: https://inspiredteaching.org/donate/ Upcoming Institutes: https://inspiredteaching.org/inspired-teaching-institute/

What if we taught our students with the expectation that they have the capacity to access everything they need to succeed in our classes? Written Version: https://inspiredteaching.org/accessing-our-strength/ Resources: Finding the Zone of Proximal Development: https://inspiredteaching.org/finding-the-zone-of-proximal-development/?mc_cid=dd057faf69&mc_eid=UNIQID Say Yet: https://www.instigatorofthought.org/sayyet?mc_cid=dd057faf69&mc_eid=UNIQID Support Inspired Teaching: https://inspiredteaching.org/donate/?mc_cid=dd057faf69&mc_eid=UNIQID

What will you do this week, and in the weeks ahead, to go beyond telling? How will you engage your students? Written Version: https://inspiredteaching.org/telling-vs-teaching/ Resources: 4 Ways to Welcome Students in the Door: https://inspiredteaching.org/4-ways-to-welcome-students-in-the-door/?mc_cid=68f9a1904d&mc_eid=UNIQID Use the Senses: https://inspiredteaching.org/building-sensory-awareness/?mc_cid=68f9a1904d&mc_eid=UNIQID Find the Zone of Proximal Development: https://inspiredteaching.org/finding-the-zone-of-proximal-development/?mc_cid=68f9a1904d&mc_eid=UNIQID Capabilities & Competencies: https://sites.google.com/inspiredteaching.org/abcde/competence?authuser=0&mc_cid=68f9a1904d&mc_eid=UNIQID

We need stories about how effective teaching and learning work, so the public gets more invested in creating policies and providing funding to keep it working. When we raise our voices, we don’t have to point fingers at everything that is wrong. Instead, we need to elevate stories of what we’re doing right, how we make that happen, and what is required to take good work to scale. Every time we put a story into the world about engagement-based learning in our schools, we make the case for making that the norm and not the exception. Brief Survey on "Why You Teach:" https://us14.list-manage.com/survey?u=b82ba57eebd6ac2ac331f5104&id=9b3063cd08&e=*|UNIQID|* Written Version: https://inspiredteaching.org/vote-then-share-your-voice/ Resources: Scribe's Record: https://www.instigatorofthought.org/scribesrecord?mc_cid=ae1575e4b6&mc_eid=UNIQID

This week, Jenna speaks with Hakim Johnson. Hakim is principal at Inspired Teaching Demonstration Charter School in Washington, DC and shares with us his insights into the power and importance of feedback. Written version: https://inspiredteaching.org/grades-dont-provide-much-feedback/ Resources: 5 Closing Activities for Student Feedback: https://inspiredteaching.org/5-closing-activities-to-give-you-feedback-on-your-lesson/ Finding the Zone of Proximal Development: https://inspiredteaching.org/finding-the-zone-of-proximal-development/ Say "Yet" More: https://www.instigatorofthought.org/sayyet