Leveraging Learning

Yesterday was a hard day for me. Post-election, I was in mild denial about what would happen. And then, it happened. At school, the kids were a little gloomy, too. They drew a sad face next to the date. They talked a little about their fears. And then they got to work. I wanted to find a way to act upon our collective sadness and fears. Many people are marching today to stand up for equality and justice. I wanted to a find a way to remind my students that they matter. Their work, their ideas, their collaboration, their sense of community - all have an impact. When I got home from school, I started writing progress notes to some of the kids who had shown leadership, kindness, determination or effort in the past week. It was a small act, but it made me feel a little better about things. I sent a note of congratulations to a student who had formed and was leading a project group. She and I had met twice over the last week about issues and needs. I was impressed with her ability...