STEM Spotlight Feb/March

So excited to share the third edition of the STEM Spotlight!  This work is intended to highlight the critical contributions from the many diverse members of the STEM community. Providing our students the chance to see themselves in the fields of STEM provides a way for students to see potential for their own future. Linked below is the spotlight for Feb/March.  The theme for this edition is Engineering and the spotlights are Dr. Latanya Sweeney and Dr. John Herrington.

I have invited RPS teachers to utilize the pieces they find most appropriate for their students/grade-level.  I created this in Google Slides so that it may be utilized seamlessly with Google Classroom and/or Pear Deck as it suits the teacher's needs!

I'm happy to hear ideas for the next edition - what theme?  Who should I highlight?

Enjoy!  ~Heather

If you missed it, the Dec/Jan spotlight theme was Mathematics and focused on Muhammad Yunus and Vi Hart. Our Oct./Nov. spotlight highlighted Katherine Johnson and Susan Finley - with a focus on STEM in space!

Talking with our children

While I cannot begin to capture my feelings of the events today yet, tomorrow we will open with children needing us.  (I know I need to be with my children during these times.) 

We cannot not talk about it with our students, yet meeting them where they are and facilitating these difficult conversations is so delicate. Be real, be open, be honest, and be there for them - and you'll be ok.

With love and peace, Heather

I love this structure by Sara Ahmed (author of "Being The Change) 

• Sara Ahmed's Discussion Structure "What's In Your News?"

Supports and resources from reliable sources to help us frame our thinking:

• Ideas from Dena Simmons (our Equity Institute keynote speaker)
• Asking Questions as News Unfolds
• Facing History: Responding to the Insurrection
• Teaching Tolerance: Leading Conversations After the Insurrection in Washington D.C.
• When Bad Things Are Happening | Teaching Tolerance
•  Pernille Ripp's slides/plans for her class discussion
• Tips for talking to children
• Scholastic's Magazine with appropriate supports about Capitol events grades K-9+
• PBS News Hour - 3 ways to engage students in civil discourse following events at the Capitol
• NY Times Student Opinion Article
• NEA - Talking to kids about the Capitol Attack
• NASP Talking to Children About Violence
• Mental Health America: Talking to Kids about Fear & Violence

An idea to structure a conversation (From Erin Stevenson)

My go to to process:

Put 4 questions on the board - silent reflection to start 

1) What do you notice?

2) What do you wonder?

3) What questions do you have?

4) What do you want people to know?

And then I lead a discussion on #3 with students who volunteer.

Steps & Ideas from Lexington's Johnny Cole:

• Name what happened. The events of January 6, 2021 were violent and unlawful. This is not an opportunity for exploring "both sides."
• Follow your students' lead. They will tell you how much or how little they want to process. Always make allowance for individuals who differ from their peers; make space for those who aren't ready to talk or those who want to continue talking.
• Acknowledge this was a traumatic event. We all react differently to trauma. Individuals process in different ways, and there is no one correct way to respond; therefore, it is important to acknowledge individual reactions and feelings.
• Be aware of your own reactions to events. Children of all ages take their cues from the adults around them. Staff members should seek support for themselves to process events if needed.
• Make time and space to process events. It is appropriate and necessary to create time and space during class to process troubling events.
• Acknowledge you may not be ready to discuss the events yourself. As a staff member. if you don’t feel ready to address these events, you should still address it in some way. Silence is not an act of neutrality; it can negate the validity of children’s feelings.
• It’s okay to say, “I don’t know.” We may not all feel sure of how best to respond when students express worry or have difficult questions. Just know that sometimes what your students need the most is knowing that you are listening and that you care.
• Clearly distinguish between peaceful protest and violence. There should be no celebration in what happened on January 6, 2021. While we encourage respecting differing views, we also must remember that free speech is not absolute.
• Think heart, not head. Well-intended civic discourse can cause events to be re-lived, resulting in further trauma for some. For some, it is not possible to avoid challenging emotions like fear and grief in discussing these events.
• Suggest limiting news consumption. We live in a 24/7 news cycle, especially when major events occur. Encourage students to moderate their media watching and encourage critical thinking when reading, watching or listening to news.
• Help students identify coping strategies. Give students concrete ideas for working through their thoughts and emotions and time to do them.

One Word 2021

In looking back I realized that I never published my One Word for 2020. You can see my last #OneWord post linked here.  During 2020 we spent time with teachers each identifying a #OneWord within our collaborative work and revisited these throughout our professional development time last year.  My 2020 One Word (TIME) was focused around my strategic use of time (home and work), thoughtful planning of time spent with teachers to show my respect for them and their work, time to further myself and my own professional learning. In reflecting back on the year... how, when, and were we put our time efforts changed significantly in March, yet was ever present in daily decisions and challenges.

My word for 2021 is CHANGE.  Most of this past year was spent trying to keep up, trying to stay safe/healthy, support my family, and support the educators I have the pleasure to work with.  During this past year my mindset was focused on dealing with the now and making it through.  In looking towards 2021, I realize that there are aspects of my life and my work that are forever changed.  Instead of mourning the past, I am setting my sights on embracing CHANGE... on moving away from quick responses and immediate need towards making changes to myself and my work to better respond to the world around me. While I am excited to return to some aspects of "normal" I also recognize that somethings may never return to the way they were. 

Some of the most beautiful things come from change... the life cycles, the beautiful cycle of seasonal flowers in my gardens, tides, seasons, sunsets and sun rises. While the world has felt far less predictable that those change cycles, change is inevitable, so I will meet 2021 with the flexibility and openness to change and embrace the change I am faced with.

The #OneWord movement from Jon Gordon has become a way to re-think a new year resolution.  If you haven't tried exploring your hopes/goals/vision for yourself, I encourage you to check it out!