These are the days of virtual conferences, but did yours ever come complete with a live DJ? I can officially cross that off my bucket list and I want to tell you all about it—the conference, not the DJ, that is. I recently had the opportunity to attend the RELIT conference with Dr. Jody Carrington and it did not disappoint. Dr. Jody Carrington, author of Kids These Days, ignited a fire for those…»
Imagine it: the solitary figure rising above the classroom of eager students lifting her powerful voice and fixing their complex and collective pain through one, effective lesson. The children cheer, the problem is solved, and the teacher saves the day. While stories of the singular, hero teacher make for great movie scripts, true change in schools arises from daily positive interaction between students…»
There’s little doubt that things will not be the same this school year as they were prior to COVID -19. The structure of our lives has shifted—we drive less, are at home more and flock to outdoor recreation, and, with a return to school imminent, there’s more than a little worry in the air. In the news and from our friends we hear worries about how students, teachers, parents and other school…»
On March 15, 2020, Alberta joined other Canadian provinces and declared that, for all schools in Alberta, in-person classes would be cancelled until September because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This announcement was coupled with other measures, resulting in the closure of businesses, public spaces, libraries and gyms, to name a few. The purpose of this lockdown was to prevent illness and sometimes…»
As I’ve been chatting with school divisions over the past few months, reflection has been a common theme in our conversations. I’m seeing how powerful it is to take the time to reflect, whether that’s at an individual, school or even school division level. So what exactly does reflection mean? From my handy Google search, it’s defined as “serious thought and consideration.” If you ask…»
At the College of Alberta School Superintendents (CASS), we recently completed a pretty big undertaking: interviewing almost all of the school authorities in Alberta to better understand their wellness activities and approaches. Fresh off the press, we just released a full report based on these interviews, most of which were conducted by our Directors of Leadership Learning – Wellness (a pair that…»
This has been one memorable spring. Who would have thought we’d be making the kind of history we have been by experiencing a global pandemic? I, for one, am looking forward to social distancing, toilet paper shortages and “speaking moistly” all becoming a chapter in a history book instead of our current reality. Part of that history-making is how many of us have moved our work into our homes…»
Since mid-March, we’ve experienced some pretty significant changes to our social and physical work environments. While many teachers and staff are now supporting student learning from home, we know there are plenty of others—from teachers and school administrators to maintenance staff—leading the way from school sites and buildings that are mostly empty. There’s no doubt that these changes…»
Part of achieving a healthy, functional and meaningful life is working to nourish your mind. Intellectual wellness is our ability to open up to new experiences, practice critical thinking and learn new skills. Our intellectual wellness is driven by our curiosity, which motivates us to experience new things and better understand ourselves, others and the world around us. Think of intellectual wellness…»
Taking care of children while working during COVID-19 It is easy to feel overwhelmed by what is happening in the world right now. Our daily lives have been turned upside down, we are missing our friends, families, and coworkers as we continue to self-isolate. Living in close quarters with our immediate family twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week is bound to give anyone a bit of cabin fever.…»
