A Social Justice Newsletter for Educators

How are we doing?

April is here, as is spring, but so much else is missing. These are tough days even for the most robust among us. I’ve been thinking hard about what this month’s newsletter can offer us. I’m pretty sure you don’t need 3, 5 or 10 more tips for remote teaching and learning. Instead, I’d like to offer some resources and options that may offer respite and relief as we carry ourselves, our families, our students and colleagues through this extended period of social distancing.

That means this newsletter is going to be more personal, less universal. I have a series of recommendations for us to consider and perhaps share.

Listen to students.
Even if we think we do this already, now seems a time to make it a genuine area of focus. Distance learning complicates the process. That said, when we read their writing, hear their questions, look at their artwork and notice the ways they are showing up – these are all forms of listening that can inform our relationships with students and what they are going through.

I put out an all points bulletin on Twitter for student expression related to COVID19 and school closures which led me to some very rich sources:

• A community newspaper in Montague, MA turned an edition over to students from elementary through high school. Some of the opinion pieces might make for excellent reading for your students.

• PBS News Hour hosts a Student Voice column. The current article addresses school closures and remote learning.

• The PBS Student Reporting Labs has an impressive playlist of short response videos of young people describing their experiences with Coronavirus.

Listen for yourself, listen with your students. Our young people are telling their stories. Let’s lend them our ears.

Try a structured dialogue.
When we’re in conversation with others, it’s not always easy for us to be as present and attentive as the situation may call for. And now that many of our contacts to others are now mediated through screens, the challenge is even greater. By introducing clear constraints, structured dialogues offer conversation partners a means to hold space for each other, to listen thoughtfully and to be heard with refreshing consistency. They can be used as a clearing exercise before a meeting or as a partner exercise in class. 
To help you get started I’ve put the directions, a sample dialogue and possible prompts onto 2 slides. Also very cool if done while walking.

Consider dancing or other physical activity.
However you are choosing to stay active and fit I want to put in a word for trying out a bit of dancing. I started a youtube playlist of a few choreographies I’ve tried and liked. I’ll keep adding as I go. Maybe there’s something in there for you! 

One of the PE lessons I put together for 4th and 5th graders is a called a fitness walk and it was very well received. You might enjoy some of the stretches I’ve included. 

Closing thoughts
While I struggled to decide what to share this month, I decided that it was more important to simply show up. I regret that what you have here is merely text and a pile of links. If you’ve had too much clicking and swiping lately, I fully understand. Please go knit or garden or bake or lift. This newsletter can wait. If you have had enough catching up, going through, smoothing over, please take a break and know that it’s for the best.

Regarding social justice as the focus of this missive: Through this crisis we have ample opportunity to learn about what solidarity is and isn’t; what compassion in action looks like and also recognize its absence. We can’t help but acknowledge our fundamental interdependence and see how selfish individualism harms us all. Social justice resides in the things we do – the inclusion we practice, the hospitality we demonstrate, the care we enact for each other.

Be well, everyone!

Sherri

images CC0 via Pixabay.com