Welcome to my blog. I share stories of educators from around the world. Hope you enjoy the jrney!
All in Contributing Author
Empathy is an important word in education, but what if it's not your strong suit? Fellow ASCD Emerging Leader, PJ Caposey, writes about his empathy jrney. I'm really proud of PJ's honesty in this post. It's so easy for empathy to fall to the wayside when our responsibilities increase and patience wanes. But this is a great reminder for all of us to take a step back and put ourselves in someone else's shoes.
This is exactly the kind of story I love to share on this blog, and it's perfect for the theme of the month, what's best for kids. Most teachers can relate to Tammy's story of Carlos and how one small adjustment makes all the difference in the life of a student. But what's truly amazing is that Tammy didn't stop there, she continues to reach children around the world on a grand scale, and JRNEY is thrilled to be able to share her story this week.
This month, I wanted to focus on stories about what's best for kids. Last week's story focused on building relationships and being a support system and advocate. This week, we go global with teaching the Sustainable Development Goals. Ryan found me and sent his story immediately, and I can understand why. He's doing really incredible things with his students. The true beauty of it is that not only is he preparing them for life beyond his classroom, but he is able to create an interdisciplinary learning environment steeped in meaning and authenticity. Here's Ryan Churchward's story...
All educators come to teaching for different reasons. Maybe it's because of an inspirational teacher or to have a lasting impact on the world. Perhaps the choice stems from turning something negative into something positive. The stories I share each week are meant to showcase pieces of these educational journeys. This week, I take you on a full journey from beginning to now. It's a real treat to see each step unfold into the story of someone who I admire very much and the perfect story to share at the start of Teacher Appreciation Week. Here's Jennifer's story...
Numerous studies have shown that regular physical exercise promotes healthy growth, strong muscles, decreased risk of illness, But in addition to the physical benefits, physical activity helps kids manages stress, make connections to different parts of their brain, and even improves sleep among others. But it's rare that physical activity gets integrated into the school day outside of PE class. Peter Hede saw that as a challenge he wanted to take and began partnering with schools to make it a reality. Here's his story of how the Pulse Program came to be...
When I think about Earth Day, I think about actions like picking up trash around my community, helping animals, or making decisions to reduce my consumption footprint on the world. In essence, it’s about conservation. But how do we get to a place where everyone understands the importance of conserving the planet’s resources? According to our guest author this week, Nam Ngo Thanh, it all begins with kindness. So on this Earth Day, JRNEY is happy to feature a story about the origins of the Kindness Project and how you can get involved.
There are many ways to share a story. Educators from around the world contribute to JRNEY every week. While I'm partial to the written word, often in long form, I'm always excited when I come across innovative ways to share stories using technology. I found that in Dale Plotzki's #EdPins. We live and die by reviews these days, so why not focus on the wonderful, fun, powerful, meaningful, and authentic, projects and learning going on at our schools throughout the world. You don't always have to have a video conference to bring the world into your classroom. Sometimes you do it like this. Here's Dale's story...
This month, the JRNEY blog focuses on the importance of partnerships, and the first story is a great one. I had the opportunity to talk to Tracey Winey a few weeks ago, and I was so impressed with her commitment to equity for everyone involved in Engineering Brightness. She believes strongly that everyone deserves a voice at the table and that problems are solved when we all work together. So here's the story of how Engineering Brightness began and the impact its participants are having all over the world.
Jrney is honored to be able to feature the third and final post in my #SWU series from Marialice Curran, reminding us all that identity is always evolving. It is the experiences we go through that make us into who we are. But in that process, sometimes our identity becomes stripped down to a label. Labels are harmful, yet we use them to make sense of the world. What if the only label we had was human?
The first time I talked to Margret Atkinson I knew we would be friends. She's just that type of person with an exuberance for life that you don't often find. Her energy is infectious, and I'm constantly inspired by her ability and genuine interest in connecting people to each other. I'm so honored to continue this week sharing journeys that I know we can all relate to. Here's her story...
So often we try to take on the challenges of life alone. We tell ourselves that it will make us stronger, that we should be able to do it. But the truth is, we are so much stronger together, and Bronwyn Joyce's story this week reminds us that this is true. I'm feeling inspired to take on whatever comes my way this week, and I hope you are too!
To kick off the month of March, and a celebration of strong women educators, I'm thrilled to share Kimm's story with you. While I'm not a parent, I know many of you are and will be able to relate to the connections between parenting and teaching. Our students are our kids, no matter what.
