In today’s blog, “With Reflection, Gratitude, & Hope,” our Managing Director of Research and Learning, Katie Buckley, shines a light on the good she still sees in the world despite all the hardships that have hit our nation this year.

 She discusses the importance of gratitude “as the key that will provide us with the resilience and courage to do the hard work that is required to begin to heal and unite as a nation”.

Katie’s blog post reminds us that the work of healing must start in schools. For today’s youth to help create a more just society, they must experience positive and equitable school environments in which educators foster the appropriate mindsets and skills.

We encourage you to take a moment to explore Katie’s blog post, read a personal announcement, and reflect on what you are grateful for in your educational journey and how we can replicate those experiences for students during this time.

How Teachers Are Debunking Some of the Myths of Thanksgiving | PBS NewsHour

School children in the U.S. often celebrate Thanksgiving by dressing up as pilgrims and “Indians.” But these traditions tend to perpetuate myths that are offensive to Native American communities. Education correspondent Kavitha Cardoza takes a look at a new movement aiming to reinvent the way schools teach Thanksgiving.

Teaching Thanksgiving in a Socially Responsible Way
(Morris, A., Teaching Tolerance, 11/10/15)
In order for educators to teach Thanksgiving in a socially responsible way, they have an ethical obligation to provide students with accurate information and to reject our nation’s traditions that perpetuate harmful stereotypes. Teaching Tolerance provides a list of online resources for educators to begin dismantling the false story of Thanksgiving.

Gratitude for Students & Gratitude for Adults
(Greater Good in Education, 2019)
What is gratitude? Why is it important? And how do we practice it? Greater Good helps us answer these questions through two separate toolboxes, one for students and one for adults. Learn how to define gratitude, what its value is, and apply it using the activities and resources provided.

What if We…Don’t Return to School as Usual
(Vasquez, H., National Equity Project, 4/9/20)
During the pandemic, we have often wondered when schooling will go back to “normal”, when in fact the real question is, “are we willing to take this opportunity to create the kind of educational system we want?” We have collectively become more aware of the inequities in our nation and it is time to take take those learnings and act upon them.

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The Center is Getting Emotional about Assessment
Part 1: Making the Case for Social and Emotional Learning Assessment

Chris Brandt & Katie Buckley | November 18, 2020

This is the first in a four-part series on SEL assessment by Center for Assessment associate Chris Brandt and Katie Buckley, Managing Director of Research & Learning at Transforming Education. Across four posts they make the argument that balanced systems of assessment must effectively support SEL and offer recommendations for how states, districts, and schools can and should support SEL in responsible and useful ways through assessment.

Do you need support with your SEL integration or school culture efforts? TransformEd can help!

By Published On: November 25th, 20200 Comments

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