Weekly Inspo Vids - Week Thirty-Three
Hi there,
It’s been a solid week. Soccer games, track meets, and the teaching of double-entry accounting. And yet, there are budget cuts, rising class sizes for next year, and sickness still plaguing every corner of the district.
Actually feels like a pretty typical spring these days.
As you start to wind down this year and plan heartily for next, I hope you’re also planning some fun for yourself in July. The world is moving fast. It’s never been more important to take a breather.
We continue to press forward with about ten weeks of Inspo Vids left for the school year. Lots going on behind the scenes. We’re streamlining what we do for next year. I’ll be sending out some surveys soon to get your feedback, but I think you’ll like some of the changes and tweaks that are on deck.
In the meantime, we’ll cover the constant issue of early finishers who feel like that’s the point. How do we slow down and encourage deep learning, especially in the age of outsourcing thinking to AI? Let’s get into it!
And this week’s video is a bit of a gamble. Not education-related at all, but just full of joy. I sent several such videos out in year one, and they seemed to resonate. We’ll see!
Enjoy!
Mike
Weekly Video
Use in staff newsletters, encouraging emails, etc.
This is just good (clean?) fun
Possible Caption: Joy comes from so many unexpected places.
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Weekly Quote
“We will explore. We will build ships. We will visit again. We will construct science outposts. We will inspire-but ultimately, we will always choose Earth. We will always choose each other.
Christina Koch, Artemis II astronaut
Weekly Emailable PD
Use in staff newsletters, emailable PD messages, etc.
Suggested Email Body:
This week’s resource shifts our focus to another subtle but powerful influence on student learning: the role of speed in the classroom. In many classrooms, students learn that finishing first is valued, and over time, this can shape how they see themselves as learners.
The challenge is not that students work quickly, but that speed can become a stand-in for understanding. When students focus on finishing rather than thinking, they are more likely to avoid challenge and rush through tasks.
This week’s resource offers a few simple ways to shift the focus from speed to thinking, helping all students engage more deeply and see themselves as capable learners.
