The Chalk Blog

SIGNS and EFFECTS of TRAUMA

Going back to school is an exciting time for students and teachers! Picking out your first-day-of-school outfit, the smell of Crayola crayons, and meeting new friends! In addition to excitement, returning to school can also bring anxiety and angst. Here are three things teachers can focus on to ease students back into the brick & mortar schoolhouse.

Looking for ways to make a difference in the world? Do you recognize an increase in student anxiety when discussing climate change? Curious how to explain environmental justice to young people? These are some of the questions new course 5231: Empowering Action with Environmental Science will answer.

Learning is a curious thing. As we age, we know we have absorbed a fair amount of knowledge, yet we continue to be amazed by how much there still is to learn. Take for example my surprise when seeing the “Confronting History to Heal a Nation” segment on the CBS Sunday Morning show. There on my porch-that-feels-like-a-treehouse, I learned something I never knew before. I was told about a man named Bryan Stevenson and the work he is doing to heal the hurt of a country that repeatedly takes one step forward and then three steps back. While watching the 7-minute story, I made the connection between slavery and segregation, lynching and the legal system, and so much more. Convinced there was more to understand, I traveled to Montgomery to see, feel, and be in the spaces that explain the legacy of racial injustice in the Black community. Eloquent in its composition and strong in stature–the museum is built in a city that once held one of the busiest slave trades in the country. And, just down the street, is the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, an affecting testimonial to the way we treated and killed our brethren. 

Hot fun in the summertime! This is what we hope you are striving for as you relax, restore and refresh over the summer months! To add to your “hot fun,” we’ve put together a list of 10 summer songs to get you movin’ and groovin’! Teachers and students are music lovers too, so, enjoy the melodies and even see some of the artists in action as you listen and watch ourSongs of Summer screencast! 

More than ever before, we understand the impact health has on our livelihood and our capacity to learn. This recognition inspired us to design a course that explores the physical, mental, and social-emotional health of students called, Health Education for Students’ Lifelong Wellness.  

Whether a preschool “little,” an elementary, middle, or high school student, summer is the time for relaxing, recharging, and reading. We know the sunny days of summer are filled with activities, so we have organized books into grade levels in these three categories: