The Chalk Blog

With pajama pants and a sleep shirt on, you grab coffee and walk your unshowered self to your laptop. The cat follows you and sits on your feet. You’re scrolling through email, hitting “unsubscribe” at any chance you get (“Why does it take them so long to actually unsubscribe me?”) to create some sense of accomplishment (you have big plans later to finally watch Stranger Things Season 4). You scroll on, see some notices from the school district, and you stop. 

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! 

Ahh, summer! It’s perfect for the pool, barbecues, and upskilling! What’s upskilling, you may ask? It’s building knowledge and skills to take your practice to the next level. During the school year, teachers are often too busy to try that cool new tech tool, learn about the latest research in a content area, or revamp planning, assessment, or classroom management processes. You likely have a few skills in mind that you’ve been meaning to develop. Why not squeeze in some learning over the summer so you can start the school year energized and ready to dive in?! 

The students have said their goodbyes, you’ve cleaned out or organized your classroom materials, and readied your space for summer cleaning. You’ve made it through this school year, and although the song, “My Way” has the connotations of finality, you know the next year will be here before you know it. You might be jumping into more professional development and learning opportunities for the summer, or perhaps, you are moving into a different career. But right now, in this specific time and space, you deserve an opportunity to stop for a few minutes, rest, and reflect on the challenges and accomplishments of this year. 

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.  

The hit new network TV show Abbott Elementary almost feels like a love note to educators. The mockumentary-style comedy, set in an underfunded fictional school in West Philadelphia, follows a group of dedicated teachers and a hilarious, self-absorbed principal. Creator, writer, and star Quinta Brunson’s mother was a teacher in Philadelphia, and teachers are on the show’s writing staff. This authentic perspective shines through in each episode, evoking the challenges and joys of the profession in a way that many teachers will find relatable. 

In 2019, the course writing team at Learners Edge recognized the need for a course about anxiety to help educators find ways to assist students with this mental health challenge in their classrooms and schools. No one resource yet distilled the essential information about anxiety into a book that would work for our graduate-level, continuing education course. 

There’s no doubt that the past few years have been challenging for everyone, and particularly difficult for educators. After being hailed as heroes during the initial stages of the pandemic, teachers faced a constantly-changing landscape of remote learning, hybrid, and in-person instruction, plagued with quarantines, staffing shortages, and controversy over school policies. On top of that, children returned to school with increased academic and social-emotional needs. It’s no wonder there’s been a significant increase in the number of teachers seeking to leave the classroom!