Zone Of Proximal Development

Throughout the Covid 19 Crisis we have heard adults from all walks of life speak on the effect that this pandemic has had on our kids. Parents, teachers, politicians, media figures and scholars have described the toll of remote learning on students. However, I haven’t seen very many kids represented in the media telling their stories. Last week, I spoke with a middle schooler about his experiences with remote learning. He was very ...

The Covid 19 Crisis has upended our lives in ways we had never imagined to be possible. We were asked to do our part and stay home to flatten the curb. We have all felt the terrible practical and emotional burden of this pandemic. I have had the privilege of speaking with adults in a variety of roles within the school system, but this week I thought it was time to talk to another demographic in the frontline of the educational syst...

We, understandably, want to get past the Covid19 crisis. It makes sense that after a year and a half of uncertainty, scarcity, and fear, as the vaccines become readily available and cities open up, we want to simply move on. Yet, how do we do that? How do we cope with all the trauma? This week I got to speak to someone who is usually one of the most optimistic I interact with; she is one of the kindest, most down-to-earth people I ...

Hi everyone! So we're on Spring Break this week (my spring break is super late)... well I a, because my school schedules its Spring Break after State testing. Usually I'm on board with this arrangement, but this year, after teaching through Covid and not getting a Spring Break at all last year (I know... CRAZY TOWN), I would have loved to have it earlier. Here we are though, grateful to have it at all. So, please use this opportuni...

How do so many teachers manage to keep themselves sane and on message despite all the issues in our education system? This week I got to speak to one of those teachers who always seemed to know the secret to staying present for her kids and above the nonsense of the system. Ms. Hall taught me to do what I’m told so I can do what I want--to teach my kids. I continue to learn from her all the time and I am so excited for you all to m...

Is it just me or does the nonsense that surrounds teaching go up to 11 in the spring? It’s like a switch goes off on the policy makers and Admins’ minds and they become zombies in BS mode as soon as the equinox hits.Please stop by the Zone of Proximal Development Teachers’ Lounge and help me make sense of all the exasperation, mixed emotions and victories of life as a teacher when you add teaching through Covid to the mix.

• Ev...

Everyone I know has gone into teaching from a place of idealism. To enter this field without hope would only cause relentless cognitive dissonance. How can we work with youth and not have faith in change and progress? As time goes on, the challenges we face as teachers can make us feel as though faith in the system of education is misplaced. I’m likely to think it is, but the belief in our students is not. It is that faith that kee...

As Americans, we have the bad habit of introducing ourselves using job titles and career paths. Even I, an introvert with a very low tolerance for small talk, find myself telling people I am a teacher before telling them anything else about myself. Teaching is undoubtedly a unique profession and an enormous part of my life. Still, it does not occupy the entirety of my identity. I’m very excited to have this conversation with Theres...

I love working and exchanging ideas with youth. That is the best part of my job as a teacher. Furthermore, it is always amazing to speak to people at the beginning of their careers as educators. My conversation with Joseph, a substitute paraprofessional filled me with hope and energy. His dedication to our children is beyond evident and highly contagious.

• How do we check-in with our kids?
  
• How do we show up for our most ...

As teachers, don’t we sometimes think the weight of the world is on our shoulders? It’s interesting to try to see this process through the eyes of someone in a different role to see how their experiences overlap with ours and to get a peek at what our experiences look like from outside the teachers’ lounge. Please stop by the Zone of Proximal Development and listen to my conversation with Natalia, a Family Engagement Coordinator at...

Are you a teacher who can’t figure out how you’re still going despite the exhaustion? Please stop by the Zone of Proximal Development Teachers’ Lounge and help me make sense of all the mixed emotions and physical manifestations of March Madness when you add teaching through Covid to the mix.

• The kids are the joy!
  
• Are you dying or just tired?
  
• What work-life balance?
  
• Why doesn’t anyone have any answers?

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Hi friends, this is a reflection I recorded a couple of weeks ago when I had to go into the school building for Hybrid Learning. I will reference this experience in this Sunday's Episode (3.28.21). Posting it here so you can check it out in the meantime! Let me know if you can relate! 

www.zoneofproximaldevelopment.com

A Year of Remote Learning: A Teacher’s Reflection on Teaching Through Covid

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Are you a teacher who can’t believe you’ve been teaching remotely for a year? Join this discussion between a teacher in the halftime show of her career and another in the first quarter. We discuss the ups and downs of teaching through Covid-19, the challenges and opportunities of remote learning, the differences in teaching middle school and high school through zoom and the larger societal implications of teaching remotely while tr...

Zone of Proximal Development: Teaching Through Covid S1E1

Are you a teacher who can’t believe you’ve been teaching remotely for a year? Join this discussion between a teacher and her mentor about the ups and downs of teaching through Covid-19, the challenges and opportunities of remote learning, and the larger societal implications that have arisen with moving education online.

• A look back at the beginning of the pan...

EPISODE SUMMARY

Welcome to Zone of Proximal Development. A virtual teachers' lounge where we as teachers can support one another through the rollercoaster of emotions  that is the teaching profession. The first episode drops March 14th, so hit that subscribe button to be reminded of the launch.

And in the meantime, come over to www.zoneofproximaldevelopment.com, Instagram @zoneofproximaldevelopment.co or Twitter @zoneofproxima...