Take5: Eco-Anxiety (Yes, it's a Thing). Public Speaking, Collaboration and More

Our post this week explores the challenge of teaching students about climate change. It also highlights strategies for promoting public speaking, and collaboration in the classroom. We explore how some schools are helping kids cope with school refusal and last but not least, highlight how one teacher is using her personal experience with Valentine's Day to teach kids first hand about kindness. So put down that grading for a few minutes and Take5.

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This article, Eco-anxiety is Overwhelming Kids, is a must read for every teacher and parent. Eco-anxiety is real and helping kids learn about climate change without losing hope is a difficult line to traverse.

Every year, during class presentations I see that my students need help developing their public speaking and communication skills. This Edutopia video story offers an interesting look at the connection between presentation skills and critical thinking. It left me feeling inspired, while giving me lots of actionable ideas. 

I am a big believer in cooperative learning but it is not without it's challenges. In a recent Cult of Pedagogy post, Jennifer Gonzalez explores different cooperative learning strategies and methods for making those strategies work for kids. What cooperative learning strategies do you use in your classroom? What are some highlights and challenges? 

As a teacher, I've encountered many students who have struggled with school refusal. I found this article, describing how some schools are helping students overcome school refusal, illuminating.

I loved: Valentine's Day was Humiliating for Me as a Child. I tell my students about it every year.  Sometimes it's the lessons unrelated to content that have the biggest impact. This was by far my favorite education read of the week.

What are you reading this week? We'd love to hear from you.

​-Corey

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You might also like:

• BubbleUp Take5: The Year for Kindness (ways to promote kindness in your classroom and your school) (January 2, 2018)
• BubbleUp Take5: Writing, Art, Growth Mindset, and more (January 24, 2017)