Category Archives: KQED

Student Work Published on KQED Website

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Just before break, sophomore English classes participated in KQED’s Media Challenge: “Rethink School with MindShift”. The project required students to write an argumentative commentary for a two-minute video or oral presentation on the topic of how we could reimagine school.

The most popular topics in my classes were: uniforms, school start times, homework load, and self-paced math.

While students were encouraged to publish their videos to the KQED Youth Media Showcase, so far I’ve only had one student submit her video. And it’s fantastic. I’m so proud of Annabelle Chung for representing Carondelet on this national platform. 

To learn more about the challenge, and other KQED Youth Media Challenges, go here.


From Mind/Shift: “Why Mindfulness And Trauma-Informed Teaching Don’t Always Go Together”

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I love that we actively think about mindfulness here at Carondelet. In my personal experience and in speaking to former colleagues, many schools don’t don’t give space to mindfulness in their programming, and that is a missed opportunity in my opinion.

However, I stumbled across this article today after our morning interviews. KQED’s Mind/Shift posted an article entitled “Why Mindfulness And Trauma-Informed Teaching Don’t Always Go Together,” and I felt immediately compelled to read. The following line deeply resonated with me and made me wonder how many students aren’t comfortable in what can feel like an otherwise normal and inclusive school environment:

“You never want to force people to close their eyes,” he said. That alone can cause trauma for some kids. “The goal is not to turn people into meditation monks. It’s just about learning to turn inwards and practice self-awareness.”

Looking back on some of my teaching experiences, I wonder if some of my past students’ behaviors weren’t merely rebellion or refusal to do activities, but signs of trauma (however big or small they may be). To quote the article again, some potential signs could be:

  • Students don’t take the activity seriously 
  • Students are triggered by silence because it feels like a storm is brewing, so they don’t want to be quiet 
  • Students feel too many requests are made of them without the requisite trust being built up 
  • Students exhibit avoidance behavior
There are some interesting tips for how we as educators can encourage mindfulness among our students in ways other than the traditional activities we’re used to, and even tips for teachers who themselves are feeling burnt out, and in need of self care just as much as our students!
If nothing else, this was a good reminder to mix things up and to create an inclusive space for everyone in my classroom and in my curriculum — it’s hard to know what invisible burden students are shouldering on any given day, but I am trying my best to be as thoughtful and as welcoming as I can to all of my students so that there is a level playing field for learning to happen, trust to build, and relationships to form.

New Year, New Mindset

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I’ve never really been one for New Year’s Resolutions. However, I read an article back in the fall (Mind/Shift: “Changing How Educators See Negative Experiences in the Classroom”), and I’ve been thinking about it non-stop over the past few months. The article is actually excerpted from a chapter of Patricia A. Jennings’ book The Trauma-Sensitive Classroom: Building Resilience with Compassionate Teaching, and what better time to put ideas into action than the start of a new year/semester? To me, returning from the holiday break is always a time to reset with my classes, try something new, or switch things up from the normal routines we’ve fallen into. 
As teachers, sometimes we are our harshest critics. I personally have had countless days in my career where I feel as if nothing I’ve done went well in the classroom. Oftentimes, my perception of my teaching is way off base from reality. Every now and then, yes, things don’t go according to plan, but it seems to be the exception more than the rule.
The light at the end of the tunnel for me lies at the completion of each of my units. I’m always taken aback when I read my unit surveys; my students are setting achievable goals for themselves, learning, and most importantly, having fun in the process. I constantly feel blown away by their projects, essays, videos, or final exams. They are getting it, they are improving, they are thinking creatively and critically, and they are communicating in French — and it’s because of my class, my curriculum, and my lessons. So why can’t I see the forest for the trees? 
When I first stumbled across this article, I couldn’t help but think it was written for uniquely for me — this is the exact same issue I’m struggling with in my own teaching. But that also means I’m not alone in my imposter syndrome as a teacher: “Evolution selected for a negative attribution bias that makes us tend to dwell on the negative and ignore the positive. During a typical day, 10 great things may have happened and one horrible thing. When we get home and our partner asks us how our day went, typically we focus on the one horrible thing, forgetting about the 10 great things.” 
So how can we change our perceptions about our teaching and day-to-day experiences? 
Jennings offers a simple solution: “Each day, after your class is over, write down all the good things that happened that day. You can even include your students in this process by putting up a paper on the wall and inviting everyone to write good things that happen each day. At the end of the day, look at the list with the class and review them.” 
Since I’m in my ninth year of teaching, enter my teaching resolution (if you will) for 2019. This blog post is the first actionable step I’m taking towards taking time to think about the positive in my daily teaching life. Once we dive back into the routine of the school day, I want to try this exercise personally on a daily basis whether on paper, quietly in my own head, or in daily conversations with anyone from colleagues, to students, to non-teachers in my life. 
My goal is not to drastically change what I do, but to change how I see and evaluate my daily experiences and to feel more empowered and more confident in what I am already doing well. I hope you’ll join me in my quest to dwell in positivity this year!