Welcome to TCC’s monthly newsletter where we share professional learning insights, highlight our community, and keep you in the loop about upcoming events.

Each month we will highlight one of TCC’s core values since they are threaded through everything we do. This month we will explore a core value that focuses on ‘empathy’.

EMPATHY IS AT OUR CORE

Divides exist. But, the common denominator is humanity. Humanity can refer to several different things depending on context. It can mean the entire human race, encompassing all individuals across the globe. It can also refer to the quality of being humane or compassionate, the capacity for empathy, kindness, and understanding towards others. In a broader sense, it can encompass the collective achievements, culture, and progress of human civilization.

As a society, we have evolved and achieved new heights when we have struggled to understand, accept, and validate all sides of a divide. When we put ourselves in someone else’s shoes, we are extending empathy and as a result we receive understanding of their feelings and perspective; we share their humanity.

At The Core Collaborative, empathy is at our core. Given our current global context, we believe the time is now to remind one another of how to be empathetic. And to leverage this natural human quality in our children.

Introducing Youth Blog – Posts for Children

Linked here you will find a few brief articles for children concerning empathy and ways can harness it to make a difference.

Understanding Others: The Power of Empathy
Building Empathy to Combat Bullying
Embodying Empathy: How Empathy Can Help Us Combat Systemic Racism

We have also selected “5 Children’s Books for Encouraging Empathy” that are accessible by young children, but carry messages that can impact anyone.

FUEL YOUR MIND WITH THIS POOL-SIDE PROFESSIONAL READ

With summer break comes the time we long for all year to reset, refresh, and read. While we will initially enjoy our guilty pleasure books at the pool/beach, there is also time to engage in professional reading.

We recommend Amplify Learner Voice, which pushes back against traditional assessment and grading practices that are an inequitable endeavor for our nation’s learners. This read will make you think about your current practices and who they are and are not benefiting while giving you practical solutions to employ more inclusive and responsive practices. Ultimately, Amplify Learner Voice will help you reimagine formative assessment through an asset-based, cultural lens to make a greater impact on learning and our shared humanity.

EQUITY STEWARDSHIP

Equity Stewardship is the deep transformative work intergenerational groups of learners (including educators, families, students, and local community members) collaboratively engage in to grow a school or district culture of equity, inclusion, and excellence.

Imagine and grow a culture of radical inclusion, belonging, ever-increasing equitable practice, and outcomes for students and adults. Together, these advisories address “puzzles of practice” within the organization. Then rethink long-standing relationship dynamics, practices, and policies at personal, professional, and organizational levels.

Equity Stewardship offers districts and schools a strategic process for transforming culture. And serve to facilitate critical conversations that should be happening in the school community. Over the course of a school year, intergenerational groups engage in five conversations to capture the perceived problems, hopes, unlimited vision, doable actions, and ways of being in their community. These conversations allow for liberation from a binary problem/solution mindset when discussing change, improvement, and impact. Additionally, they result in innovative solutions derived from the very people that are impacted by our current practices. Find out more about what Equity Stewardship can offer your school or district!

QUEER AS FUNDAMENTAL

This past Friday a group of students and educators convened at the NYC Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center to celebrate Pride Month by listening to music performed and composed by Matt Alber, a grammy award winning recording artist, and Bryce Alber, the series composer.

Following the moving musical performance, students and educators watched the premiere of a documentary highlighting the story of “E”, an up-and-coming Queer artist. E’s story is part of a larger docu-series from Queer As Fundamental hosted on the Revry® channel. Participants, including teenagers, educators, and community partners from the various boroughs of New York, engaged in an interactive discussion facilitated by Matt and Bryce to reflect on the strengths and lived experiences of members of the queer community.

Special thanks to the NYC Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center for the partnership in hosting the event. And to all participants for making this a success.

 

BRYCE ALBER

Bryce Alber (he/they) lives in Portland, Oregon. They are a Co-founder of QAF and the lead music composer for the documentary series. As a musician, Bryce finds purpose in helping uplift and share the stories and lives of…[Find out a little more about Bryce here].

 

 

MATT ALBER

Matt Alber is a Grammy® Award-winning recording artist, documentary filmmaker and educator based in Portland, Oregon. He has been working with students as a professional teaching artist for nearly…[Find out a little more about Matt here].

Celebrating Pride Month

The LGBTQ+ community encompasses an array of identities and experiences. Our blog, “Celebrating Pride Month through Children’s Literature” highlights six carefully curated picture books for sharing a glimpse into the lives of LGBTQ+ community, reflecting back the experience of LGBTQ+ youth and families, and honoring the lives and contributions of the community.

Commemorating Juneteenth

Juneteenth, observed on June 19th, commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. This pivotal moment in American history went largely untaught and uncelebrated until relatively recently. Our team recommends a few key texts for use in your classroom in our recent blog, “Celebrating Juneteenth: 5 Children’s Books to Honor a Truly American Holiday”.

 

Recognizing International World Refugee Day

International Refugee Day falls on June 20th. It is a time to recognize and celebrate the resilience, strength, and contributions of refugees worldwide. In “Recognizing Refugees: 5 Picture Books that Honor and Celebrate the Life and Contributions of Refugees” our Core Collaborative Learning Lab has shared a set of books that we know will help educate students about refugees. The books reflect the experiences of refugees in your schools, and foster empathy and understanding in your classroom communities.

Anaheim, CA
California MTSS 2024 Professional Learning Institute
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Springville, UT
Revolutionize Your PLCs with Impact Teams (In partnership with BYU-Public School)
INFO

 

 

Lake Placid, NY
SANNYS 2024 Annual Conference
INFO

View more upcoming events at thecorecollaborative.com/events.