"I would not have you descend into your own dreams. I would have you be a conscious citizen of this terrible and beautiful world." 

--Ta Nehisi Coates

Between the myriad of projects to complete, the goodbyes to be said, and the plans to be made, these May days can be somewhat overwhelming. This month's Buzz offers some inspiration as well as practical advice on tending to relationships and infusing our communities with care, prioritizing "grace and gratitude," in the words of frequent contributor Lori Cohen. 

I often write about how I see educators as powerful agents of change, and I have been reminded again and again this spring of how our students can also be changemakers. Early this month, I had the great pleasure of attending the First Annual Youth Summit hosted by San Francisco Friends School: over 200 students from nine different schools gathered to share their learning on such pressing issues as homelessness, climate change, immigration, and gun control, and to make calls to action. Take a look at this short video to learn more about the event and hear some student's takeaways. In the words of Guybe Slangen, Director of Community Engagement at SF Friends, a school environment should be "a safe place, a brave place to engage kids and give them the power to make an impact."

It is never too early to engage young people in this way as put forth in this article on the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education from the Smart Update, one of my favorite sources for staying on top of emerging trends in education. Writer Cameron Paterson poses the question: "What would our schools look like if we saw children as citizens capable of making meaningful contributions to their communities?" 

One way students can take an active role in building more caring school communities comes through Restorative Justice, which veers away from punishment when behavioral issues arise and toward building relationships and repairing harm. While our June intensive on Restorative Justice is now full, you can learn more about this practice in this article by Miriam Singer, Assistant Principal at the School of Arts & Enterprise, a charter school in Pomona, CA.

Finally, we offer this TED Talk recommend to me by Ellie Dwight, Assistant Head of Sonoma Academy. Courtney Martin speaks eloquently about how we might envision a "New American Dream" that centers on relationships. She opines that, especially in this new economy, we should be encouraging our young people to think less about "what they want to be when they grow up, and more about how they want to be...to better understand their gifts and create crews of ideal collaborators."

"Crews of ideal collaborators" brings to my mind the amazing line up of educators who will be offering workshops for us this summer. I wish you all the best as you bring this school year to a close, and hope you will join us to fully immerse yourself in your own learning and growth.

I was talking with my colleague recently about shifting a slightly large school policy, and as we were hashing out the specifics, I started to do a quick body scan: I felt tired; I was a bit ornery; and my brain was processing at a slower rate. The conclusion: it's May, and I'm feeling it. I'm sure you're feeling it, too.

 

I imagine at this point in the school year, many of us are trying to stay energized while running on fumes. Maybe you're counting down weeks or days; perhaps you're finalizing plans for end-of-year celebrations and meetings, and it's taking twice as long as usual. Perhaps you've cleared your social calendar or have foregone exercise to get more rest. Now is a good time to listen to our bodies even more because they're probably letting us know it's time for a reset.