Dear Curriculum and Instruction Leaders,

Fall is upon us! Fall is my favorite season as I think of it as a time of renewal. While we don’t have dramatic weather shifts here in San Diego, the cooling weather has me wanting to take out my slow cooker to make some stew and pull out my sweaters and boots. Fall for schools means an opportunity for renewing relationships that we have with staff and students. 

One powerful way to renew our relationships is through the practice of storytelling. Emily Falk wrote an op-ed in the Los Angeles Times titled, Why Storytelling is an Important Tool for Social Change,” that advocates for the use of storytelling as a way to grow relationships and promote new ways to interact with others. She shares insights and research that shed light on the practice and demonstrates through her words that storytelling promotes deeper conversations and connections with others. She writes, “understanding how to use stories to communicate what they know is important for educators, scientists, government officials, healthcare practitioners, parents, and others. Our brains are wired to connect with other people, and stories offer a deeply human way to accomplish that goal.”

As you enter the fall season of renewal, I hope that you are opening yourself up to staff members and students by sharing stories that can bridge divides and bring us together in new ways. It has been my goal this fall and I have felt the effects in my relationships and my own well-being.
 
In this newsletter, you will find links and important information from the Sept. 21 Curriculum and Instruction Leaders Network Meeting and other learning opportunities from across the Curriculum and Instruction department at the San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE).
 
Take care,
Shannon

Shannon Baker, Ed.D.
Twitter: @sbaker_SDCOE