Doug Lemov's field notes

In our latest podcast interview with Wendy Amato from The Teaching Channel, Hilary Lewis and I discussed practical ideas about providing social emotional support to students and teachers alike as we head back to school. (Kudos to Wendy for raising the issue!)

Throughout the episode, you will hear us discuss what we hope are specific and actionable actions teachers can take to build connections with their students through content and classroom routines. Additionally, Hilary and I share a few lessons learned from this pandemic year as we prepare to return to the classroom.

You can listen to the podcast episode here: https://www.teachingchannel.com/blog/podcast-41?hs_preview=ivgEYGHa-48549856866. 

During the discussion you;ll probably note that Hilary mentions Teach Like a Champion’s Dean of Students Curriculum. In January 2021, we launched this brand new tool, with support from the Kern Family Foundation, to help principals, teachers, and deans strengthen students’ character when they encounter challenging situations. In many ways, student lives and behaviors are unpredictable; however, the DOS Curriculum strives to make the unpredictable predictable by exploring common issues students may face in school and providing educators with resources to address those behaviors. For example it’s almost assured that we’ll have students who struggle with impulse control or who treat their classmates thoughtlessly at times. If we know those behaviors will occur, why not prepare for them with rich lesson plans that help them to reflect and learn more productively from the situations that occur in their lives?

To learn more about the DOS Curriculum please visit: https://teachlikeachampion.org/dean-of-students-curriculum/. 

Dean of Students Curriculum, Wendy Amato