Plus delivering joy during the pandemic and more Morningside Center NEWSLETTER Dear Morningside Center friends, We send our warm thoughts and wishes to you, your family and friends. We stand in awe of the educators, caregivers, and young people who are scrambling to carry on amid this pandemic. It pains us that the closing of schools has forced us to suspend our work with young people and educators at a time of such huge need. While some classwork has migrated online, young people need more than academics, especially now: They need to connect and get support from each other and adults to get through this crisis. Creating this kind of connection is Morningside Center's specialty. But we've got to adapt our strategies so we can share them with teachers online. You can help us do this! Find out about our Emergency Fund for Caring Classrooms. And please... donate what you can! Meanwhile, we're creating resources aimed at gathering our strength during the pandemic. Below, activities that invite students' creativity and kindness in this moment and explore the historic relief bill Congress just passed. And: See our 12 self-care tips for educators, caregivers, and all of us. New on TeachableMoment Self-care for Educators & Caregivers During a Pandemic 12 tips to help you take care of yourself in the coming weeks and months. Delivering Joy in this Moment Students explore ways to creatively connect, show each other support, and display kindness amid this pandemic. Congress Passed the Biggest Relief Bill Ever: What’s in It? The effects of the $2 trillion coronavirus relief package will be felt by everyone. Students discuss this historic and controversial legislation. For more, visit our continuously updates pages of lessons, tips, and resources for coronavirus and remote learning. What we're reading Pandemic Reveals Limits of Education System to Assist Students and Families “'Crises like this rip the Band-Aid off the festering wounds that are American hunger and poverty,' said Joel Berg, CEO of Hunger Free America. 'The Department of Agriculture will give permission to distribute meals outside school doors, but we still have no idea if students will get one meal, a week’s worth, or even how the food will be distributed.'" By Eleanor J. Bader at Truthout As Educators Figure Out Distance Learning, Now Is the Time to Plan for Students’ Return to School. "What happens when students return to school, whether that is in a month or in the fall? One big lesson we are learning from the coronavirus is that it is vital to be overprepared for an uncertain future so that when unforeseen crises arise, we are best positioned to respond swiftly, calmly and from a place of strength." By Jacob Mnookin and Lindsay Freeman at The 74 One Teacher's Life in a Coronavirus Epicenter "Many students said that, at first, they were excited for 'a month' off school, but that quickly turned to boredom. Being back in virtual school after a week of nothing is a relief: 'I did a happy dance!' one student said. 'If it wasn’t for Zoom, I would probably go crazy,' another wrote." By Ariel Sacks at Education Week Teachers’ Herculean Task: Moving 1.1 Million Children to Online School "It has been jarring, surreal and draining, more than a dozen educators said in interviews, to adapt to a completely new way of working, with everyone forced to interact on screens, for at least part of the school day, as the statistics from the world outside get grimmer and grimmer." By David W. Chen at the New York Times How to Teach Social-Emotional Learning When Students Aren't in School "Social-emotional learning is critical to managing anxiety at this time...Because if you don’t know how to deal with the lack of control of your future, or the feelings of uncertainty that you’re having, your brain is going to stay in a constant fight or flight mode...And if our brain is in fight or flight mode, then it’s not in learning mode.'" By Arianna Prothero at Education Week "We don't necessarily have the tools or support we need to move into this new space of remote learning without glitches and delays. So remember to be gentle and kind with yourself." -- Marieke van Woerkom Donate Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility www.morningsidecenter.org ‌ ‌ ‌ Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility | 475 Riverside Drive, Suite 550, New York, NY 10115 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | About Constant Contact Sent by [email protected]