“Instead of worrying about what you cannot control, shift your energy to what you can create.” ― Roy T. Bennett
30 Day Challenge - April 20th
If you’ve followed my blog over the last several years, you might remember that I occasionally create challenges for myself to explore, learn, and share what I discover. Last December, I challenged myself to explore 24 Days of Teaching and Learning Resources.
My challenge for April is to explore something new each day and share what I discover. Hopefully, I won't let you or myself down! (April Challenge Update Doc)
I was reflecting on the challenge of creating a new post each day this morning before starting a new exploration and post. I've started and deleted more posts this month than I've published. For a variety of reasons, some of my explorations have not made the cut. This is part of my learning experience.
I also recognize that most of my posts over the past 20 days have focused on EdTech resources teachers can use in the classroom. Exploring EdTech is in my wheelhouse, so that is where I find myself most mornings. I've always been passionate about finding new ways to engage students with educational technology, but it is still a real challenge to find something new each day that I think is worth sharing.
Today I wanted to shift and expand my focus away from EdTech for a bit. The 4 C's have always been the foundation of my teaching philosophy. I believe my content should help students engage in creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication. I also believe that I have a responsibility to help my students grow as humans. This means I sometimes need to expand my mindset beyond my content, EdTech, and the 4 Cs.
Long introduction, I know! I'm almost there. (TLDR?)
Today, I decided to explore what it means to be a good human. What human characteristics can we cultivate that make school and the world a better place for all? I started with Google Search. My keywords included empathy, kindness, character, purpose, and optimism. I discovered and explored quite a few posts and great resources and decided to share The Positivity Project today. I know I sometimes need a little more positivity in my life.
THE POSITIVITY PROJECT AIMS TO REACH 10,000 SCHOOLS AND 5 MILLION STUDENTS NATIONWIDE BY 2030.
There is a lot to explore on the Positivity Project website, so I highly recommend setting aside some time to explore all of the resources and videos on the site.
Today, I wanted to focus on and share the Positivity Project's Character Strengths Page.
The page includes a brief description and resources connected to each of the "character strengths". If this wasn't enough, I discovered the free P2 Character Cards on the resource page.
P2 Character Cards are a completely open (public) resource. They provide a 1-page, detailed look at each character strength. These are available as weblinks and as PDF downloads from our searchable/sortable Resource Library. You can directly link any of these cards right into Google Classroom or send home links directly. Many P2 teachers use these cards regularly in the classroom, and we can’t overstate the value that we see in Partner Schools sending these home with students and parents.
These 1-page cards are amazing and I plan to bring these to my students as the school year winds down. I also know that I will incorporate these cards into my planning at the start of the year next year.
I hope you find some value for yourself and your students as you explore the site and resources. If you were inspired by this post, please consider sharing your thoughts and ideas in the comments below.
Some Additional Resources I Discovered and Will Explore in the Future Connected to Character and Positivity
- Becoming Better Grownups: Rediscovering What Matters and Remembering How to Fly
- The Happiness Advantage: How a Positive Brain Fuels Success in Work and Life
- Evolving with Gratitude: Small Practices in Learning Communities That Make a Big Difference with Kids, Peers, and the World
- Positivity Quotes - Good Reads
- Character Counts - Character education and SEL Curricular resources, lessons, and activities
- Pay it Forward
- Kindness Picture Books
- Edutopia Social & Emotional Learning (SEL) Topic
Visit the blog tomorrow for something new or follow along in this document.
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