Belonging – Responsibility – Excellence – Aloha – Total-Wellbeing – Hawai’i by Akemi Faria HA Values have been introduced and embedded in various levels within Hawaii schools. Although these concepts are abstract, if all stakeholders have a common understanding, it can result in a positive widespread impact. Every month, my school focuses on a specific HA theme within Social-Emotional and General Learner Outcome lessons. Teachers keep track and schedule lessons aligned to the selected value, continuously weaving it into their daily interactions. Student surveys are used to inform the school ab ..read more

BY KIM DEMPSEY Before I start, it is important to know that I am from the generation that drank from the outdoor hose. Staying home from school wasn’t an option unless you had a fever, vomiting, or required hospitalization. We played with toys that would be considered dangerous by today’s standards. (Think “Jarts”-banned in 1988). I am a baby boomer, a generation that often feels indestructible and misunderstood.  The boomers benefited from a more carefree childhood throughout years of technological and societal advances. Younger generations may see us as “old-timers” who don’t under ..read more

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by CHAYANEE BROOKS On December 31st, three minutes before the new year started, my family rang a cable car bell in the dining room. The bell is just like what is used in San Francisco cable cars. The loud bell signified the end of the gloomy 2020 and started a clear beginning of a more hopeful 2021.  Upon returning to school, I still hear the sound resonating, cutting through all space and time, as I live out my professional New Year’s resolution to continue empowering learners.  For my dear students, I’m determined to hand over power to you. I want to empower you as active learners ..read more

BY MONICA HEISER During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is easy to overlook Morning Meeting, Tribes, Daily Calendar, Circle Time, Advisory or other names that teachers call the connection we make with children in the morning. Online learning time is compressed and we are tempted to slide the human connections to the back burner in favor of academics. We face new decisions to make with each step forward. Do we still need to prioritize community building activities to reach students? How do we achieve this virtually? Can it be done in same way? More than ever before, we need this shared space to be to ..read more

The Unorthodox Way Teachers are Connecting with Students By JULIANA MAE NEVES The discomfort of distance learning has called on teachers to examine how we connect with our students, and more importantly, how we listen to them. Take @wiki_lunch. As of May 3rd, @wiki_lunch had 665 followers (just 599, a week prior). Started by a middle school Polynesian Dance teacher in Kona, Hawai`i, the idea was simple: to connect with students. Like so many other schools, his school quickly put together an online distance learning program. However, they shortly realized it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t enough to ..read more

This three-part series explores the contributions of Hawaii educators. In addition to a full week dedicated to serving students, educators paused to share a snapshot of the COVID-19 impact and the implementation of emergency remote learning across the state. Access the full series here. Joan Lewis, Instructional Coach Our staff has been working hard to establish contact with our students and provide virtual wellness checks with our families. While education is essential, we know that there may be more important priorities for our families. As part of our work-from-home schedules, our teachers ..read more

BY TANYA MAU (Wait! Stop reading until you have come up with three good things.) •What was the experience of recalling three good things like for you? •After one week of this daily practice, identify any themes or commonalities and notice the difference in personal happiness and well-being. How often have you finished the end of your work day by thinking about all of the things that went wrong?  The student’s misbehavior in class, the parent who was upset about her child’s grade, or now because your meeting with the principal inadvertently ran late, you are stuck in major traffic and late ..read more

This three-part series explores the contributions of Hawaii educators. In addition to a full week dedicated to serving students, educators paused to share a snapshot of the COVID-19 impact and the implementation of emergency remote learning across the state. Access the full series here. Lory Peroff, Fourth Grade Teacher It began Friday, March 13th. That day I didn’t spend my lunch break eating lunch. Instead, I scrambled to compile and assemble learning packets to send home with my students. Although nothing had been said officially by the DOE, I suspected that when my students walked out the ..read more

BY CLIFFORDNEAL LIM At one point or another, we all wonder what could have happened if we lived up to our greatest potential. The “What-if” moments become dreams of how we would do things differently if given the opportunity to do our lives all over again. What has stopped us from being great? What could have been done differently to give us a better life today? I remember… It took three tries. Three tries! For me, a pivotal moment happened when I moved from Kalihi to the Palisades area. Palisades is cold and quiet with just the occasional sounds of birds or pets. I was always a strong reader ..read more