Making Sense of it All: Teaching Current Events with an Anti-Bias Education Mindset
The mob attack on The Capitol yesterday has left many educators wondering what to say to their students. Many of us are angry, yet unsurprised by it all. Some educators may want to avoid discussing it with their students. But the truth is, our students are often more aware of what’s happening in the world
Moving through grief and loss when life is hard
By Robin Starch, Director of Education and Outreach Things are not looking good. There is a surge in Covid cases, and winter is coming. So much has changed in the last 8 months. Our children are experiencing a yoyo of unspoken fear and anxiety, often manifesting in emotional and behavioral difficulties due to a change
Creating Belonging for Students in a Virtual World
How do I create a meaningful experience when teaching in Brady Bunch boxes? I taught middle school for 15 years, and on the days when I felt my lessons were the most engaging and impactful, I would come home exhausted. As an introvert in a very extroverted career, I had to work extra hard at
An interview with local author, Cheryl Minnema
AMAZEworks is excited to have Cheryl Minnema’s book Hungry Johnny in the release of our newly revamped elementary curriculum. Cheryl Minnema (Waabaanakwadookwe) is a member of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. She was born in Minneapolis and raised on the Mille Lacs Reservation. Along with writing children’s literature and poetry, she creates Ojibwe floral
Celebrating Women’s Equality Day and Protecting the Right to Vote
August 26 is Women’s Equality Day. This date commemorates the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, which prohibits denying someone the right to vote on the basis of sex. As we mark the 100-year celebration of this amendment, we are still reminded of how important voting rights are. This year we have seen exacerbated gaps in
Introducing the NEWLY UPDATED AMAZEworks Elementary Curriculum
For the last year, AMAZEworks staff, with the help of our incredible teacher task force and community members, have been working hard to update our pre-K through 5th grade Elementary Curriculum. With this curriculum and Anti-Bias training, teachers create connected classrooms where all children are seen, heard, and valued. Educators learn to examine how identity,
Rethinking the Privilege Walk
Both the Covid-19 pandemic and the recent racial justice protests have highlighted gaping disparities in our country. By now, many of you have likely seen videos of Privilege Walks circulating around social media as a means of illustrating these gaps. The version I have most frequently seen shows a group of people lining up for
Reflections on COVID-19 and PRIDE 2020
Meet Ari. She is currently working 3 jobs to support herself and is grateful there is work available. Meet Miranda. She lost her job but is okay and likes that she has more time to volunteer on a farm. AMAZEworks interviewed two young adults, Ari and Miranda, to learn how they have
A Reflection on George Floyd’s Death: Where do we go from here? From helplessness to action
I am marveling at how much things can change in a week. Just over a week ago, I was preparing to write this note about celebrating PRIDE month in the midst of a pandemic and honoring fathers and father figures for Father’s Day. Both things are still featured in our newsletter this month and are
