Mighty Educators

01/04/2021

This book https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/575664/chatter-by-ethan-kross/, authored by my friend and fellow aficionado of all things relevant to psychology, is one of my favorite books of all time!

Chatter is one of those rare reads that you don’t’ want to end. One of those books you love so much you need the print and audio version.
The author introduces us to unproductive and consequential ways our thoughts can turn on us and distract us from our lives. It is immediately relatable. This book is a first of its kind to get at what is a constant for all of us — a personal interpreter helping us make sense of things — in the author’s words, that inner voice that allows us “storify” life.

Offering a groundswell of compelling research to back up what is seemingly simple but profound — we are offered numerous opportunities to consider flipping on our mental reset. We are the proud owners of the neurological machinery to deploy self-distancing strategies to combat the repetitive thoughts that sabotage our capacities to address focused tasks. Chapter two introduces some research that should give us all pause — our cells interpret psychological threats as viscerally hostile as being physically attacked.
The author then gives up tactical strategies to deploy to zoom out when Chatter causes us to lose perspective. The practical strategies offered are what make this book such a game-changer. A significant a-ha moment for me while reading Chapter five was realizing that the go-to strategy many of us use when we’ve experienced something hard or emotional may exacerbate chatter. Co-rumination makes us feel worse as the author provides insight into how our emotional memories are governed by associationism. Chapter 6 brings our attention to the vast superpowers of awe — it diminishes one’s self-interest and decenters our inner voice onto something indescribable. The chapter opened with fascinating research about green spaces and the benefits of nature walks.

The conclusion brought me to tears of gratitude. I listened to Ethan share the story about his student at an Ed Summit in Philly. It was one of the most consequential shifts to date in my inner voice — “Tammy, you can share this knowledge.” I’m now investigating how the tools of social science can help me to share with others the tremendously empowering realization that our beliefs are malleable!

09/18/2020

Hi Mighty Educator Community! I am reaching out with a small request for those teaching outside of Massachusetts. I am preparing for an upcoming talk, and I'd like some anonymous data from high school students regarding their beliefs about what high school should prepare them for. I'd love to hear a broader perspective of voices (outside of MA)!
The following google form is not collecting any identifiable information.
https://forms.gle/9bWtQPirkCSycmWm8

The form ask the following:
+ What are two things a good high school education should prepare you to do?
+ What grade are you in?
+What state do you live in?

The first six educators who are willing to share the form with their classes can reach out to me by email [[email protected]] or by DM. I will compensate you for your time with a $20 Amazon gift card.

With zest and gratitude,
Tammy

Dear High Schooler, I am asking for student voices on a position of what high school should prepare you to do. There are numerous positions on this front; however, the literature could benefit from your direct experience. This form is not collecting names, emails, or any identifiable information. Th...

08/27/2020

Hi, Folks!

I am excited to share that I will be collaborating this year with Dr. Sam Sommers. Dr. Sommers is an award-winning Psychology Professor and the Lab Director at Tufts University's Racial Equity & Diversity Lab
https://ase.tufts.edu/psychology/sommerslab/ and author of one of my favorite books, Situations Matter, https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/306462/situations-matter-by-sam-sommers/.

The nature of our collaboration is evolving and will be flexible. I am happy to share the Psychology-related taped zoom calls and mini-lectures with those who are interested. Please send me your email via DM if you'd like links to the work.

I am sharing our first introductory video here.

Additionally. here is a link to the TED Talk from Dr. Jenifer Eberhardt that Sam mentions in the video:
https://www.ted.com/talks/jennifer_l_eberhardt_how_racial_bias_works_and_how_to_disrupt_it?language=en

08/06/2020

A thoughtful conversation with Anindya Kundu - one of my favorite scholars who illuminates ways the promise of actualizing equity will transform everything in our schools. His visionary book[https://www.tcpress.com/the-power-of-student-agency-9780807763889 ] /work will positively change the way you think about education. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXA-yw8Lu-8

Join Theo Ransaw, Outreach Specialist and author as he moderates a conversation with author Anindya Kundu, Tammy Darling, and Paul C. Gorski in another insta...

07/15/2020

Hi Folks,
I hope everyone is taking good care.
I know some have attended this event in the past in person, however, this year the exciting event is entirely virtual!
Join and on July 22nd for the virtual event of the year! The 2020 Educator Summit will be an online experience featuring dynamic keynotes and choose your own workshops! Register today at https://educatorsummit.org/
Here are some highlights from last year's EdSummit2019 in Philly https://animoto.com/play/Qjn0217rZkEq6Omwp7Wkig

The Educator Summit is an annual event, hosted by Character Lab and Relay GSE, designed to give teachers the knowledge and skills they need to help all students develop character.

05/20/2020

Hi Folks, I hope everyone is taking good care. It has been a while since I reached out to this group of great minds and big hearts! I am writing to suggest a fascinating book, Rule Makers, Rule Breakers https://www.michelegelfand.com/rule-makers-rule-breakers. The book offers a new view of the world and ourselves — the only other book I have read that has profoundly impacted my thinking in this way as an educator is Susan Cain's acclaimed book Quiet. The author, Michele Gelfand, is a Distinguished University Professor of Psychology at The University of Maryland. I unpacked harnessing the power of social norms with my classes and asked my students to take her Tight/Loose Mindset Quiz https://www.michelegelfand.com/tl-quiz We were able to connect over zoom and talk more about her research and work as a Cross-Cultural Psychologist.

12/08/2019

Working from strengths touches a deeper part of our humanity. This Mighty Journal is my aspiration, as a parent and educator, to bridge the gap between what parents want for their high schoolers — well-being— and what schools primarily focus on — achievement and academic skills. Young adults can't find the answers to some of life's biggest questions using Google. What are your strengths? What matters most to you? There is some level of contagion of positivity when people express their healthiest selves; it elevates those around us.
Updated with 25 more pages, this 12-month Journal/Planner includes gratitude cutouts, vision board, and more space for self-reflection. This Journal is a perfect gift for a teenager and one that keeps on giving!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1671846990/ref=sr_1_1…
Please pass this along to others who also appreciate strengths work!
https://animoto.com/play/V2Hvkub1s7Msyg0fwvEnew

A year of focus on strengths and goodness and brimming with original art and inspirational quotes, The Mighty Journal offers young adults a space to focus on what’s strong-- not wrong. Educator Tammy Darling--inspired by the groundbreaking work done by Educational Director Ryan Niemic at the VIA ....

09/23/2019

Curious to know why Positive Psychology's greatest gift to humanity is not introduced equally to students at school, I spent the last few years developing a Journal for high schoolers. Thrilled to share that it is now available at https://amazon.com/dp/169422760X

Structured on a school calendar year and brimming with original art and inspirational quotes, The Mighty Journal offers young adults and educators a space to focus on what’s strong-- not wrong. Educator Tammy Darling--inspired by the groundbreaking work done by Educational Director Ryan Niemic at....

08/27/2019

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1qXUtpJJ5XNSDS0puvy8AKr49uBmVUaoCV5mktpfosgU/edit?usp=sharing

Global Character Day 9.27.2019 Live Into Your Strengths

08/27/2019

Global Character Day is one month away! I would love to hear what people are thinking about planning for the day.

08/25/2019

https://animoto.com/play/J3gSlSj6EAhlLMHRGtuAGQ

Animoto's video maker turns your photos and video clips into professional videos in minutes. Fast and shockingly simple - we make video creation easy.

06/25/2019

Character is plural.
The VIA classification was the result of a multi-year project of scholars and thought leaders who undertook an exhaustive historical review spanning 2500+ years of literature to unpack character. Research reveals [ https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2012-23070-002 … ]that skillful application of our highest strengths increases well-being. With a near unanimous commitment to social-emotional learning on behalf of school leaders, why are we behind in this global movement to bring VIA into more school communities? Is it because our school leaders don’t know about VIA? A compelling paper by mindset paragons Yeager, Dahl & Dweckhttps://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/2563/21460e54656cc3ebe9dfe13a178263d00e11.pdf … is a thoughtful place to begin conversations about whole child development in secondary schools.

06/23/2019

Imagine if our school leaders modify their school database to include character strengths and help educators see academic performance and cultivation of character as complementary, not rivalry!

06/19/2019

100 days until Character Day! Day 1 of my ambitious goal to partner with 10 secondary schools in all 50 states to make space in their school database for all student and faculty highest strengths. It takes15 minutes to introduce a positive psychology tool that reveals the best in all of us.

05/28/2019

Hi, Strengths Spotters!

I apologize for the long stretch without a post.
As many of you know, teaching, planning, and grading require more bandwidth than we have throughout the school year!

I am writing to suggest a podcast and a book about Deeper Learning and the Grammar of Schooling.

The authors, Jal Mehta and Sarah Fine, have compiled a treasure trove of research about learning and teaching through an investigative lens of cross stakeholders in some of the most innovative high schools in America.


https://soundcloud.com/harvardedcast/edcast-deep-learning

The book has affected me greatly as a veteran educator and a parent with two children in elementary school. I teach an unleveled mixed grade Child Development Course, an unleveled upperclassmen Race, Gender and Human Behavior course and an Advanced Placement Psychology course for seniors. Reading the following excerpt following 244 lessons across nine high schools that “free-flowing discussion averaged fewer than fifteen seconds a day” and that, "we could count on one hand when a genuine discussion broke out" gave me great pause. The transmission culture that dominates our classrooms includes the cover-remember-test-forget-repeat model. This is an area of concern that I frequently overhear educators discussing. Our students are adept at 'playing the game of school' and the rampant competition for credentials over intrinsic value is suffocating. Students wear their sleeplessness as a badge of honor and routinely share with me that they get between 3-4 hours of sleep most nights. We rarely discuss the narratives that drive the purposelessness and unreflective habits many teenagers have been programmed/socialized to follow. Chapter 8 offers hope in expanding a parallel “grammar” of schooling addressing the authors thesis: We need to change student learning, so we need to change schools, so we need to change systems.
You can purchase a copy of the book here- http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674988392

Harvard researchers Jal Mehta and Sarah Fine talk about what they discovered while studying nontraditional, innovative high schools, and what we can learn from the pockets of great work happening arou