This week our class was postponed, so instead we met with our pods to discuss some topics that would be featured in “EdCamp.” We also talked about what “EdCamp” is entirely. We watched a video of what a real “EdCamp” would like and how it operates. I thought this type of conference is really useful because you can attend whichever discussed topics you’d like, rather than having one set presentation that everyone has to watch My pod discussed a few general topics that were interesting to all of us.
A significant topic for each of us right now is “mental health in education.” We continue to discuss this in many of our other courses and we are learning more about what this topic entails. Most of all, we know that teacher’s mental health is not considered enough. Burnout and stress levels have always been significantly high in teachers – which some would say would co-relate to the effort they are putting in for their students. We all agreed that if our emotional and mental health is not being taken care of, it will directly affect how our students learn. We talked about some ways each of us take care of our mental health – going outside, exercising, reading, spending time with friends, and many other things. By the end we had come up with a lot of ways that teachers can avoid overworking and burnout. We also came up with some ways to talk to students about mental health in a positive way, and overall work to destigmatize to.
Another topic we discussed in my pod was the versatility of EdCamp and how it could realistically be incorporated into our classrooms. It brings about many opportunities that could occur many times throughout the year. For instance, at the beginning of the year, students could suggest topics they are interested in and share that information with their peers who want to learn more. This activity can help students get to know each other more and would help them find other students with similar interests. One of the members in my pod said that this is a good way for students to pick their own groups rather than the groups being chosen for them because students tend to worry more about who is in their group rather than the actual topic. I thought this was a really good point, and an activity that could be used across all subject areas.
Overall I think it would have been fun to do an “EdCamp” type experience in class but I’m glad I still got to discuss some topics with my pod. I think it would be really cool to attend an EdCamp in the future, especially with some of my coworkers so we can attend different topics and come back together and share afterwards.
(photo by @robowunderkind on UnSplash)
brianmajic
Hi Kali,
I really appreciate your observations about class this week. Unfortunately, we could not be in person, but of course, we discussed this information with our pod and you’ve come up with a great post with some of the topics we discussed. I am glad that you recalled there versatility part of EdCamps from our discussion. That is one point that I found particularly important from our discussion. Like you, I am disappointed we did not get to take part in an EdCamp but I hoping to be a part of many further in my career!