Weekly Report

Make Stress Your Friend

Topics for this week include teacher happiness, using AI to save time when grading, and better ways to handle stress.

The Friday Five

Happy Friday!

As James Murphy once said, “It's not that we spend five days looking forward to just two. It's that most people do what they enjoy most on those two days. Imagine living a life where every day are your Saturdays and Sundays. Make every day your weekend. Make every day a play-day…”

While I’m not sure every day can be a play day, I am sure that more play can be added to each day.

Here’s this week’s Friday Five. Have a great weekend!

1

Teacher Happiness

America's teachers are increasingly unhappy due to inflation, restrictive regulations, and limited career advancement opportunities. Surveys indicate a significant decline in the quality of public education and a growing reluctance among teachers to recommend the profession. Increased compensation and a much more manageable workload would be a few more steps in the right direction.

2

Time-Saving

Writable, an AI tool using ChatGPT, helps teachers grade student writing assignments by providing initial feedback, which teachers then review and adjust. The tool aims to save teachers time and allow for more creative lesson planning, though there are concerns it might lead to less personalized feedback for students. Despite some parental concerns, AI-assisted grading may become a valuable support for extremely busy teachers.

3

Handle Stress

Is it possible to make stress your friend? Stress causes your heart to race, your breathing to become rapid, and your forehead to sweat. Although stress is often viewed as an enemy, recent studies indicate its negative effects may depend on your perception. Psychologist Kelly McGonigal encourages us to view stress positively and highlights an overlooked method for reducing stress: connecting with others.