Year: 2022

Very few of any of these closures took place at public colleges or universities. One big exception was Purdue University. It shut down four campuses after it purchased for-profit Kaplan University in 2018 and converted it to a public four-year university called Purdue Global. Most other public closures were small ones, such as the closure of a teacher training site at a local elementary school.

Closures happen for many reasons but generally involve declining student enrollment, which leads to diminishing tuition dollars, a main source of revenue for many colleges. Weak finances have cut off for-profit institutions from the federal student loan program. That suddenly prevents students from obtaining subsidized loans to pay their private tuition bills. Many small liberal arts colleges have struggled to attract students altogether.

The consequences for students at these shuttered campuses are enormous. Fewer than half of them ever re-enrolled in college, according to a

There are times during every school year when both students and teachers are in need of a fresh start. What better way to boost morale than to take time to cultivate an attitude of gratitude in your classroom? 

Not only is gratitude a way to promote a positive classroom environment, but it can also improve students’ mental health. Given the increased focus on students’ social-emotional wellbeing, gratitude is a worthwhile practice to incorporate into your lessons.

From thought-provoking discussion questions to creative prompts that go beyond asking students to write something they are grateful for, these activities will engage your older students in a meaningful gratitude practice. 

Gratitude Activities for Middle and High School

If you’re looking for resources for teaching gratitude in your classroom, check out these gratitude lessons for middle school and high school.

How to Write a Thank You Note Gratitude Project by The Littlest Teacher

Dear WeAreTeachers,
A colleague told me that several of her 8th grade boys wouldn’t stop whispering and laughing. When she asked them what was up, they told her, “We found Ms. Wagner on Tinder during lunch.” I AM MS. WAGNER. One of them must have made an account using a fake birthday to appear in my age preferences. I know this is their mistake and not mine, but I’m so embarrassed and keep cringing thinking of them seeing me on a platform I never intended them to find me on. What should I do? Will telling an AP just bring more attention I don’t want? —Put “My Student Found My Tinder Profile” On My Tombstone

Dear P.M.S.F.M.T.P.O.M.T.,

On behalf of the entire teaching profession, this emoji: 😳  We cringe and mourn with you.

First, I want to reiterate that you’ve done nothing wrong. Despite a long history of people thinking

In fact, we can’t achieve the world’s climate goals without education, Aruch said:

“None of these implementations that are being discussed [at COP] are attainable without making investments in providing high-quality education opportunities for learning all throughout the life span.”

Furthermore, at COP 27, UNESCO, the U.N.’s educational, scientific and cultural arm, is unveiling something called the Greening Education Partnership. The organization is asking countries to set goals by 2030 and to monitor progress in four target areas:

• Making schools’ physical infrastructure more sustainable (Hello, New Jersey);
• Updating curricula;
• Building capacity by getting teachers and school leaders up to speed;
• Bringing climate education into the community, to ensure that working adult and lifelong learners also get the information they need to be resilient to climate effects and ready for emerging climate jobs.

(Disclosure: I’m an adviser to This Is Planet Ed, an initiative of the Aspen Institute that promotes