The lesson of 1000 Cranes

In an Alaska Native village, a young man’s tragic death brought about a global, viral, arts-based, social media, suicide-prevention initiative and taught me the importance of showing up as a human first. 15 years later, I’ve put this knowledge to work in my classes and it has profoundly changed the way I teach. When I first started in the classroom, I cried in my car every day after school, exhausted, defeated, feeling like I was failing all of the children. Then I remembered,

Show up as a human first.

It didn’t matter what was on my job description. It didn’t matter what anyone was expecting me to do. What mattered was that I was showing up and being with people in a deep and authentic way. That was the bulk of the work. The rest was having a clear sense of the vision of our ideal learning space and path to understanding. Teaching became less about standing and yapping and more about guiding and exploring. I still use these hard-won skills in my classrooms today. They are the key to turning my workplaces into joy factories, accelerating learning for my students, and helping everyone look forward to coming to school everyday.

Submitted Proposals to SXSW and Innovative Schools

Well, I'm officially too big for my britches. I woke up with a glut of audacity this past week and I've pitched workshop proposals to both the Innovative Schools Summit and SXSW EDU. I've also finished the outline of the 1000 Cranes for Education book that will be coming out this fall. 

The primary message of the book, and the ongoing legacy of 1000 Cranes, is that by centering humanity, we rebalance systems. The book has practical, teacher-created, student-tested, easy-to-implement strategies and tools to center humanity and accelerate learning and compound joy. 

The workshop is called "Centering Humanity to Rebalance Education." Here's the pitch:

Education is at an inflection point. As AI reshapes learning, teacher burnout rises, behaviors reach a tipping point, and student needs grow more complex, our current path is incompatible with survival. Yet with the right mindset, educators can walk directly into the fray with joy, wonder, and the power of transformation. This workshop delivers teacher-created, teacher-tested, high-yield strategies that lighten teachers' load, give kids more of what they need and restore the magic of learning. 

Takeaway #1: Building community through curiosity: Questions and Tasks that set the stage for learning

Takeaway #2: Don’t be a garbage human: Sparking intrinsic motivation and collaborative learning by being a better neighbor

Takeaway #3: Creativity for differentiation: Step-by-step guide for unleashing creativity in the classroom to boost access and accelerate learning

I'll keep you all posted on whether the proposals get picked up.

1000 Cranes turns 15!

 Wow! What a milestone.

15 years ago, as I lay awake feeling lost and afraid, curled in my sleeping bag, tucked under a teacher's desk in a darkened village school, I could never have imagined we would be here. 

For those of you new to our story, 15 years ago, in a tiny, remote, Indigenous village by the Bering Sea, a young man's traumatic death inspired the folding of 1000 origami cranes and launched a global wave of social media support. Through the 1000 Cranes for Alaska campaign, the simple act of folding an origami crane and posting your picture became synonymous with "I see you and I stand with you." Thanks to all those who participated; together we were able to bring hope and healing to a grieving community, raise awareness around suicide prevention, and demonstrate the transformational power of arts engagement.

Today, 1000 Cranes has grown and softened in many ways. Reflecting back on the past 15 years, I'm amazed at how many twists and turns our story has taken. From folding those first few cranes out of butcher paper cut with safety scissors to becoming a global suicide prevention campaign, our story hit the ground running. We have seen our story told as a news outro, a dinner party anecdote,  a one-woman-show, a keynote speech, a memoir. And the best part? Our story is far from over. 

Next year will see the newest chapter of our story take flight: 1000 Cranes for Education, a digital resource hub helping educators and families center creativity, culture, and movement to improve learning and increase joy. 

In this new venture, I will be sharing the many lessons I have learned during the past 15 years of the 1000 Cranes experience. Through this resource, I'll be providing tools and strategies to educators, parents, administrators, and those with a vested interest in educating our young people. These tools and strategies help educators rebalance student behaviors, improve academic outcomes, strengthen relationships with students and families while increasing the capacity and opportunities for joy. For sneak previews at some of the topics, take a peek at my work on the socials.

I'm beyond excited at this newest development of 1000 Cranes and am looking forward to sharing our continued progress with you all.