#SparkJoyInTheClassroom: thinkLaw’s January 2019 Newsletter

A Message from Colin Seale, thinkLaw Founder and CEO

Happy New Year! You can tell resolution season is in full swing—the gyms are packed, along with the fruit and veggie aisles at your local grocery, and if you’ve been binge-watching Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, you’ve also been clearing your home of those items based on a single question: does it spark joy? But what if in 2019, educators resolved to use the same approach for students to tidy up instruction? Rote memorization and spoon-fed instruction are certainly not going to spark joy in the classroom, so make 2019 the year you reorganize whole approach! Discard the tasks that come with the cluttering pressure of teaching to the test in favor of a streamlined focus on critical thinking that empowers you to teach through the test. Spark joy with instruction that unleashes our students’ inherent motivation. Go minimalist with student-centered learning that allows them to do the heavy-lifting. Because with the stakes our students face in the rapidly changing future workforce, tidying up your instruction with critical thinking to #SparkJoyInTheClassroom has never been more important. Make it a great 2019!

Reimagine Test Prep with thinkLaw’s Engaging & Rigorous Curriculum

Prepping for high stakes exams can’t just be about doing practice test questions and covering material. Especially when the enhanced rigor of these exams cause many students to struggle not because they do not understand the content, but because they lack sufficient practice applying their knowledge to the problem in front of them. Students benefit from the skill set of “Thinking Like a Lawyer” because today’s exams require them to analyze problems and solutions from multiple angles, ask questions to get information they need, and make a variety of claims and support them with evidence. Request a quote for thinkLaw’s award-winning curriculum now to use our engaging and rigorous real-life legal cases to help teachers give students the essential critical thinking skills they need for success.

Planning early for engaging and rigorous 21st century learning summer opportunities? Contact us now to learn more about how schools and organizations have used thinkLaw for 21st Century Learning Programs, Summer Enrichment, Upward Bound programs, and other summer programs that benefit from academically rich curriculum that is fun for students and easy for instructors to deliver.

Beyond the Dream: Powerful Critical Thinking Resources for MLK Day

As the only non-President to have a national holiday named in his honor, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy is clearly a significant part of the fabric of American History. As educators, it can be tempting to focus only on the aspects of Dr. King’s legacy that have resonated with the masses. But if all we do is read the “I Have a Dream Speech,” we miss out on the opportunity to think critically about history and make important connections with today’s civil rights challenges. Grab our bundle of two rarely discussed legal cases involving Dr. King and his family to honor his legacy with critical thinking.

thinkLaw Updates

thinkLaw Founder and CEO Colin Seale to Speak at Age of Agility Conference

thinkLaw’s work of helping educators across the country unleash the full critical thinking potential of all students is not just important academically, but for giving our students the agility they will need to succeed in the future workforce. Because of our work, thinkLaw Founder and CEO Colin Seale will be a featured speaker at the Age of Agility Summit in Washington. D.C. on January 24, 2019. This event, hosted by America Succeeds and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, is the culmination of the Age of Agility National Tour that convened business, education, and policy leaders at nine stops across the country to seek solutions for aligning education pathways to the future of work. In D.C. that day? Register for this FREE event here.

Welcoming Johnathon to the thinkLaw Team

thinkLaw is thrilled to welcome Johnathon Gray to the team as our Director of Marketing and Partnership Development! Johnathon brings his passion for educational equity from his time as a Teach for America corps member teaching middle school Science in Charlotte, NC and the vast skill set he has developed as an leader in advocacy and business.

Age of Agility Summit DC
Washington, DC | January 24

Texas Council for Teachers of ELA 2019 Conference
San Antonio, TX | January 25

National ESEA Conference
Kansas City, MO | January 31 – February 1

Gifted and Advanced Academics Conference
Round Rock, TX | January 31 – February 2

  • Leaving Genius on the Table: Unleashing the Critical Thinking Potential of All Children (Keynote)
  • Why is the Milk in the Back of the Supermarket?
  • Defeating “I Don’t Care” Syndrome

2019 Arizona Association for Gifted and Talented Annual Conference
Phoenix, AZ | February 7-8

  • Gifted Education for the Cool Kids
  • The State of Critical Thinking: What Students are Saying and What it Means for Educators
  • Why do the Smartest Kids do the Dumbest Things?

Teach for America School Leaders of Color Conference
Dallas, TX | February 7-9

  • Igniting Innovations: Pitch Feedback for Early Stage Entrepreneurs of Color (Facilitating)

Request a Quote

Plan ahead for the Spring Semester and see how you and your students can join thinkLaw’s Critical Thinking Revolution with our award-winning curriculum and professional development workshops! Request a quote here and a thinkLaw representative will be in contact within 48 hours. If you have any additional questions, set up a time to connect for a quick call by clicking here.

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