Hooray for Monday is an award-winning collection of resources we share at the start of every week. These resources feature questions, ideas, reflections, and actions we can all take to remodel the school experience for students. Hooray for Monday challenges teachers to hone their skills as Instigators of Thought©, includes instructional ideas from our #Inspired2Learn collection, and provides links to other useful tools and opportunities.

Hooray For Monday

Interviews with educators, changemakers, and advocates to inspire you as the 2024-2025 school year kicks off!

Back to School 2024-2025

educational speakers

Imagine a classroom in which students greet their teacher at the door, enter the room, grab a mat, and take a seat in a circle on the floor, then engage in a warm-up that involves clapping or jumping or stretching – every day, in every class period. Aleta speaks with Chiara Monitcelli, an Italian language teacher, about her approach to teaching -- sans desks and chairs. 

Read the latest issue:

Resources

How Vigorous is My Heart:https://inspiredteaching.org/how-vigorous-is-my-heart/?mc_cid=c209cb4e96&mc_eid=UNIQID

Hands and Feet Stories: https://inspiredteaching.org/hands-and-feet-stories/?mc_cid=c209cb4e96&mc_eid=UNIQID

Make Way for the Monarchs: https://inspiredteaching.org/make-way-for-the-monarchs/?mc_cid=c209cb4e96&mc_eid=UNIQID

May 16, 2022: The Desk is a Barrier

As we look toward summertime, with the opportunities it offers to reflect on our practice, how might we see our students differently - as dancers, mathematicians, historians - and most importantly, as essential parts of our learning community? 

This Week's Issue:https://inspiredteaching.org/essential-community-members

Resources

Dance Clips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTsy16DQvik&mc_cid=86429b65ab&mc_eid=UNIQID

Speak Truth Fellowship:https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScw1zx_xYsn3mdvel01E_ktCLkvRP0HPxH4lUX9WIrYsWeCqw/viewform?usp=sf_link&mc_cid=86429b65ab&mc_eid=UNIQID

Inspired Teaching Institutes: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/inspired-teaching-institutes-94779

Butterfly Garden: https://inspiredteaching.org/make-way-for-the-monarchs/?mc_cid=86429b65ab&mc_eid=UNIQID

June 13, 2022: Essential Community Members

This week, guest host Jenna Fournel speaks with Lacey Hunter. Lacey is a PreK3 teacher at Inspired Teaching Demonstration School in Washington, DC. She shares with Jenna her approach to classroom interactions, which means using open-ended questions and helping students learn how to think, not what to think. 

Read this issue here: https://inspiredteaching.org/colorful-language-hooray-for-monday/

Resources:
Why I Don't Ask My Students Their Favorite Color: https://inspiredteaching.org/why-dont-i-ask-whats-your-favorite-color/?mc_cid=dbd5e36e7c&mc_eid=UNIQID

Rotten Pumpkin video: https://vimeo.com/760835567

October 17, 2022: Colorful Language with Lacey Hunter

In this week's episode, Jenna Fournel (Director of Teaching and Learning) speaks with Kulsum Omer. Kulsum is a long-time teacher who shares her insights into the power of observation in the classroom. 

Resources: https://inspiredteaching.org/observing-instrinsic-joy/
Written version: https://inspiredteaching.org/observing-instrinsic-joy/

21 Ways to End School Days: https://inspiredteaching.org/inspired-teaching-institute/21-ways-end-school-days/ 

November ONLINE Inspired Teaching Institute: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/meeting-the-social-and-emotional-need-for-mutual-respect-online-tickets-394056663087?aff=odeimcmailchimp&mc_eid=UNIQID&mc_cid=e31f75b407
November IN PERSON Inspired Teaching Institute: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/meeting-the-social-and-emotional-need-for-mutual-respect-in-person-tickets-394057846627?aff=odeimcmailchimp&mc_eid=UNIQID&mc_cid=e31f75b407

October 24, 2022: Observing Intrinsic Joy

This week, Jenna speaks with Hakim Johnson. Hakim is principal at Inspired Teaching Demonstration Charter School in Washington, DC and shares with us his insights into the power and importance of feedback.

Written version: https://inspiredteaching.org/grades-dont-provide-much-feedback/

Resources:

5 Closing Activities for Student Feedback: https://inspiredteaching.org/5-closing-activities-to-give-you-feedback-on-your-lesson/

Finding the Zone of Proximal Development: https://inspiredteaching.org/finding-the-zone-of-proximal-development/

Say "Yet" More: https://www.instigatorofthought.org/sayyet

October 31, 2022: Grades Don't Provide Much Feedback

In this week's episode, Aleta speaks with educator, activist, and author Jonathan Kozol about his new book, inequality in education, and -- most importantly -- how educators can combat it. 

Written version: https://inspiredteaching.org/interview-jonathan-kozol-hooray-for-monday

Resources:
Preoroder An End to Inequality here: https://thenewpress.com/books/end-inequality 
Check out the rest of Mr. Kozol's books here: https://www.jonathankozol.com/books

Inspired Teaching Institutes: https://inspiredteaching.org/inspired-teaching-institute/
Teaching with Improvisation Fellowship: https://inspiredteaching.org/teaching-with-improvisation-fellowship/
Speak Truth: https://inspiredteaching.org/youth/speak-truth/

February 26, 2024: An Interview with Jonathan Kozol

Aleta speaks with parenting expert and researcher at Brookings, Rebecca Winthrop, about Rebecca's upcoming book, The Disengaged Teen, and the four modes of engagement her research uncovered.

Subscribe to Hooray For Monday for weekly resources and important updates on Inspired Teaching programming and events: https://inspiredteaching.org/subscribe-hooray-for-monday/

Pre-order The Disengaged Teen (out January 7): https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/726142/the-disengaged-teen-by-jenny-anderson-and-rebecca-winthrop/

October 28, 2024: What Does Engagement Look Like?

Curiosity bridges divides among us, enables us to implement AI productively, and fuels student engagement. This means fueling curiosity should be high on your priority list.

Join the Inspired Teaching Curiosity Challenge: https://inspiredteaching.org/curiosity-challenge-2025/

Subscribe to the Hooray For Monday newsletter: https://inspiredteaching.org/subscribe-hooray-for-monday/

December 1, 2025: Are We Curious Yet?

Aleta speaks with journalist, professor, and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism Dr. George Miller for his insight into watching, reading, and listening to the news today.

Subscribe to Hooray For Monday for weekly resources and updates on Inspired Teaching programs and events: https://inspiredteaching.org/subscribe-hooray-for-monday/

December 8, 2025: It's All About Exploration

Jenna and Aleta reflect on what they've observed in the classrooms of Inspired Teaching Fellows this fall, and how those lessons can apply to classrooms everywhere.

Subscribe to Hooray For Monday to receive weekly resources and updates on Inspired Teaching programming and events: https://inspiredteaching.org/subscribe-hooray-for-monday/

December 15, 2025: What Our Teachers Are Teaching Us

Hooray for Monday is an award-winning collection of resources from Center for Inspired Teaching, shared at the start of every week. These resources feature questions, ideas, reflections, and actions we can all take to remodel the school experience for students. Hooray for Monday challenges teachers to hone their skills as Instigators of Thought©, includes instructional ideas from our #Inspired2Learn collection, and provides links to other useful tools and opportunities.

About Us
Creating radical change in the school experience — away from compliance and toward authentic engagement. Center for Inspired Teaching envisions a future in which every person is prepared to thrive in and contribute to our complex and rapidly changing world, through an education that teaches students how to think, not what to think.

February 26, 2024: An Interview with Jonathan Kozol

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