Opening Routine: Slow Down with The Slowdown

As we return to school this year, Pear Deck has partnered with Facing History and Ourselves to help build community and trust within classrooms, both physical and virtual. With these quick, interactive routines—designed to take five to ten minutes each—educators can foster a sense of belonging and prioritize social-emotional learning every day.

Overview

This routine uses poetry to spark personal reflection and to open doors for discussions about what’s happening in students’ lives and the world. We recommend Tracy K. Smith’s daily podcast, The Slowdown, for this routine. In each five-minute episode, Smith explains what the poem she’s chosen means to her and then reads it out loud. Other sources for poems, many of which have audio recordings, include the websites Split This Rock, Poets.org, Poetry 180, and Poetry Foundation.

Source: Facing History and Ourselves