Today we give you ... puppets

Also relief for student borrowers who say they were defrauded and why some teachers are getting pushed out. [View this email online]( [NPR Education]( November 20, 2022 This week, we looked at puppets in the classroom, debt relief for 200,000 borrowers and how the political climate is pushing some teachers out. Plus, advice for kids on living with climate change. --------------------------------------------------------------- Happy Sunday, A little counterprogramming this week. Because we all need a break from checking our phones to see [if Twitter is still there](. Instead, today… I give you puppets. Yes, puppets. Ryan T. Conaty/NPR As an education reporter, covering the pandemic’s K-12 toll, not to mention the legal back-and-forth around federal student loan cancellation, has been mentally exhausting. So, a few months ago I went in search of a story that would be joyful to report, without being frivolous. That search led me to teacher Leticia Denoya’s classroom at Natchaug Elementary in Windham, Conn., where I found her first-graders sitting criss-cross applesauce on the reading rug. "Do you remember last week,” Denoya asks, “we worked with our puppets and we learned a new strategy?" One little girl raises her hand: "Belly-breathing." That's right, Denoya responds, to help with "heavy" feelings. She asks the students to name a few. One child offers "angry." Another: "sad, because someone took something away from you." For many children, it was the pandemic that took something away. Most at Natchaug come from working-class families and qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Some lost loved ones to COVID. Many saw parents lose work. And, in schools across the country last year, that kind of stress followed kids back to class and has led to all kinds of [disruptive behaviors](. That's the bad news. The good news is, kids can be incredibly resilient, especially when they've got help – like the kind Denoya's first-graders are about to get from a research-backed group of puppeteers. "Today, we are gonna learn how to change our feelings when you might be feeling heavy," Denoya says, "and we want to make ourselves feel lighter." What happened next, honestly, was one of the most joyful hours I’ve ever spent in a classroom. You can find the full story… with some pretty wonderful photographs… [HERE](. And a note that this newsletter is taking a holiday break over Thanksgiving weekend. We’ll see you again in December! — [Cory Turner]( Correspondent, NPR Ed [Read More]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- Now, let’s get into some news … Debt relief, for 200,000 borrowers. A federal judge in San Francisco granted final approval to a settlement that could cancel at least $6 billion in federal student loans for borrowers who argued they had been defrauded by their colleges. [Read more here](. — [Cory Turner]( Correspondent, NPR Ed How the political climate is pushing some teachers out of the classroom. In some places teachers and administrators — already facing long hours and low pay — now find themselves under additional pressure from politicians, parents and even their own school districts. [Read more here](. — [Scott Neuman]( Correspondent, News Desk Advice for kids — from kids – on coping with climate change. Hear how kids across the country are dealing with climate anxiety. [Read more here](. — [Lauren Sommer]( Correspondent, Science Desk And before you go, something to make you smile… Learning physics with bananas. On a delightful and surprising [TikTok feed]( Texas A&M University’s Physics & Astronomy Department demonstrates [how to hammer a nail with a banana]( and [how to break a ruler with atmospheric pressure](. See you in December! --------------------------------------------------------------- Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. [Listen Live]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Twitter]( What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: [npred@npr.org](mailto:npred@npr.org?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback) Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! [They can sign up here.]( Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Music, Politics, Code Switch and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Education emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [NPR logo]