Change Starts With Youth

Today we are going to talk about social and emotional learning. This type of learning applies to any educator, parent, children, and everyone in between. Social and emotional learning is when people are taught how to manage themselves socially and their emotions. Normally in children's lives, adults teach children how to act, that is why it is important that we as adults are good role models and show students how to control themselves emotionally- even when a situation gets difficult.  As people in students' lives, it is necessary to be a resource for students and to listen to them- to create a safe space for them. When we do this, students will feel more comfortable sharing their own experiences, which will then in turn allow us to aid the students in their learning. This also relates to one of my blog posts I've done before, where I talk about Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and why they are necessary in a classroom .  I think it is highly important to know your ow

Today I received a link to a Twitter post that featured a link to ten free e-books from Haymarket Books. Haymarket Books is a non-profit publisher that focuses on social change, and they have decided to make these books free so that people who are social isolating may become more educated on America's social issues during this time. Since people started quarantining, there has been a lot of dispute on Facebook and other social media platforms from young people criticizing our economy and current government administration . Some of the books that I have decided to download for free onto my Kindle are the following: Freedom Is a Constant Struggle by Angela Davis Ecosocialism by Michael Löwy Capitalism and Disability by Marta Russel  No One Is Illegal   by Justin Akers Chacón  and  Mike Davis Each of these books features a different critique of social issues in America from racism to xenophobia to ablism. I definitely recommend checking these out, as well as the other

Reading the news can be overwhelming, especially today. It is important to read the news, to stay updated with current events, but reading too much can create stress and worry. It is also important to note that speaking of the news and/or having the news on a lot can make children in the house feel anxious. In fact, The Child Mind Institute recommends talking to children about COVID-19, but limiting the amount of information shared to not overwhelm them. It is best to give them basic facts from health professionals and advice from the CDC , and to also allow them room to ask any questions involving the virus. About two years ago, TIME magazine had an article title d  You Asked: Is It Bad for You to Read the News Constantly? which answered a lot of questions about people's concerns over reading too much news. This article came out in a time where a lot of people were concerned about the presidency and the current White House Administration, but also proves to be useful now. Lo

For those of you who are looking for resources in town for you and your families, or to volunteer, look no further. Check out  #StocktonStrong   and the resources/opportunities happening right now in the city of Stockton.  This website was created by Mayor Michael Tubbs' team. The site features a letter from the Mayor himself to the city reassuring citizens by saying, " Already, our city has taken action to protect our residents, adopting a two month moratorium on residential evictions and creating a $1,235,000 Coronavirus Emergency Response Fund. Our nonprofit partners are working as hard as ever to deliver critical resources and have established a number of volunteer operations and emergency funds" and ending with the hashtag #stocktonstrong.  The website features resources for a variety of issues that people may be facing during the pandemic: Food Insecurity  Adult/Child Education Lack of Income  Small Business Funding Questions/news regarding

Good afternoon!  I hope all is well for my readers at this time. Ever since The World Health Organization's declaration of a pandemic , it seems as though the normal world has come to an abrupt halt. Everyone has been affected some way or another, whether that is through a lack of work, no longer seeing friends/family,  or even physically being affected by the virus. To put it simply, this sucks.  For the past two weeks I have confined myself to my house with limited contact with the outdoors through walking/running on a trail near my house. Classes are converted to the internet. I am no longer volunteering with Changeist (it's postponed until late May) and observing a middle school classroom. I am, however, working with my two siblings at home to help keep their minds' fresh and occupied. I have my brother (8) and sister (15) who I am assigning lesson plans to each day.  For my brother, I give him reading and math exercises. Sometimes we'll do science

In my senior year of high school, I had a teacher that did something that my other teachers did not do. He had a pantry of snacks and capri-suns in his classroom. It was always nice to come into his classroom, grab a granola bar, and then get to work on whatever was due that day by the end of class. I never really questioned why  he had the snacks, but I remember always appreciating them when I either forgot my lunch or didn't have enough money on my student card (which is a whole other conversation). In the classroom I am observing now, my teacher keeps snacks behind her desk. Usually students, if hungry, will ask her for one. They pick out their snack and then continue working on. My teacher doesn't complain, or shame them for needing a snack. It just happens. At Changeist, we usually have little snacks and sandwiches for our youth. They're available in the kitchen in the building, but the students normally ask before they grab one. I keep different snacks on me, a