Unforgotten, Newtown.

I don't easily forgot some life things.  I remember when I found out my first boyfriend passed away when we both would have been in our 20s.  I remember when a family member rolled their eyes at me when I was ten years old and how the message sent with their eye roll made me feel.  I remember my favorite teacher, Mr. Sparkman, and how each and every day in his class I felt valued and cared for.  I remember how cool Lil O smelled the day she was born - strange, I know.

When 60 minutes a few weeks ago interviewed several of the families from the Newtown, CT shooting, I knew I wanted to watch the segments to help me process that event.  I am the slowest processor in the world.  It takes me sometimes years to make sense out of things.  Plus, you know how much I adore Lil O and my amazing colleges students.  How does life continue after such tragedy? A question that was actually asked of the families in the interviews below.

There are so many take-aways from watching both the segments 60 minutes aired for Part I and Part II.

Again, being the slowest processor in the world means new take-aways will come to me hours, days, weeks and years later from this blog post.

Quote credit

Four take-aways immediately resonate with me.....

You are not alone.

In the US, there is often-times a negative stigma attached with getting mental health help.  I think that is why I openly talk about my life coaching with Sue.  I want whomever is reading this post (or older posts) to know, you are not alone for even a minute.  There are trained people in the world who can help get life in order, make sense of ugly things, and provide much needed life support.  Every community in the US offers free and paid for mental health help.  We just need to help each other connect with those services without judgment.

It really takes a village.

Asking for help from others is not a sign of weakness, but a sign you understand this cliche and you understand that, "Many hands make light work."  There is such strength in numbers and I wish more collaboration, not less, would take place in our communities.  It is not me, mine, or my family's.  But, instead we and ours & us collectively.

Look in a mirror.  Make change.

One of the dads, who lost a child in the Newtown shootings, eloquently said in the 60 minute segment (Part I, I believe), "Look in mirror and say to yourself, this will never happen to me. If you think for even the slightest shadow of a doubt that it [the shooting] could happen to you or your school or your community, what will you do to change your home, school, community or country now?"  I don't think there is a human on earth who could look in the mirror and know with certainty they, their families, their communities, or their country is 100% out of harm's way.  The latest incident in Boston attests to this uncertainty.  Sadly.

Evolve.

There is another quote, from a different dad from the Part II segment,  that speaks to me "....we [victims of Newtown] use tragedy to evolve society."  I am forever looking for what lessons a tragedy or life's events can teach me.  Thankfully, when I can't find them, Sue or friends & family help.  For me, personally, Newtown immediately changed my energy level with Lil O.  When I am tired and cranky, do not feel like playing and Lil O obviously wants to play, I find myself thinking, "A parent from Newtown would give anything to be in my shoes right now.  I get to be with my daughter.  I get to enjoy her company."  Just that small mind shift reminds me how grateful I am to have Lil O in my life and I immediately embrace the opportunity to interact with her. 

Life is never perfect.  Which is a good thing as I said good-bye to perfect in the fall.  My goal now is to learn, evolve, embrace and hold hands to make that moment better than it was seconds before.

Jen

PS - If I can point you to Sue or another person (or service) in your community to help you make sense of the world, please email me.  I'd love to help.  Find me at jen at upcyclededucation.com

Poverty for Theories on Thursday

Today's topic, Poverty, is less theory and more research based.  It is also part of a two-part blog post which will be continued on March 23rd.  With such a huge topic, where to begin?  How about we contemplate eye-opening and disheartening facts about poverty?



(Thanks, little O, for making the US seem brighter.)

Poverty facts

• The current poverty threshold for a family of two adults and two children is a touch over $22,000 according to the US Census Bureau.
• From the same report, Blacks and Hispanic families experience higher rates of poverty compared to White and Asian/Pacific Islander families - almost 2:1.
• Guess which age group experiences the most poverty?  Sadly, our children, ages 18 and younger.
• According to a recent 60 minutes episode (see video below) and other sources, the US is reporting the most homeless children since the Great Depression.  How many of your students live in homeless shelters or short-term housing like motels?  How does homelessness affect teaching and learning?
• Did you know some writers are calling the current generation of students the "Motel Generation" because of the increased level of homeless/houselessness?
• 20.5 million school-aged students qualify for FARMs (Free and Reduced Meals), which is a cheerless 42.9% of our school-aged population (according to the National Center for Educational Statistics).
• Which areas report the highest number of students who are in need of FARMS?  Washington, DC, Mississippi, and Louisiana.  With regret, all states have a portion of kids who qualify for FARMs.  Maryland has 33.5% of its school-aged population, California has 52% and the-land-of-my-soul, Colorado, 34.8% - Leave no state behind, it seems.....
• The "new" poor of the 21st century is not limited to just kids.  The elderly, working families and married-couple families comprise the new poor of this century.  And yes, I did say "working" families.  Evidently, the current minimum wage of $7.25 isn't cutting it.  By the way, I just did the math for two working adults who work 40 hours a week at minimum wage (and deducted 1/3 for taxes).  Their weekly income (after taxes) would be $191/adult.  That translates to $19,864 a year for a family with two working adults - this is below the poverty threshold as reported in bullet #1.  No wonder some high school students drop out of school to gain full-time employment.
• Poverty has socio-emotional effects.  Many students report feeling "embarrassed" about their lack of food, clothing, and shelter.  Some students also believe it is their fault their family is in poverty (e.g.:  "I am one more mouth to feed....").  Students report studying by flashlight (when the electricity is turned off) or sleeping in their family's car when a motel is too expensive. For educators, how does a student's socio-emotional state affect teaching and learning?
• If you know Abraham Maslow's work and his Hierarchy of Needs, right now you are thinking, "Oh no!  I've got students with considerable foundational needs."  And yes, I just linked to Wikipedia for Maslow's work.  If you look at the hierarchy below, you can see how the first two foundational levels, at a minimum, are affected by poverty. 

For those of you who like news shows like, 60 minutes, this 60 minute segment inspired today's post.  It originally aired on March 6th, 2011.  My husband, P, and I (and even little O) felt the information was startling.

How can we help our students from poverty?  Next week on Wednesday, March 23rd, we will tackle some ideas to consider.  Be thinking of your own ideas and we can share them that day.

Armed with creativity and hope,

Jen

PS - For those of you who appreciate statistics and data, the US Census Bureau's collection of data and stats is brimming.  Click here to see their tremendous collection of reports.

PSS - For those of you who feel a call-to-action now, a friend just shared this foundation's mission with me.  If you are in the mid-Atlantic region and have furniture or time to spare, you could make a difference.  Visit A Wider Circle.  Of course, monetary donations are always accepted.